Important Letter: COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization
TO: Dr. Barabara Ferer
FROM: Anthony Hill, M.A. J.D. Esq., Executive Director
RE: Vaccine Prioritization
Dear Dr. Ferrer,
There are simply no words that can adequately express our gratitude for all of the work that you and your staff have done. Your daily guidance, reporting, triaging and tracing intended to mitigate risks and to slow the spread of COVID-19 within our community demonstrates your resilient pledge to protect all of our lives.
San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center (SG/PRC) is one of 21 regional centers within California that provides diagnostic assessments, counseling, treatment, therapies, transportation and an array of daily services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities pursuant to the Lanterman Act. SG/PRC serves over 14,000 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families beginning from birth and ongoing to end of life. SG/PRC accomplishes its statutory service delivery mandates through its 400 staff, 2,061 Service Providers and extensive community partnerships.
Dr. Ferrer, we admire your transparency in providing public view regarding prioritization of COVID-19 vaccines. After review of the Los Angeles County Vaccine Distribution Phases publication dated 12/22/20, many of the people we serve, our staff and our Service Providers (vendors) are designated within Phase 1A (Tier 1) and (Tier 2). We are pleased with these designations. However, we did not find any designation for individuals with developmental disabilities that live in community care licensed residential facilities, adult family homes or in their own home and rely on 24-hour staffing from supported / independent living direct support professionals.
Certainly, very encouraging, Dr. Ferrer, we are pleased to inform you that your outreach strategy is moving forward as intended. Recently, Laurel A. Fowler, MPH, CDC Lead Public Health Advisor has reached out to us. We anticipate our forthcoming conversations will offer a forum to resolve any ambiguity or misunderstanding on our part. As a precursor, I have enclosed a position letter from the Association of Regional Center Agencies that offers guidance regarding vaccines for Californians with developmental disabilities served by regional centers, their families and Service Providers.
Dr. Ferrer, since our community has not experienced a pandemic of this magnitude in recent times, we anticipate the vaccine role out within itself is a major undertaking with many layers of complexity. Categorically, partnerships are critically important for all of us as bridges for opportunities to emerge through sharing and optimizing existing resources to move vaccines from veils to arms.
Dr. Ferrer, as your community partner, of course at your discretion, we are available to assist your agency with logistical matters, data sharing, distribution of educational materials and use of our facilities for vaccine administration within our legal guardrails. I anticipate, Ms. Fowler will serve as our contact person moving forward. Dr. Ferrer, if you have any questions or need any assistance from SG/PRC, I can be reached at (909)-868-7515 or at ahill@sgprc.org.
Best regards,
Anthony Hill, M.A. J.D. Esq.
Executive Director
San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center
Enclosure: Association of Regional Center Agencies’ Vaccine Prioritization Statement
cc: Laurel A. Fowler, MPH, CDC Lead Public Health Advisor, Deputy Director Los Angeles County
COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization to Dr. Barabara Ferer (PDF)
ARCA Vaccine Prioritization Statement (PDF)
COVID Vaccine Distribution Phases (PDF)