The hallways of the RVNAhealth building in Ridgefield are graced with awards, press stories, posters, and photographs commemorating our 100+ years of service. Among our favorites is the image at left: RVNAhealth nurse, Claire Kirby, RN, now 93 years old, tending to a darling newborn and sharing a tip or two with the baby’s mom.  After passing this poster for the 1000th time, someone had the presence of mind to ask …. Who’s the baby?

Excellent question.

Claire Kirby, who is no long working for RVNAhealth but remains a close friend, can’t quite remember the name, but does recall that it was a Ridgefield family.  We’re guessing the photo was taken in the 1980’s/early 90s, but our detective skills are rusty.

Thus, we invite you, our friends and readers, to help us figure it out. Share the image, ask your friends, employ your favorite forensics wallpaper experts … surely somebody will know!

Tips, clues, guesses to marketing@RVNAhealth.org.

From April 24 – 30, RVNAhealth held Healthy Happy Days, our first-ever peer fundraising initiative. We are happy to report that we exceeded our goal by more than $10,000! In total, $57,150 was raised from 192 supporters to help defray the costs of bringing the COVID-19 vaccine to our homebound neighbors, as well as to underserved communities where obstacles, such as time, transportation, information, and access, are preventing people from getting the vaccine they need—and want.

The campaign was a huge success, and we truly cannot thank our 29 peer fundraisers and donors enough for their support of RVNAhealth and our mission in public health.

Top Fundraisers (Dollars Raised)

Josh Weinshank
Lori Berisford & Elaine Cox
Tom Reynolds

Top Networkers (Donors Engaged)

Kathy Graham & Tom Reynolds
Dean Miller
Heidi Capodanno

Most Competitive (for the love of the game, and RVNAhealth!)

Kerry Anne Ducey
Marcie Coffin

In the increasingly paperless world in which we live in, the importance of one’s little white vaccination card is a little alarming. Here we offer a compilation of tips for keeping it safe and tracking down a new one if the inevitable occurs.

To start, background. 

The vaccination card tells you which COVID-19 vaccine you received, the date you received it, and where you received it. The card was originally intended to remind individuals of the date and time of their second dose appointment, but now it is serving as proof of vaccination, which can score treats such as a Krispy Kreme donut, and may also enable access to events and activities requiring proof of vaccination.  There is room on the card for additional information, i.e. booster shots if needed in future years, so it might be best to keep unlaminated for now. (If you’ve already laminated, don’t worry.)

Tips of the Vaccine Trade

• Take a photo of your card. Take one photo after your first dose, and a second photo after your second dose. (Unless you get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a single-dose vaccine, in which case one photo will do!)  If you’re already fully vaccinated, take a photo now.
• Make a physical copy of the card. (Or two.)  You can keep a copy  with you, and leave the original in a safe place. (Unless you’re cashing in on your Krispy Kreme donut, which requires the original.)
• Contact your primary care provider and make arrangements to send them a copy for your official vaccination records.
• If you can, proactively help your parents, grandparents and elderly friends and relatives make digital copies of their vaccination cards and send it to their health care providers, too.
• Don’t share your card digitally, as it contains personal information and is uniquely yours.  

OK. You’ve Gone and Done It. You’ve Lost Your Card.  (Or Never Received One in the First Place.)

That’s OK. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last. If you lose your card, you should contact the place you received your vaccination and ask for a replacement.  

If you did not receive a COVID-19 vaccination card at your appointment, the CDC recommends that you contact the vaccination provider site where you got vaccinated or your state health department to find out how you can get a card.  All COVID-19 vaccination providers are required to report data within 72 hours in their state’s immunization system, so there should be a back-up record of your vaccination status there. The CDC has provided a list of the Immunization Information System (IIS) in each state, which is where to start if you need a replacement card and either can’t remember where you were vaccinated or have difficulty contacting the facility.

If you were vaccinated at a pharmacy chain, ask if you can have a digital copy of your vaccination record.