MORRISTOWN, NJ – MARCH 29, 2021 – In an effort to help local school districts safely resume in-person instruction, Atlantic Health System has partnered with more than 120 school districts and individual schools to administer COVID-19 vaccine to more than 11,000 of their faculty and essential support staff. The vaccination appointments for teachers and staff are just part of the more than 280,000 doses administered by Atlantic Health System to eligible individuals in the general public.
The K-12 districts and schools involved in the partnership effort are located throughout Atlantic Health System’s entire 11-county coverage area across northern and central New Jersey. These partnerships are the result of collaboration between district, local and county officials and Atlantic Health System.
“Atlantic Health System is committed to not only delivering the highest quality care, but also to building healthier communities,” said Kevin Lenahan, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, Atlantic Health System. “We know that safely returning to in-person learning will be a tremendous lift to the physical and mental well-being of our children and a critical step in coexisting with COVID-19. We are proud to partner with our local communities and school districts to help teachers safely return to the classroom.”
Since the Atlantic Health System vaccination program began last December, 90% of the doses delivered by the health system have been to members of the community, after the state expanded eligibility beyond frontline caregivers. Atlantic Health System has opened nearly a dozen vaccine clinics, including facilities operated in collaboration with host communities in Rockaway Township and Summit. Those interested in making a vaccination appointment, including teachers and educational support staff, can sign up for an appointment alert at the Atlantic Health System website.
The vaccine is available only to those who live, work or are being educated in the state, and individuals must qualify in accordance with evolving regulations. You can read more about vaccine eligibility at the State of New Jersey’s website.
Available appointments are limited because of scarce levels of vaccine supply. As allocations from the federal government increase, so too will the number of available vaccination appointments. Atlantic Health System looks forward to welcoming community members to our vaccine clinics over the coming months and reaching the light at the end of the tunnel together.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of almost 17,000 team members and 4,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 11 counties and 4.9 million people. The system offers more than 400 sites of care, including seven hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, and Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ.
Atlantic Medical Group, comprised of 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers, represents one of the largest multi-specialty practices in New Jersey and joins Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners as part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.
Atlantic Health System provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 16 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Anywhere’s Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
Atlantic Health System leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of seven regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability and is a founding member of the PIER Consortium – Partners in Innovation, Education, and Research – a streamlined clinical trial system that will expand access to groundbreaking research across seven health systems in New Jersey.
Atlantic Health System has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University and is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.