Tulare County Board of Supervisors Chairman Eddie Valero tours local Vaccine Roundup event with City of Porterville Mayor Monte Reyes

Porterville, CA – January 29, 2021

Porterville Vaccine Roundup Visit

The collaborative efforts resulting in more than 20,000 COVID-19 vaccines administered in Porterville have not gone unnoticed. On Friday, January 28, 2022, Tulare County Supervisor for District 4 Eddie Valero and City of Porterville Mayor Reyes visited the SVMC-Imperial Ambulance Community Vaccination Clinic to learn more about the Porterville-fueled efforts to increase access to vaccines in the South County. Supervisor Valero is currently the chairman of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors.

Mayor Reyes welcomed Supervisor Valero to the vaccination clinic on a Vaccine Roundup event day where the city continues to incentive local vaccinations. The two discussed approaches to community vaccination strategy throughout the city and the potential for other communities. Since May of 2021, the County of Tulare has been providing COVID-19 vaccine supply for the SVMC-Imperial Ambulance vaccination effort. Since August of 2021, Porterville’s City Council has provided $100 gift card incentives to encourage community members to receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The city has since invested 1.5 million dollars of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal funding in the successful efforts.

Replicable Vaccination Model

Now in its eighth installment, the Vaccine Roundup event has incentivized more than 12,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, the majority of which have been administered to local area residents from Porterville and surrounding communities. To help represent the replicable operations model behind the vaccination clinic, Sierra View Medical Center Marketing & Community Relations Manager Alida Verduzco Silva and Imperial Ambulance Operations Manager Sean Roberts guided the clinic visit tour. Supervisor Valero and Mayor Reyes had the opportunity to discuss the event with frontline staff taking on various responsibilities.

“I think it’s great to make a visit and see the progress that’s been made since the very beginning, since initial efforts to today,” said Mayor Reyes. He was honored to welcome Chairman Valero to observe the event. “The more people that are allowed to see what’s happening here, I think we’ll see these efforts spread throughout the county and hopefully other places,” he added. The positive community response and increased participation in the Vaccine Roundup events have helped the Porterville City Council make the decision to approve additional events in the past. They will continue re-assessing the outreach following every roundup.

In past events, the clinic’s vaccination teams faced challenges related to long lines and registration hurdles. As with everything our community has encountered during this pandemic, they quickly made changes to help make the Vaccine Roundup event a success. Today, the SVMC-Imperial Ambulance Community Vaccination Clinic located at 385 Pearson Dr., Porterville, CA 93257 runs smoothly with an easy-to-follow flow and separate lines for walk-ins, appointments, and each type of vaccine offered.

Multidisciplinary Health Care Professionals

The clinic is operated by health care experts from Sierra View Medical Center and Imperial Ambulance. Sierra View Registered Nurses and Imperial Ambulance paramedics and EMTs work seamlessly to bring hospital-based care and pre-hospital services together for the good of the community and public health. The clinic currently offers first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to individuals five and up. It also offers Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 boosters to those 12 and up. COVID-19 safety guidelines are observed and social distancing markers are installed throughout the location.

Economic Development

The SVMC-Imperial Ambulance partnership with the City of Porterville extends to the many small businesses participating in the Vaccine Roundup, many of whom did not previously feature gift cards or gift certificates as part of their service offerings. The Vaccine Roundup has been a conduit to help many of them modernize the purchasing options they now offer their customers and allow them to benefit from ongoing federally-funded gift card purchases from the City of Porterville for the event series. Gift card choices include local Porterville grocery stores, restaurants, and businesses offering other services or goods, including clothing.

Solid Communication Strategy

The promotion of the Vaccine Roundup has been steadfast since the beginning with a solid and replicable marketing and communication strategy always targeted at keeping the community well informed of upcoming events. Working with community partners has paid off. Leading up to every event, community partners, influencers, and media outlets receive a media toolkit kit with event details, including flyers and social media collateral to help share out. Time and again, the consistent messaging and streamlined look of event materials in English and Spanish help the community knows where to go and when.

Good Impressions

Supervisor Valero reminded that it takes a team to fulfill a dream and he sees that happening in Porterville. “I love the way everything has been structured,” he said of the easy process and excellent operational flow. “I’ve learned a great deal about how to make these types of systems work for communities to bring people in to ensure their health.” He noted that it was clear that the event has a lot of community support judging by the community’s response and the number of business partners collaborating to make it a reality.

“I believe that it’s the city doing the work in the trenches and really making that connection to the people and also being that bridge to county, to state, at the local level. This is a great opportunity, and hopefully, we can replicate this in other parts of the county with other cities that are interested,” said Supervisor Valero.

Porterville’s Vaccine Roundup #8 began on January 27, 2022 and will end on Saturday, January 29, 2022 (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.). For details about the event, please visit www.sierra-view.com/VaccineRoundup. Appointments may be made at myturn.ca.gov. For media inquiries in relation to vaccination and community partnership opportunities, please contact Alida Verduzco Silva (AVerduzcoSilva@sierra-view.com, or 559-789-7833).

Images and Captions

City of Porterville Mayor greets County of Tulare Board of Supervisors Chairman Eddie Valero upon arrival to the SVMC-Imperial Community Vaccination Clinic located at 385 Pearson Dr., Porterville, CA 93257.

Partnered efforts have made the Vaccine Roundup a success. From left to right: Imperial Ambulance Operations Manager Sean Roberts; City of Porterville Mayor Monte Reyes; County of Tulare Board of Supervisors Chairman Eddie Valero; Sierra View Medical Center Marketing & Community Relations Manager Alida Verduzco Silva.

County of Tulare Board of Supervisors Chairman Eddie Valero looks on as Sierra View Medical Center Registered Nurse Brian Cheng prepares a COVID-19 vaccine. The Sierra View Medical Center and Imperial Ambulance teams work seamlessly to bring hospital-based care and pre-hospital services together for the good of the community.

Imperial Ambulance Operations Manager Sean Roberts explains the potential of Emergency Medical Services as public health components to improve the health of community members through outreach such as vaccination popups, which the City of Porterville has also participated in with SVMC-Imperial Ambulance. Such events include the city’s Veterans Day Parade and the Children’s Christmas Parade where federally-funded incentives also were featured.

City of Porterville Mayor Reyes explains to Supervisor Valero the economic development objectives behind the Vaccine Roundup event that jointly benefits public health and the local economy.

City of Porterville Library Staff including Donna Silvas (left) discuss the Vaccine Roundup event experience with Tulare County Board of Supervisors Chairman Eddie Valero.

Supervisor Valero greeted all staff at the clinic including Sierra View Medical Center’s registration staff. Left to right: Supervisor Valero, Unit Clerk Blanca Miranda, Certified Nursing Assistant Luisa Ledesma, Certified Nursing Assistant Fatima Avalos. COVID-19 safety guidelines were observed including hand hygiene following any handshakes.

Social media materials feature easy-to-scan QR codes directing individuals to myturn.ca.gov.