Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,                                                                     

As our nation and state ramp up the critical work of administering COVID-19 vaccinations, I am pleased to announce an important initiative between Seattle University and Swedish, and to invite you to assist in the effort.

Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 12 and continuing for the next several months, the Swedish Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at Seattle U will utilize our Campion Ballroom. Initially the clinic will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with a plan to add more days in subsequent weeks. Vaccinations will be allocated according to guidance from the Washington State Department of Health. Please know that Swedish is developing a comprehensive plan that includes appropriate health and safety protocols to support and protect medical staff, volunteers, visitors and our campus community. I am pleased that we are able to contribute the use of our campus in this important way.

Opportunities to Volunteer, Receive the Vaccine

In addition to providing the space needed for the vaccination clinic, our campus community has the opportunity to volunteer at the clinic in a number of important capacities. SU nursing students in particular may be able to pursue opportunities for clinical experience and should work with College of Nursing faculty to do so. It is our current expectation that students, faculty and staff who volunteer for a shift at the clinic will have the opportunity to receive the first dose of the vaccination at the end of their shift, followed by the second dose later, in accordance with Department of Health guidance.

We will be sharing with you in the coming days more details on volunteering, including a link to sign up, as well as information on vaccinations. Seattle University offers a Community Service Leave benefit for staff in order to encourage participation in voluntary service to our community, with pay; more information on this benefit can be found at Human Resources.

I am grateful for those both of our university and of Swedish who promptly came together to professionally and thoroughly make this community vaccination clinic possible. In a particular way I thank our College of Nursing Dean Kristen Swanson, who has been instrumental in leading this engagement on behalf of Seattle U. I also want to acknowledge Renee Rassilyer-Bomers of Swedish, who holds three degrees from our College of Nursing, and is spearheading the project—we are proud to call her an alumna of Seattle U. We can all be glad that as a university with our mission we are able to assist in responding to such an urgent, even life-saving, need for the people of our wider community. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J.
President