Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic honors West Philadelphia resident for efforts to expand vaccine access

Volunteer Terrilynn Donnell was instrumental in the Mercy Penn Vaccine Collaborative

PHILADELPHIA – (June 30, 2021) – On June 23, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic’s Community Health and Well Being Department honored Church of Christian Compassion Chief of Staff and West Philadelphia resident Terrilynn Donnell for her work to connect eligible individuals with COVID-19 vaccinations through the Mercy Penn Vaccine Collaborative.

Donnell conducted outreach to local residents and parishioners of the Church of Christian Compassion to encourage them to receive the vaccination through the Mercy Penn Vaccine collaborative, a partnership between Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic’s Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Penn Medicine and a coalition of religious and community leaders from Southwest Philadelphia. The partnership provided underrepresented populations access to COVID-19 vaccines and the Church of Christian Compassion served as one of the collaborative’s community partners. Through her outreach, Donnell provided COVID-19 education to community members and helped hundreds of eligible vaccine candidates schedule appointments to receive their shot. Ultimately, the collaborative vaccinated nearly 4,000 individuals, 85% of whom were in black and brown communities.

At the ceremony, leaders from Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic provided remarks and expressed gratitude for Donnell’s dedication to the community. Through funds from Trinity Health Mercy Fitzgerald’s It Starts Here campaign, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic presented a $5,000 donation in Donnell’s name to the Church of Christian Compassion for the development of a food distribution and culinary skill facility and kitchen at the church. The campaign works to provide vaccine access and education. In addition, Cathy Cardillo, Regional Director of Advocacy at Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, on behalf of Mayor Jim Kenney, presented a proclamation in honor of Donnell’s dedication to community health and engagement.

“During an incredibly challenging time, Terrilynn stepped up to help meet the needs of our community. We are incredibly grateful for her tireless efforts in helping ensure the collaborative was successful in providing vaccine access to those most at risk,” said Lillian Schonewolf, Vice President of Community Health and Well Being at Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic. “At Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, we aim to provide compassionate care to those who are underserved or are most vulnerable. We are proud to have worked with partners like Terrilynn who care deeply for their neighbors and share similar goals and priorities.”