Dr Gary Wiltz M.D., explains the need for more outreach to explain the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines.

FRANKLIN — Teche Action Clinic and Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Centers are set to receive millions of dollars from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to expand vaccine access and to better serve their mission to low income populations.

Teche Action Clinic will receive $4.4 million and Iberia Comprehensive will receive $4.6 million from the American Rescue Plan as part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ directives to expand vaccine access and better serve communities of color, rural areas, and low-income populations.

The allocation is part of a $10 billion investment from the Biden Administration to expand COVID-19 Vaccines and to build vaccine confidence in hard-hit and high risk communities.

The White House announced the news through a statement. The total allocation for the effort in Louisiana is $95 million, which will be distributed to 36 community health centers. The total allocation to community health centers nationwide in $6 billion.

Teche Action Clinic, which operates its main campus on Weber Street in Franklin, has 14 other sites, including a school based clinic at West St Mary High/B. Edward Boudreaux Middle School. Iberia Comprehensive, which operates its main campus on Jefferson Terrace Blvd in New Iberia, has seven other sites — one each in St. Martinville, Abbeville, Many, Leesville and Merryville, and two in Lafayette.

Both clinics are non-profit 501c3 corporations that see patients on a sliding fee scale basis, from those with no insurance to people who have insurance.

Dr. Gary Wiltz, chief executive officer of Teche Action Clinic, said said so far, his organization has inoculated 5,122 vaccines in Franklin and other areas of St. Mary Parish.

“I’m extremely excited that we’ve been able to have deep penetration into our population in giving the vaccines, particularly since the population of the City of Franklin is in the neighborhood of 7,000,” he said. “I can’t thank enough President Biden and Gov. John Bel Edwards for their leadership.

“These dollars will help us become whole, from all the we lost last year in our operations due to COVID-19. But more importantly, we will be able to ramp up our efforts in testing, vaccinations, and outreach.”

Michelle Meche, public relations/marketing manager of Iberia Comprehensive, said in all, their clinics have inoculated 1,900 patients.

“Simply put, the number of patients who have received the vaccine at Iberia Comprehensive is a success for us. We didn’t experience many issues with getting patients in when the vaccines first came out. As a matter of fact, we had waiting lists for vaccines,” she said.

Meche also credits the reorganization of some of her staff to create teams who are dedicated strictly to COVID with the number of residents receiving vaccinations. She said Iberia Comprehensive began conducting free drive-through testing events at its clinics and at other locations in the community.

“And while testing has slowed down a bit now since the release of the vaccines, our staff is spending a majority of their time administering the vaccines at our COVID Vaccine Clinic, which is located on the campus of our St. Martin Parish Community Health Center in St. Martinville,” she said.

Meche said she would like to invite the public to watch an in house webinar featuring Dr. Keith Ramsay, Medical Director of Iberia Comprehensive Clinics, on facts and myths about COVID-19, vaccines and the virus’ affects on the minority population. For more information, check the clinic’s website at www.icchc.org.

“We’re still testing for the virus,” she said.

Wiltz said he will add more mental health capacity to Teche Action Clinic’s health services, in addition to beefing up the clinic’s dental service, using dollars from the federal award.

“This is a war. Many of our dental patients did not use our services this year, because they were scared to enter our clinics in the wake of the virus. Thank God, with this administration’s focus, we’re getting solid leadership to correct the ills that the virus created.”

“ Now is not the time to spike the ball at the 20 yard line. If we continue to vaccinate, practice social distancing and wear masks, I am confident we will tackle this thing. I think we’re in a really good place to get this war won, and I think by late summer, early fall, we’ll get there. “ Wiltz said.