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Gratitude is a word often expressed in conversations these pandemic days. Gratitude for health and healing of loved ones. Gratitude for being able to see and hug those we've missed. Gratitude for being able to "get out a bit." And gratitude for the services that have made these things possible.
Medical facilities, both large and small, have worked tirelessly to provide the needed COVID-19 testing and vaccinations for residents in this area. One stand-out facility that has provided both these services is the Family Practice Center in Hughesville.
The Hughesville FPC began offering drive-up testing in October in 2020, for all 41 Family Practice Center offices within the FPC group. This group covers central Pennsylvania, from Laporte to Harrisburg.
"FPC regularly offers various diagnostic tests between our laboratory and in-office lab, so we already had the equipment needed for COVID testing," said Tina Deiter, Hughesville office manager. "Once that was approved for use by the FDA, we were set to go."
The Hughesville office houses two physicians, Drs. Allen Wetzel and Quinn Kirk, three physician assistants, and five Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners. They also offer counseling, radiography and laboratory services, as well as colonoscopy and home sleep study monitors, in addition to routine primary care.
In January of 2021, Hughesville FPC was chosen by the Department of Health to receive the Moderna vaccines and began administering them on Jan. 6.
"I remember the first day the vaccines arrived in our office," said Deiter. "I would compare it to Christmas morning for a little kid, but even better! You could actually feel the hope that box arriving created throughout the office -- such a moment of joy."
Those January 2020 and 2021 events were possible because "our office recognized the need in the community," said Kirk. "Very few facilities were offering the services, and we wanted to meet the demand, so we put a high priority on implementing a way to make that happen."
To facilitate the administering of the vaccine, FPC created clinics, mostly on the weekends, that maximized time and staff to administer the number of vaccines on a weekly basis.
"We were administering the entire stock of vaccines as quickly as we were receiving them," said Deiter. "So we had to be very efficient. Despite the long hours needed to successfully run these clinics, we feel very proud of our efforts and the impact it has had on the community."
The Hughesville Family Practice Center has administered over 4,000 doses of the vaccine as of this writing.
"It would not have been possible without the dedication from our staff who have gone above and beyond and are the reason for the success in vaccine administration," Deiter said, praising the staff for their dedication.
"The state Department of Health has sent only the Moderna vaccine to our office; we don't have the facilities to house the Pfizer," Wetzel said. "Most patients, eager to get a vaccine, have had no preference in the type they get. When the Johnson and Johnson vaccine was approved, patients began asking about it because it's a single dose. But since the fear of blood clots has arisen in the J&J shot, the trend has been back toward Moderna."
Pfizer has a similar efficacy as Moderna and is administered at other facilities.
The 25 staff members throughout the Hughesville FPC have expressed only positive responses to providing the vaccine.
"I have really loved helping the community," Lizzy Bliss, part of a team that has been doing much of the vaccinating, said.
"The patients are so grateful; it's like we've given them their lives back," Timbi Busch, another vaccine team member, said. "We've gotten an unbelievable number of thank-you's. … We help each other remember that we're making a difference."
"People were scared they'd been exposed and they were confused on the next step regarding testing and quarantine," Kim Croucher, front office staff worker and vaccine team-member, said. "They were worried about the health of their loved ones, and felt helpless that they couldn't help them recover. It was frustrating for everyone because we were trying to explain the guidelines for testing and the near-daily changes from the Department of Health, and patients were trying to schedule testing and vaccines, most of them elderly, with some asking for help to maneuver online applications."
"Everyone, workers and patients, did their very best to keep their tears and tempers in check," Brenda Freezer, staff and team-member, said.
Both Freezer and Croucher noted a change in tone once the vaccine was available.
"Now there was hope and appreciation in their voices," Freezer said.
And both agreed being part of the team administering the vaccine is the best part of their days.
Vaccine clinics continue to be held at Hughesville FPC. Patients may call 570-584-5144 to schedule an appointment.