Saint Francis Hospital President to Administer COVID-19 Vaccine to Trinity Health Of New England Leaders

HARTFORD, Conn. (January 8, 2021) – Thomas Burke, BPharm, MBA, President of Saint Francis Hospital, will administer the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to Reginald Eadie, MD, MBA, President and CEO of Trinity Health Of New England, and Syed Hussain, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Trinity Health Of New England, on Monday, January 11, at 11:00 a.m. at the Saint Francis Hospital COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic, located at 260 Ashley Street, Hartford (media parking available at 140 Woodland Street, Hartford). Burke will join Dr. Eadie and Dr. Hussain for media availability and interviews to follow.

Burke will administer the vaccines after recently completing the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy's "Immunization Training for Pharmacists," a comprehensive and interactive practice-based continuing pharmacy education certification program designed to meet state regulations for pharmacist immunizers. Training included completion of 18 pre-requisites in home study, eight hours of live virtual class study, and a live practice portion on immunization technique. He also acquired American Red Cross Basic Life Support (BLS) certification and adult/child Adult/Child CPR/AED certification. Burke underwent the training in his free time so that he would be able to assist in the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Saint Francis Hospital by volunteering to administer the injection.

"Even before the COVID-19 vaccine became available, we asked all clinical leaders to dedicate some time each week to the vaccination efforts, with an emphasis on the need for nurses and pharmacists," said Burke. "As a pharmacist myself, I hadn't previously taken the steps necessary to become certified as a vaccinator. Now, during these unprecedented times, I felt it was my duty to become certified so that I could join my colleagues in the clinic as a vaccinator, providing the same service I was asking them to provide."

"We are grateful to Tom for his extraordinary leadership on this important issue. The COVID-19 vaccine is not only safe and extremely effective, it is one of key tools that will help us move past this devastating pandemic and take the first steps toward a return to normalcy," said Dr. Eadie. "The number of COVID-19 cases has risen considerably over the past several months and I encourage everyone to get the vaccine as soon as it becomes available to them."

"While the COVID-19 vaccination is an imperative step in putting the pandemic behind us, but it is not the only step," said Dr. Hussain. "Even though the second dose of the vaccine has proven to be extremely effective, it's still not clear how long that immunity will last. As a result, it's important that you continue the necessary precautions – wearing a mask that covers your mouth and nose, washing your hands often, and staying at least six feet away from people you do not live with.”

"It is an honor to administer the vaccine to Dr. Eadie and Dr. Hussain. As prominent healthcare leaders, their professional clinical opinions are well-respected and their actions regarding health and safety set a concrete example for all of us to follow," said Burke. "It's also necessary to highlight the importance of pharmacists in the response to the pandemic and their role as healthcare providers."

For the past 20 years, licensed pharmacists have played an increasing role in vaccinating adults across the state. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently expanded their role to include the ability to vaccinate children over the age of 10. This action was taken in response to the immense efforts required to meet anticipated public need amid the pandemic.

In Connecticut, only licensed pharmacists who complete an additional 20+ hour certification course, obtain American Red Cross Basic Life Support Provider status, and complete annual continuing education credits are eligible to administer vaccinations. Burke completed these requirements at home during the time he had planned to take off for the holidays.

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About Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center has been an anchor institution in north central Connecticut since 1897. In 2015, Saint Francis became part of Trinity Health Of New England, a member of Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center is licensed for 617 beds, is a major teaching hospital and the largest Catholic hospital in New England. Other Saint Francis entities include the Comprehensive Women’s Health Center, the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute, the Curtis D. Robinson Center for Health Equity, the Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute of Connecticut, the Smilow Cancer Hospital Yale-New Haven at Saint Francis, and Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @SaintFrancisCT

About Trinity Health Of New England


Trinity Health Of New England is an integrated nonprofit health care delivery system formed in 2015 and is a member of Trinity Health located in Livonia, Michigan, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation serving communities in 22 states. Trinity Health Of New England is comprised of Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center and Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut; Johnson Memorial Hospital and Home & Community Health Services in Stafford Springs, Connecticut; Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut; Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts; Providence Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke, Massachusetts; Mercy's Rehabilitation Hospital, Springfield, Massachusetts; and Brightside for Families and Children. Visit TrinityHealthOfNE.org for more information and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @THOfNewEngland