COVID-19 vaccine appointments now available at Greater Family Elgin Care in Sycamore

SYCAMORE - Patients of Greater Elgin Family Care Center (GEFCC) can now register to get their COVID-19 vaccine at participating locations as long as they meet eligibility requirements for Illinois’ vaccine rollout in Phase 1A and 1B.

As a part of a coordinated effort with various counties including Cook, DeKalb, Kane and McHenry, Greater Elgin Family Care Center anticipates a sufficient supply of vaccines to begin offering the Moderna vaccine to eligible individuals, according to a news release.

Greater Elgin Family Care Center has engaged in an essential role in the fight against COVID-19 and continues to expand services in order to meet the needs of area residents. Initially, GEFCC began providing COVID-19 testing at the beginning of the pandemic, providing LabCorp’s nasal swab testing, while later expanding this service to offer LabCorp’s serological antibody testing and, recently, Abbott’s BinaxNOW rapid test. Virtual Visits also continue to be offered at all 9 Health Centers to facilitate the provision of essential health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, the Moderna vaccine is available in three locations by appointment only:

· Center for Family Health, 165 E. Plank Rd., Sycamore, IL 60178

· Lake Health Center, 1515 E Lake St., Suite 202, Hanover Park, IL 60133

· McHenry Community Health Center, 3901 Mercy Dr., McHenry, IL 60050

At Center for Family Health in Sycamore the vaccine is available to the general public that is eligible under Phase 1A and 1B. At Lake Health Center in Hanover Park and McHenry Community Health Center the vaccine is available only to existing patients eligible under Phase 1a and 1b.

Eligible patients interested in obtaining the vaccine must call 847-608-1344 or 815-363-9900 to schedule their 30-minute appointment.

Vaccines are available by appointment only. Center for Family Health will have appointments available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Lake Health Center and McHenry Community Health Center will have appointments available from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Due to the nature of the vaccine, it is essential that appointments are kept to prevent vaccines from being wasted. Patients will schedule a second appointment to receive the second dose of the vaccine at the end of their first appointment.

Patients scheduled to receive the vaccine will be required to bring proof of eligibility for 1a or 1b such as an ID/Driver’s License, proof of employment, an Employee ID, or a recent pay stub. If you are not eligible for the criteria for 1a or 1b, your appointment request will be rejected. To check your eligibility, please see pages 13-15 of the State of Illinois Vaccination Plan V5.0.

The vaccine is available to both insured and uninsured patients and is offered free of cost to all patients. For insured patients, GEFCC will bill the insurance carrier.

GEFCC plans to expand vaccination to all locations when supply becomes available. Vaccines may also become available for non-patients in additional locations in the future. Be sure to check GEFCC’s website and social media pages for updates.

Greater Elgin Family Care Center remains committed to the health and safety of its staff, patients and communities it serves. The provision of COVID-19 vaccination, testing and Virtual Visits are just some examples of the many oral health, behavioral health, and primary health care services GEFCC provides.

Greater Elgin Family Care Center is the area’s premier Federally Qualified Health Center. It provides a full range of quality, affordably priced, fully integrated primary care services to over 53,500 area residents by more than 175,000 medical, behavioral health and dental appointments annually.

Operating 9 Community Health Centers in 5 northeastern Illinois counties, the organization is accredited by The Joint Commission, Primary Care Medical Home certified, repeatedly nationally recognized for both its health outcomes and cost efficiency, and provides care regardless of the patient’s ability to pay.

Visit www.gefcc.org for more information.

COVID-19 vaccine appointments now available at Greater Family Elgin Care in Sycamore

Moderna vaccine available to eligible general public in Sycamore, but only eligible registered patients in Hanover Park and McHenry