Vaccines Arrive at Buckner Parkway Place Senior Living Community

On Tuesday, Dec. 29, CVS pharmacists and technicians arrived at Buckner Parkway Place in Houston and Buckner Villas in Austin bringing hope for health care residents and associates – the COVID-19 vaccine.

The two senior living communities became the first Buckner communities to receive doses of the vaccine for residents and associates in their health care areas. Leaders at all six communities are working with partnering pharmacies, like CVS, to schedule free clinics as soon as possible.

Dimmitry Cooke, a CNA staff coordinator at Parkway Place, was the first associate at the community to receive the vaccine. Cooke and the other associates and residents will receive their required second dose of the vaccine from CVS in three to four weeks.

“Being able to offer the vaccine to the residents and associates in nursing who choose to receive it is a great first step, but we can’t stop until everyone in our senior living communities has the opportunity to be vaccinated,” said Abraham Mathew, executive director of Parkway Place.

It is not yet known when residents in independent living will have the option to receive the vaccine.

Buckner communities are among the 2,000 long-term care homes across Texas that are receiving the vaccine as part of the state’s first phase of distribution. According to CVS Health District Leader John Fratamico, approximately 275,000 long-term care residents and staff will be vaccinated over the next 12 weeks.

As part of an educational campaign to help residents and associates decide whether to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Buckner created a series of videos with Dr. Neeta Nayak, medical director for Ventana by Buckner, the Buckner operated senior living community in Dallas.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit the CDC website and consult your personal physician.