Mercy celebrated a historical moment in our 138-year legacy of care in the Four Corners on Dec. 16. Mercy hospitalist Dr. Jennifer Heinicke became the first Mercy caregiver to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Following a moment of silent reflection lead by Mercy Chaplain Josh Magyar, fellow caregivers who were gathered at the vaccine clinic cheered as Dr. Heinicke received the first vaccination – representing a pivotal moment in our ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
A member of our Mercy team for 20 years, Dr. Heinicke has been on the frontlines of the pandemic since its start nine months ago. Even when confronted with the fear of bringing the virus home to her 16-year-old daughter who has cystic fibrosis, Dr. Heinicke never wavered from her dedication to the patients and communities Mercy serves.
Driven by her mission derived from the Dr. Francis Peabody quote, “the secret in the care of the patient is in caring for the patient,” Dr. Heinicke continues to stand by our patients who are often fighting COVID-19 alone as Mercy’s dedication to safety has forced the implementation of visitor restricts.
Dr. Heinicke’s unwavering dedication is mirrored by all our Mercy caregivers who have gathered around our COVID-19 patients providing support, encouragement and strength when loved ones cannot.
“I am profoundly grateful to the scientific community for these well tested and safe vaccines that will help protect our loved ones and colleagues,” Dr. Heinicke stated. “This is an exciting and historical accomplishment, but our work is far from done. I am hopeful that we can work together with the necessary public health measures, advances in clinical treatment, and widespread vaccination to begin to plan our new normal.”
“I look forward to caring for others again, with the human touch that is so important to the art of medicine,” Dr. Heinicke added.
Mercy administered 537 doses of the Pfizer vaccine last week and 800 more doses of the Moderna vaccine to caregivers this week.
Though this is a pivotal moment in the COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic is not over. Mercy continues to ask members of our community to follow COVID-19 precautions, such as wearing masks, social distancing and limiting interactions with people outside of your household.
