UAB News
Patients of Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority can now get COVID-19 vaccinations on-site at Cooper Green, an affiliate of the UAB Health System. The health care facility is offering vaccinations to enrolled patients by appointment only two days a week with the assistance of the Birmingham Black Nurses Association.
Enrolled Cooper Green patients can schedule a vaccine by calling 205-930-3350. The vaccines are free, and the process takes about 30 minutes.
Jefferson County leadership coordinated with the Birmingham Black Nurses Association to provide the expert medical staff needed to administer the vaccines.
“Our organization has been active for more than 30 years,” said Alean Nash, president of the Birmingham Black Nurses Association. “Our goal and mission are to provide service and health education to the community, so when the county approached us to assist with Cooper Green vaccinations, we agreed so that we could help get vaccinations to the communities that are in greatest need.”
Nash says the organization has more than 200 members, including retired nurses, students, nursing faculty and nurses working throughout the community.
“I think it’s very reassuring for members of the community to know that they are getting their vaccine administered by a professional nurse,” Nash said. “It also gives us an opportunity to talk to the patients and encourage them to help spread the word about the importance of vaccination.”
More than 80 percent of Cooper Green’s patients identify as Black or African American, the demographic most affected by the pandemic.
“We wanted to make sure the most vulnerable in the county had access to the COVID-19 vaccine, and that it was provided by professionals who could also help educate and provide a level of trust for the patients,” said Walter Jackson, Jefferson County deputy county manager.
“Connecting Cooper Green and the Birmingham Black Nurses Association was the perfect fit,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson, District 2. “The patients are receiving the vaccine from members of their own community — people they can trust. They will leave with additional knowledge that they can share with family and friends about the importance of getting the vaccine. We are very grateful to the BBNA for their service to this community.”
The vaccinations at Cooper Green are offered twice a week, on Fridays from 9-11:30 a.m. and 1‑3:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
