Vaccines Now Available for Veterans of All Ages
UPDATE AS OF APRIL 5, 2021: The Orlando VA expands COVID-19 vaccinations to all veterans, caregivers, and spouses under the SAVES LIVES Act. The expansion depends on readily available vaccine supply.
“Since the start of the pandemic, the Orlando VA Healthcare System has been focused on vaccinating as many Veterans as possible, and we are excited to multiply our efforts thanks to the SAVE LIVES Act,” said Dr. Lisa Zacher Acting Director of the Orlando VA Healthcare System.
Those eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine under the SAVES LIVES Act should visit https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/ to register and stay informed on the VA’s vaccine rollout process. You can also walk-in to any clinic at the Orlando VA Medical Center in Lake Nona, Lake Baldwin VA Medical Center, Viera VA Health Care Center, and Daytona Beach VA Multi-Specialty CBOC. For more information on times and locations, visit the VA’s website.
The Orlando Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center is offering COVID-19 vaccines for all veterans who receive care at the VA, regardless of age. COVID-19 vaccines are only available at four VA clinics through a combination of appointments and walk-ins until supply is exhausted. To receive the vaccine, veterans must be enrolled and eligible for VA healthcare benefits. To schedule an appointment, call (407) 631-0499 (available Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.- 4 p.m.). Veterans who are not enrolled or do not currently receive care at the VA can visit the VA’s eligibility web page to learn more.
Veterans must be able to return to the clinic they received their first shot at for a second dose. They will receive either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at no cost. For more information about COVID-19 vaccine locations during the week of March 29-April 2, please see below:
Lake Nona: Pfizer Vaccine
- All ages.
- 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Appointments and walk-ins.
- Orlando VA Medical Center, Lake Nona Campus, 4th Floor Auditorium: 13800 Veterans Way, Orlando, FL 32827
Lake Baldwin: Pfizer Vaccine
- All ages.
- 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Appointments and walk-ins until 1 p.m.
- Lake Baldwin VA Medical Center, Auditorium B: 5201 Raymond St., Orlando, FL 32803
Viera VA: Moderna Vaccine
- All ages.
- Appointment-only.
- Viera VA Clinic: 2900 Veterans Way, Melbourne, FL 32940
Daytona Beach VA Clinic: Moderna Vaccine
- All ages.
- 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Appointment-only.
- Daytona Beach VA Multispecialty CBOC Room: 551 National Health Care Dr., Daytona Beach, FL 32114
For information about the COVID-19 Vaccine for Veterans, please contact the Orlando VA Healthcare System’s Public Affairs Office at vhaorlpublicaffairs@va.gov.
On March 22, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it honored the Orlando VA Healthcare System’s Long-Term Care Strike Team as the VHA’s National HeRO Award recipient. The National HeRO Award is the highest level of HRO recognition available within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and is reserved to honor employees who advance the VHA’s Journey to High Reliability through demonstration of the VHA’s HRO Principles in Action. The HRO Steering Committee votes quarterly to select one recipient in each category for a National HeRO Award.
The VHA’s enterprise-wide Journey to High Reliability aims to continuously improve its processes by maximizing patient safety and reducing harm in order to restore trust and ensure every veteran receives the high-quality care they deserve.
The award recipients were recognized for their safety and process improvement initiatives as well as their efforts to provide the best possible care to veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their accomplishments include reimagining processes and protocols to adapt to the COVID-19 environment, implementing a blood culture accuracy improvement program, ensuring unique patient identifiers are included on medical imagery, and using 3D printing technology for personal protective equipment.
Each of the nine teams and individuals were nominated by top leadership in one of five categories: Clinical individual from a Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) or facility, non-clinical individual from a VISN or facility, clinical team from a VISN or facility, non-clinical team from a VISN or facility, and individual or team from a VHA Central Office.
“I am immensely proud of our Long-Term Care Strike Team,” stated Timothy J. Cooke, director/CEO of the Orlando VA Healthcare System. “COVID-19 has challenged the entire healthcare community, and even during these unpredictable times, these HeRO Award recipients have dedicated themselves to continuous improvement to ensure VHA delivers the best care possible. The team was honored for their assistance in VA’s ‘Fourth Mission,’ in which they assisted 10 long-term care facilities outside the VA. This included caring for sick residents, augmented staffing gaps due to COVID-19, promoted appropriate infection control and testing practices, and set-up COVID-19 units in the care facilities.”
Learn more about VA’s Journey to High Reliability.
