SOUTHBRIDGE, MA, February 26, 2021 – Since the opening of Harrington HealthCare’s COVID Vaccination Center at the Southbridge Community Center, a wide variety of community organizations and community members have come forward to support the Center’s efforts and help the health system to meet the great need and demand for vaccinations.
Bright Eric Kwasi Ohene is among those who volunteer their time to help the Center run at the most efficient capacity possible. A native of Ghana, Bright is in the United States on a B1B2 Visa to continue his medical studies. When Harrington became one of the first
vaccination centers to open in the Central Massachusetts area, he learned about the opportunity to volunteer and was among the first to do so.
Bright wakes up every day in the wee hours of the morning to take a Lyft to the Union Train Station in Worcester. He then takes the bus to Southbridge and walks to the vaccination center to volunteer – and all of this by 7 a.m.
While waiting and hoping to get the opportunity for a cardiovascular surgical fellowship, Bright is preparing to obtain the credentials required to have a medical practice here in the United States. He has also been involved in working with Massachusetts Medical Reserve Corps.
“We are extremely grateful to have Bright as part of our team here at the vaccination center. He is an exceptional volunteer and all of the nurses and staff enjoy working with him.” Said Jess Calcidise, Chief Nursing Operator “It is people like him that are the reason why we can provide vaccines to our community more quickly and efficiently. The good work that is being done by him and all of the staff and volunteers does not go unnoticed. Nor does the incredible contributions and support that have been provided by so many community organizations as well as the town of Southbridge and its first responders.”
The Harrington HealthCare COVID Vaccination Center will continue to work on ramping up additional capacity to administer the vaccine to the local community as the state opens up new categories of individuals to be eligible for the vaccine. Those interested in being vaccinated should visit https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine for the latest information on e
ligibility and make an appointment to receive the vaccine when they become eligible.
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Harrington HealthCare System is a comprehensive regional healthcare system serving more than 25 communities across south-central Massachusetts and northeastern Connecticut. The system includes Harrington Hospital in Southbridge, Harrington HealthCare at Webster, and three additional major medical office buildings: Harrington HealthCare at Charlton, Harrington HealthCare at 169, also in Charlton, and Harrington HealthCare at Spencer; Harrington Physician Services, our primary care, and multi-specialty physician group; UrgentCare Express at Harrington in Charlton and Oxford; The Cancer Center at Harrington in Southbridge, and the region’s largest Behavioral Health programs for mental health and substance use.
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