St. Luke’s Health and Rice partner together for new vaccine clinic at the Rice Stadium

By Rishab Ramapriyan     3/8/21 11:59am

St. Luke’s Health announced on Monday that it has partnered with Rice University to open a new vaccination site at the Rice Stadium on March 15 to run through the end of July. The Rice Stadium clinic will be focussed on administering vaccines to the most vulnerable populations, such as healthcare workers, seniors, school teachers, child/adult care workers, and underserved communities. 

“We’re pleased to provide Rice Stadium as a vaccination clinic site for Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center,” said Kevin Kirby, Rice’s vice president for administration. “We consider Baylor St. Luke’s and all of the other institutions in the Texas Medical Center our partners and neighbors, and this is one way we can contribute to each other’s missions. We’re especially pleased that this clinic will focus on vaccinating underserved populations in our city as part of our commitment to the Houston community. ”

This week, St. Luke’s is conducting a “soft launch” of the facility by administering vaccines to Rice faculty, staff and students who had previously notified Crisis Management that they qualify for the phase 1A and 1B categories. 

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“The soft launch will inoculate just a couple hundred people a day to ensure that the logistical processes of this new site are in good working order,” Kirby said. “Baylor St. Luke’s then plans to ramp up its vaccination program on Monday, March 15, and fully open the site to eligible community members throughout the Houston area.”

Starting on March 15, vaccinations will be administered by appointment only, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through the end of July. St. Luke’s Health is prioritizing individuals who meet the state’s criteria for distribution at all its vaccine sites, including older adults ages 65 and older, individuals with chronic conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID‑19 illness, and people who work in school and child care/adult care operations. Eligible members of the Rice community will not have special access to this vaccine clinic after the soft launch, and should register directly through St. Luke’s in order to receive an appointment. 

“We are honored and proud to partner with such a historic institution to continue to vaccinate our most vulnerable populations,” said Doug Lawson,  chief executive officer of St. Luke’s Health, and senior vice president of operations in the Texas Division of CommonSpirit Health. “The iconic Rice Stadium is large and functional and conducive to an efficient clinic operation. We are looking forward to collaborating with the leadership at Rice University to continue to vaccinate our communities as quickly and safely as possible.”

The Rice Stadium vaccine clinic is not a drive-through clinic, and visitors must wear a face covering and maintain a physical distance while on campus and within the vaccination clinic. Individuals who qualify for the current distribution phases and are interested in receiving the vaccine must fill out an online form at stlukeshealth.org/CovidVaccine to be placed on the waitlist for future vaccine appointments. Individuals without Internet access can register for the waiting list by calling 281-407-8137.

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