SE11EO-7 Partnership with Colorado Springs Fire Department
Published in The Gazette, local newspaper
Hundreds turn out for free flu clinic
January 26, 2013 5:44 PM
THE GAZETTE
Six-year-old Ziad Yousef grimaced and cried Saturday at the sight of a needle.
“I don’t want to do it. No! No!” Yousef wailed as his mother, Sandy, covered his eyes and held him in his seat.
Seconds later, nurse Linda Anderson, who had encouraged Ziad to look at his older sister or think about SpongeBob SquarePants to take his mind off the needle, delivered the shot.
“Are we done yet?” Ziad asked while the needle was still stuck in his arm. “I want to go.”
The first grader was one of hundreds of people who showed up to a free flu clinic for the uninsured or underinsured, hosted by the Colorado Springs Fire Department and partners Penrose-St. Francis Mission Outreach andMemorial Health System.
The fire department has embarked on health and wellness initiatives to improve public health, which officials hope will reduce the number of emergency calls for help.
“Part of what we’re seeing in our community is that people are accessing 911 for medical needs that aren’t necessarily emergent, and so 911 at some levels has turned into a helpline,” said Jeff Martin, the department’s community and public health administrator.
The flu epidemic prompted the fire department to offer free shots, Deputy Fire Chief Tommy Smith said.
“It seems like it’s a little bit more serious this year than in years past,” Smith said.
Martin said some people showed up as early as 1 ½ hours before the flu clinic opened.
“It tells us that there’s a need in our community, and whenever there’s a need, we want to try to help out and respond to that need, especially for the uninsured population,” he said.
Lisa Cannone-Smith said she normally gets a flu shot every year but that she and her husband no longer have insurance. “He’s trying to find us something that’s affordable,” she said. Cannone-Smith said she was grateful for the fire department.
“It’s wonderful,” she said. “People are on hard times, and everything is so expensive. It’s nice to know that they’re opening their doors and offering this free service to people. They’re giving aid. They just don’t have to rush to do it.”