Wrap-up: Operation Sneakers and Vaccine Sneakers a Major Success
San Bernardino County’s door-to-door vaccination outreach campaign targeting 42 regions in need is being celebrated as a success for engaging and educating more than 10,000 community members in just 10 days!
Operational from June 4 through June 14, Operation Sneakers and Vaccine Speakers provided COVID-19 awareness to at-risk communities countywide. Helpful canvassers with extensive knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccine shared information about local sites and demystified rumors about the vaccine.
Locations were strategically selected based on vaccine coverage rates and the California Healthy Places Index (HPI). In addition to one-on-one conversations with community members, County teams distributed more than 29,000 flyers, door hangers and posters to local organizations and businesses such as shopping centers, schools, parks, libraries, and supermarkets.
“One of the many memorable experiences I encountered was helping a resident who did not have much knowledge on the vaccine nor did they know where the closest vaccine site was,” said one canvasser. “Later, we saw her at the County vaccine clinic getting vaccinated!”
The grassroots outreach campaign aligned with the County’s commitment to provide every individual access to accurate vaccine information. With the state now fully reopened, the County hopes vaccination numbers will continue to increase in order to avoid any future COVID-19 spikes.
The County averaged a total of 75 canvassers, also known as “speakers in sneakers” every day, and Spanish-speaking representatives were on hand to support communications with non-English speaking residents.
By the end of the program, team members provided information to residents and stakeholders in the cities of Fontana, Chino, Upland, Montclair, Rialto and San Bernardino.
Element Group Pursuing Equity in the County
One year ago today, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors declared racism a public health crisis and tasked the County Administrative Office with forming an Equity group that would represent the 11th element of the Countywide Vision.
Discussions that led to the declaration and equity group were inspired by the national conversation taking place in the wake of the May 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The group was to be comprised initially of Black community members who could review each element of the Countywide Vision with an equity focus. Eventually, the group will grow to include representatives from other county communities and include an equity focus for all people. The County Administrative Office worked with trusted members of the community to identify organizations well versed in racial equity work.
“The Equity Element Group was formed of influential and prolific members of the Black community who are working together to continue improving our communities,” said Curt Hagman, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “We are looking forward to the recommendations they will make to help us close gaps in services and opportunities for Black residents and people of color who live and work in our county.”
Members of the Equity Element Group are:
Hardy Brown – Black Voice News
Keynasia Buffong – National Black Grads
Pastor Samuel Casey – Churches Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE)
Willie Ellison – Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce
George Lamb – Faith Advisory Council for Community Transformation (FACCT)
Tammy Martin-Ryles – Black Chamber of Commerce
Tremaine Mitchell – Youth Action Project
Phyllis K. Morris-Green – Reimagining Our Communities (ROC)
Bishop Kelvin Simmons – Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches (IECAAC)
Deborah Smith-Gilbert – IE National Council of Negro Women (IENCNW)
Terrance Stone – Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy
Bill Thomas – NAACP, High Desert Branch
Dina Walker – BLU Educational Foundation
Reggie Webb – Cooperative Economic Empowerment Movement (CEEM) and Westside Action Group (WAG)
Keith Willis – 100 Black Men of the Inland Empire
Chache Wright – NAACP
Read more about the Equity Element Group here.
 ARMC Opens New Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Center
On June 7, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) opened a new comprehensive oncology and infusion therapy center for its patients fighting cancer.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held and attended by 2nd District Supervisor Janice Rutherford, 5th District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., as well as the City of Colton Mayor Pro Temp Ernest R. Cisneros. The center’s Medical Oncology/Hematology Department is staffed by physicians from City of Hope, a respected and well-known national cancer center.
“ARMC and City of Hope physicians look forward to welcoming patients into our state-of-the-art oncology and infusion therapy clinic,” said William L. Gilbert, chief executive officer at ARMC. “With the expertise of City of Hope physicians at ARMC, we have the ability to expand our cutting-edge care by providing patients access to comprehensive, high-quality, evidence-based cancer services.”
The cancer treatment center is equipped with two waiting areas, four patient restrooms, 11 private exam rooms, and 17 spacious and semi-private infusion bays complete with a personal television and USB port. The center was specifically designed to offer spacious accommodations for family members or friends that are accompanying a patient during his or her cancer treatment.
The oncology/infusion therapy center hopes to advance timely diagnosis, treatment, and support, along with access to Patient Navigators who can help guide patients through complex cancer system barriers. Patients at the center have access to social workers for follow-up treatment and additional services, as well as psychosocial screenings. On-site nutritionists are also on hand to provide support throughout cancer treatment.
“The increasing complexities of cancer care delivery require a new, multidisciplinary approach,” said Siamak Saadat, M.D., a City of Hope hematologist and oncologist. “We’re grateful to the County for partnering with ARMC and look forward to future collaborations that will continue to improve the well-being of residents in the City of Hope and all of San Bernardino County.”
To learn more about ARMC’s Cancer Care Center, visit their website or watch this informational video premiering the facility.
Applications for Sheriff Online Now
Applications are available online for qualified San Bernardino County residents interested in being appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve as the County’s Sheriff.
Sheriff John McMahon announced on Friday that he will retire on July 16 after more than 36 years of public service. His current four year term does not end until Jan. 2, 2023. A special election to fill the vacancy is not a viable option.
“Although the new county charter created a special election option, the timing of this vacancy would not allow a special election to occur until June 7, 2022, which is the date of the next regular election for sheriff,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “The county should not go that long without someone serving in the office of Sheriff.”
“The process we will use for this appointment will be fair, transparent, and guarantee meaningful public input,” Hagman said.
The Board of Supervisors will conduct a special meeting on July 7 to identify finalists for the appointment, conduct public interviews, and consider appointing a new Sheriff to complete Sheriff McMahon’s term.
Persons who meet the qualifications to serve as a sheriff in California can apply for the appointment by visiting the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors website.
Applications and supplemental materials will be received until 5 p.m. on June 30. On July 1, the application materials will be provided to members of the Board of Supervisors.
County to Honor Independence Day by Closing Vaccination and
Testing Sites
The Independence Day holiday is just around the corner, and County officials are recognizing it by temporarily closing all County-run COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites on Monday, July 5.
“Our people on the front lines have been working relentlessly for months on end, and they are long overdue for a day off,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “We hope they use this time to relax and safely visit family and friends. They deserve it.”
Chairman Hagman noted that the tireless efforts of these front-line workers have played an instrumental role in diminishing our County’s COVID positivity rate.
“By way of comparison: last December, the County’s positivity rate was more than 27 percent,” said Chairman Hagman. “Today our positivity rate is around 1 percent — a huge improvement. We’ve also given at least one vaccination shot to more than half of our residents — a considerable achievement when one considers the sheer vastness of San Bernardino County.”
County-operated testing and vaccination sites will reopen on Tuesday, July 6. To learn more, or to schedule an appointment, please visit our new COVID-19 website.
Sheriff Update on Inmates and Employees Testing Positive for COVID
A total of 1,009 County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic. Four inmates are experiencing minor symptoms and are recovering.
A total of 1,038 department employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and 1,029 of the employees have recovered from the virus. Other employees are expected to return to work in the next few weeks. It is unknown when or where the employees were infected with the virus. The department continues to encourage all department members to heed the warnings of health officials.
Latest Stats
299,372 Confirmed Cases (up 0% from the previous day)
4,649 Deaths (up 0.2% from the previous day)
3,371,511 Tests (up 0.1% from the previous day)
For more statistics from the COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard, click the desktop or mobile tab on the County’s sbcovid19.com website.
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