Liberty University holds on-campus clinic for employees eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine

Following the guidelines for vaccine rollout phases set in place by the CDC, Liberty University held a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on campus on Thursday, offering free doses for up to 1,200 eligible university employees and to employees of Sodexo, Liberty’s dining services provider. Those eligible for the voluntary vaccines fall under the Phase 1a and 1b plan, which includes essential workers and those over 65 years old. The clinic was held on the concourse of the Vines Center, with booths that allowed up to 20 people to receive vaccinations at one time.

The employees who fell into the two demographics were sent emails notifying them of the opportunity. Vaccinations were not required by the university.

Of the 800 campuses that Sodexo serves, Liberty is one of only 10 universities to offer these vaccination services to their employees for free and the first of their campuses in the state of Virginia.

“Liberty University is excited to partner with CVFP to provide their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to those who fit into the 1a and 1b categories and are vital to the operations of the institution as members of Liberty’s dining services and university staff,” said Dr. Keith Anderson, executive director of Liberty’s Student Health Center and Wellness Initiatives.

The second dose of the vaccine will be administered on March 26 in the Montview Alumni Ballroom.

Shawn Crawford, CEO of the CVFP Medical Group, said his team was pleased to collaborate with Liberty University “to be able to administer the COVID vaccine to help protect the health of LU employees and, ultimately, the community at large.”

Volunteers from Liberty’s School of Nursing (LUSON), College for Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM), and School of Health Sciences (LUSHC) helped in supportive roles during the clinic, with nursing students helping perform the injections and other students monitoring patients 15-30 minutes after the vaccination.

Leslie Knight, a second-semester sophomore nursing student, said that the on-campus clinic allowed her to practice interacting with patients and gain experience in a clinical setting.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for the people who choose to get the vaccine, and it’s also a chance for me to use my people skills and communication skills as a nurse as I get this experience,” Knight said.

Liberty has been an ongoing community partner in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and assisting with the vaccine rollout locally. Anderson and the COVID-19 Taskforce members have been in weekly conversations with the Central Virginia Health District, Centra, and CVFP officials to coordinate efforts in response to the health crisis. Since the beginning of the year, when the vaccine became available to the region, students and staff from the School of Nursing and LUCOM have been volunteering at local vaccination clinics where they have distributed CDC information, assisted patients with forms and monitored patients for any post-COVID-19 allergic reactions.

A major show of support from Liberty came in February when, under the direction of President Jerry Prevo, the university offered retail space, rent-free, at the nearby Candlers Station Shopping Center (the former T.J. Maxx) to be used for a larger, central vaccination clinic for Lynchburg and the surrounding areas.