Monthly Archives

December 2020

Roxana Rhodes
In Events

Thank You for All of Your Donations!

Santa’s Workshop Drive was a success! Thank you to our patients for making this possible!

We are filled with gratitude and greatly appreciate the many donations we received this year in support of giving families a Christmas to remember. Thanks to the generosity of our patients, families at the Ronald McDonald House can focus on what is most important: their children.

Today our office elves will be dropping off all of the gifts at the Ronald McDonald House Charity of Central Texas. In response to COVID-19, there will be no “shopping and wrapping” at Santa’s Workshop this year. Instead, the gifts are delivered all wrapped up, and tagged accordingly by age group.

Wishing you and your family a happy and safe Holiday!

Roxana Rhodes
In News

Update on COVID-19 Vaccine

Following the Travis County Medical Society Town Hall Meeting, we would like to take this time to provide an update regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

Two COVID-19 vaccines are expected to arrive in Texas around December 17-18, by two different manufacturers, Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech. Both vaccines are similar in their active ingredient, messenger RNA, to allow the body to develop antibodies against the COVID-19 spike protein.

Key Assumptions for COVID-19 Vaccine:

  • Limited doses may be available by mid December 2020, but supply will increase substantially in 2021
  • Initial supply will either be approved as a licensed vaccine or authorized for use under an Emergency Use Authorization issued by the FDA
  • Two doses, separated by 21 or 28 days, will be needed for immunity for most COVID-19 vaccines
  • Risk of side effects are low and are similar to those of the influenza vaccine, such as local redness, swelling, soreness, and mild flu-like symptoms

The COVID-19 vaccine timeline will follow 4 phases based on the activities allowed by availability of supplies:

  • Phase 1 (November-December 2020)
    • Limited doses
    • Priority groups based on CDC guidance when sufficient vaccine is made available: critical infrastructure workers, individuals who are at high risk for severe COVID disease, individuals who are at high risk for acquiring or transmitting COVID, people with limited access to vaccines (see below for CDC Critical Populations for COVID-19)

  • Phase 2 (January-July 2021)
    • Number of doses available increases (~660M nationwide)
    • Our practice will likely fall in this phase, and we can expect to have the vaccines available in our office sometime in early 2021
  • Phase 3 and Phase 4
    • Likely excess supply
    • Outreach to hard-to-reach populations
    • Plan for potential seasonal vaccine

We will email our patients when our practice is able to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. Please visit our blog and check your emails regularly for ongoing updates regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

Roxana Rhodes
In Events

Holiday Toy Drive Benefiting Ronald McDonald House

Dear Patients and Friends of the Practice,

As we get close to the holidays, it is always good to remember the folks that may be having a harder time of it, especially with all that has happened this year. You have most likely heard of the Ronald McDonald House, an organization that helps families stay near their ill children, with both a place to stay and financial help. Of course, keeping families together is especially important during the holiday season. We thank all of our patients who participated in supporting their efforts last year, and we are excited to announce that we will have another opportunity this year to come together as a practice to sponsor the RMHC Santa’s Workshop Toy and Gift Drive, and myself and staff will be volunteering our time to assemble gift bags.

We need your help! Please bring in a new, unwrapped toy or adult gift anytime before December 17 (please see here for suggestions). We are also accepting gift bags this year for assembly of the gifts. On December 18, we will be delivering the gifts to the Ronald McDonald House of Central Texas.

We hope you will consider donating a toy on your next visit, or whenever you are in the area. Together we can help families whose spirits might need a little extra lifting this holiday season.

Happy Holidays from Partners in Health!