RNRN volunteers will vaccinate the South LA community through at least April 23

Nurse volunteers from the Registered Nurse Response Network (RNRN)—a disaster-relief project of the California Nurses Foundation (CNF) and National Nurses United (NNU)—have been vaccinating the South Los Angeles community for the past three weeks at the Kedren Community Health Center, in partnership with International Medical Corps.

RNRN registered nurses and nurse practitioners are part of a team that includes International Medical Corps and community volunteers as well as Kedren clinic staff to administer Covid-19 vaccines to the historically underserved South Los Angeles Community. According to International Medical Corps staff, who are coordinating the effort, this is currently the only vaccination site in this ZIP code. In addition to vaccinating local community members, the clinic has also been administering vaccines to area educators, who were advised about the vaccine availability via calls from the local school district.

Since March 1, RNRN has deployed three teams of volunteers to assist with the administration of more than 33,000 Covid-19 vaccines in South Los Angeles so far. A fourth team of RNRN nurses begins volunteering this week.

“As direct-care nurses working on the front lines of the pandemic, we have seen the devastation of Covid-19,” said Sandy Reding, an RN at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital and a president of California Nurses Association, who vaccinated South Los Angeles community members last week. “Here, we bring hope. It is heartwarming to be a part of the proactive side of the pandemic.”

“Multigenerational families from the community—sons and daughters with their elderly parents, from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and cultures)—are coming to the clinic,” noted Mo Berry, a retired UC Irvine Medical Center nurse, who volunteered last week in South Los Angeles. “Everyone is so thankful to be here. This has been such a wonderful experience, and I am proud to be a part of the work of NNU to address the historic inequities that have adversely affected underserved communities for so long.”

“The clinical services provided by RNRN volunteers have been key to our vaccination efforts,” said Rebecca Milner, Chief Advancement Officer for International Medical Corps. “Their support has enabled us to reach communities that have been unduly affected by Covid-19, and fill a critical need for vaccines.”

“It is critically important to ensure that vaccine distribution is free and equitable to everyone,” said Jean Ross, RN and a president of NNU. “We are so proud of the work of our RNRN volunteers who are helping to provide greater equity in access to this critical tool in defeating the pandemic.”

RNRN, a project of NNU and the California Nurses Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a national network of direct-care RNs powered by National Nurses United that coordinates sending volunteer RNs to disaster-stricken areas where and when they are needed.