SUMMIT, NJ – APRIL 9, 2021 – Atlantic Health System and the City of Summit today administered the 25,000th dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the Summit Community Center, marking tremendous progress in vaccinating members of the community and working to end the pandemic.
The milestone shot was given at the Community Center, which opened February 8 to New Jersey residents who meet the eligibility requirements.
One of the center’s gymnasiums was dedicated by the city to accommodate 14 socially distanced vaccination bays, set up by Atlantic Health System, whose team members have been administering doses of the vaccine to the public, by appointment via atlantichealth.org.
“Marking 25,000 doses today, in just over two months is a tremendous achievement in our fight against the COVID-19 virus,” said Alan Lieber, president of Atlantic Health System’s Overlook Medical Center in Summit, which has been overseeing operations of the vaccine center. “The City’s partnership to place our vaccination resources in an easily-accessible location will continue to be vital to our efforts to end this pandemic.”
“There’s still a long way to go in vaccinating people against COVID-19, but we are extremely pleased to take a moment to celebrate the milestone of administering more than 25,000 doses of vaccine so far at the Summit Community Center,” explains Summit Mayor Nora Radest. “We are proud of our partnership with Overlook and Atlantic Health and the strides we are making together to bring an end to the pandemic.”
The 25,000th dose was given to Lela Ingram, 65, a resident of Woodbridge, and a parishioner of Wallace Chapel in Summit. Like many, the immediate changes in daily life that resulted from the pandemic’s initial surge last spring took a toll on Ms. Ingram.
“During that time, I felt like going out was the worst thing you could do, like something was chasing you back home,” Ms. Ingram said.
As the event continued over more than a year, though, she learned to adjust. She attends church services and bible study virtually and has discovered puzzles as a hobby. The vaccine, though, offers a great deal of hope for her to resume many of her former normal activities, such as attending church in person, and visiting relatives from North Carolina, she said.
“You just have to take precautions and take one day at a time,” she said.
The accomplishment drew accolades from the Summit community, with support from FLAG of Summit, which provided celebratory lunch and cupcakes from local eateries for the Community Center team.
The Community Center vaccination site is open Monday to Saturday from 8:00am to 6:00pm when vaccine supplies are available. No walk-ins are accepted. Eligible people can register to receive a vaccination appointment alert. When vaccine is available, Atlantic Health System will send a notification to schedule an appointment. Senior citizens and residents without internet access may call the Department of Community Services at 908-277-2932 for assistance with signing up for a vaccination alert notification.
For parking and additional instructions, please visit the Atlantic Health System website or visit the City of Summit online.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of almost 17,000 team members and 4,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 11 counties and 4.9 million people. The system offers more than 400 sites of care, including seven hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, and Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ.
Atlantic Medical Group, comprised of 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers, represents one of the largest multi-specialty practices in New Jersey and joins Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners as part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.
Atlantic Health System provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 16 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Anywhere’s Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
Atlantic Health System leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of seven regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability and is a founding member of the PIER Consortium – Partners in Innovation, Education, and Research – a streamlined clinical trial system that will expand access to groundbreaking research across seven health systems in New Jersey.
Atlantic Health System has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University and is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.