Mosaic Medical expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Mosaic Medical has been invited by the Oregon Health Authority to participate in a pilot program to expand vaccination efforts for Oregon communities most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

A nonprofit community health center with 15 clinics across Central Oregon, Mosaic is one of seven FQHCs invited to participate in the pilot.

“We are proud to be able to facilitate greater access to COVID-19 vaccines for populations in our community who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic,” said Megan Haase, Mosaic Medical CEO.

Participation in this effort provides Mosaic with the ability to move forward with expanding its vaccine eligibility requirements outside of current sequencing dates.

While Mosaic will continue to be guided by Oregon’s eligibility phases, working through currently prioritized populations as quickly as possible, it's now expanding our Mosaic guidelines and those now eligible to schedule vaccine appointments at Mosaic include:

• Mosaic patients age 45 or older
• Mosaic patients eligible under OHA guidance (Phases 1a and 1b)
• Spouses/caregivers of eligible Mosaic patients
• Individuals (Mosaic patients and community members) who are:

• Experiencing homelessness
• Residents of public housing
• Migrant/seasonal agriculture workers
• Have limited English proficiency
• Low-income (defined as household income at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines)
• Identify as a member of a minority population

“Vaccine supply will be the limiting factor in the number of appointments that we can make available,” said Carla Stevens, Mosaic’s chief operations officer. “It is an ever-evolving environment, however we do anticipate seeing an increase in vaccine doses made available to us to help meet community need.”

Mosaic is reaching out to its patients who are eligible to schedule vaccine appointments via direct mail, text messaging and phone calls. Additional vaccine clinics to take place in the coming weeks are being coordinated with community partner organizations including the Latino Community Association and Volunteers in Medicine. Details will be shared on mosaicmedical.org and social media channels when finalized.

Individuals who meet the vaccine eligibility requirements and who wish to schedule an appointment have several options:

TEXT: 458-203-1535 with “Y” to receive a return text with a weblink to schedule online.

ONLINE: Go to http://bit.ly/MosaicVaccine to access the online scheduling tool.

For those who have any issues scheduling, please text Mosaic at 541-383-3005.

Individuals may also call us at 541-383-3005. However, due to a very high volume of calls, please note that you may experience extended hold times while we take care of every caller.

For those who would like to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine before scheduling an appointment, please visit the Mosaic website blog at https://www.mosaicmedical.or/blog/ for more information.

About Mosaic Medical:

Mosaic Medical is a nonprofit community health center that serves Central Oregonians from all walks of life. Through a network of 15 clinics, we offer integrated health services that address each patient’s medical, dental, behavioral health, nutrition and medication needs. Our care is never influenced by how much money our patients make, what language they speak or the status of their insurance coverage. Mosaic Medical provides quality care for all.