It started with a phone call from a neighbor. Paradise Village, a senior living complex in National City, needed help vaccinating their independent living residents against COVID-19. Neerav Jadeja, CEO of Paradise Valley Hospital reached out to Bill Lawson, program director of Paradise Village, and offered to supply them with the much-needed vaccine. Paradise Village gladly accepted the hospital’s offer. Lawson explains, “Being able to offer vaccinations to our residents is so much appreciated! They’re breathing sighs of relief! Hopefully this is the first step to a return to normalcy, where we can open again and hug our families. Thank you, Paradise Valley Hospital!”
Paradise Village is a large, resort-like complex that offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care services for senior citizen retirees. They did not have enough vaccine to inoculate all their residents, and Paradise Valley Hospital had extra doses after the latest round of vaccinations for their employees. The Hospital and The Village have a history of cooperation, so it was natural for Jadeja to reach out and share what they had. “We were happy to assist them,” says Jadeja. “We understand intimately that the more people that are vaccinated, the better it is for all of us. That would mean less stress on the healthcare safety net, and less strain on our critical and emergency care systems.”
A vaccination clinic was held on the Paradise Village campus on Friday, February 5, and then a follow-up clinic was held on February 25 to administer second doses. “We are very grateful and thankful to have a neighbor like Paradise Valley Hospital,” says Chip Gabriel, Executive Chairman of Generations LLC, the company that owns Paradise Village. “To see the look of gratitude and relief on the faces of our residents warms my heart. You can’t put a price on that.”
Paradise Valley Hospital urges you to become vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as you are able. Getting vaccinated adds an important layer of protection for you, your family, and loved ones. Here are some things you should know about the COVID-19 vaccine:
- All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States are very safe and effective at preventing the disease. These vaccines have been vetted by the CDC and the FDA after rigorous testing.
- The most common side effects are pain in the arm where you got the shot, feeling tired, headache, body aches, chills, and fever.
- Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available—wearing masks, staying at least 6 feet apart from people who don’t live with you, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, washing your hands frequently, avoid touching your face, and getting vaccinated.
Paradise Valley Hospital encourages all to step up to beat COVID-19. We ask you to join us in protecting yourself, your family and friends, and our community by getting vaccinated. We want everyone in our community to be safe and get back to hugging our families and friends and shaking hands with our neighbors.