I would like to express my sincere gratitude for Ephraim McDowell Health’s regional COVID-19 vaccine center and its staff.

My parents didn’t want the inconvenience and hardship they would have to endure if they had to travel out-of-town for their vaccines. Not only hardships on them, because of their health issues and lack of physical strength, but they also didn’t want to cause a hardship for my sister or me, who would take time off from work and help them get to an out-of-town vaccine center.

They were so relieved, and happy, that just a couple of weeks after I had easily signed them up online for EMH’s vaccine waiting list, they received their call Tuesday evening for an appointment for the very next day at their hometown health care facility.

Being in their mid-80s, Mom has difficulty seeing clearly and is unsteady on her feet. Daddy is in constant pain, making it nearly impossible for him to walk more than just a few steps, plus he gets out of breath quickly. So it was fantastic to be able to pick them up at their home, drive right down the street and drop them off just a few feet from the vaccine clinic entrance.

While getting them out of the car, an EMH staff member jumped up and provided Daddy a wheelchair and she escorted both of them the very short distance on the elevator to the second floor while I parked the car nearby.

There was a steady stream of gray-haired men and women walking through the doors and getting their temperatures taken before riding upstairs to where the action was. Every one of these folks was greeted cheerfully by the staff.

Within a couple of minutes, I was with Mom and Daddy again. When it was their turn to fill out the paperwork, the staff cheerfully made room for me at the table where they registered and signed consent forms.

Then we were shown where to sit in the hallway to await their turn. The process seemed to bottleneck for a few minutes as more people completed the registration process.

A kind gentleman wiped the sweat off his brow as he seated one person after another. At the same time, he kept track of who was next in line and called them in the right order to receive their vaccinations. He also joked with and talked to those waiting for their turn, but it didn’t slow him down as he constantly sanitized each chair when someone left their seat.

And even though all faces were covered with masks, you could sense that the nurses were smiling while they made their patients feel at ease.

At the end of the vaccination event, I walked with my parents down the short hallway to the elevator and went back to the first floor. The staff invited them to stay put while I got the car and pulled up to the door. While I was still helping them get situated and seat belts fastened, another staff member came out and got the wheelchair and took it back inside for us.

The whole process was a wonderful experience because of the professional and personal care that EMH gave us.

Thank you, Ephraim McDowell Health!