UMMS Selected as Recipient of 2021 Mayor’s Business Recognition Award

University of Maryland Medical System recognized for role in establishing and co-managing the M&T Bank Stadium Mass Vaccination Site in Baltimore City; site administered close to a quarter of a million COVID vaccines

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is among the recipients of the 2021 Mayor's Business Recognition Award, recognized for creating the blueprint and co-managing one of the largest public vaccination sites in state history. This annual award from the Greater Baltimore Committee and the Baltimore Development Corporation honors organizations for notably benefitting Baltimore City in ways that are outside their daily work and mission. Recipients were honored in a virtual ceremony on Dec. 16, with a special keynote by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.

The M&T Bank Stadium Mass Vaccination Site was a model example of Baltimore and Maryland's aggressive campaigns to achieve a high COVID vaccination rate. The site, one of 20 NFL stadiums repurposed for mass vaccinations, administered almost 250,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine between February and July. At its peak, the clinical staff vaccinated nearly 6,000 people per day, and at one point, broke a state record for mass vaccination sites for vaccinating over 1,000 people in an hour.

UMMS devised the operational playbook for the site, including key strategies for vaccine supply, delivery and administration with near zero waste of the vaccine. Additionally, UMMS planned the clinical staffing model and operational factors required to safely vaccinate a large volume of people on a daily basis, and implemented the UMMS technology platform to manage patient intake, processing and reporting. Once open, UMMS co-managed the site with partners: The Maryland National Guard, the Maryland Department of Health, and the Maryland Stadium Authority, with crucial support from the Baltimore Police Department.

Jason Marx, MD, Incident Commander at M&T Bank Stadium Mass Vaccination Site and a physician leader at UMMS, said, "When you have a mission to do good, to help people, it's really easy to come together as a team. All of the partners at M&T Bank Stadium Mass Vaccination Site had one goal: to get as many people vaccinated as possible and save lives. This award is an honor for everyone who worked at the site, and for the entire UMMS system which has been on the frontlines of fighting COVID since the pandemic began."

Nearly 250,000 vaccines were administered at the site in less than five months. Research shows that large-scale vaccination campaigns save lives. In Maryland, unvaccinated people are at the highest risk of becoming severely sick, hospitalized, or dying from COVID.

Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, President and CEO of UMMS, said, "We appreciate the recognition from Mayor Scott, the Greater Baltimore Committee, and the Baltimore Development Corporation. Leading the site was a major responsibility for UMMS in addition to caring for thousands of COVID patients. By administering so many vaccinations in a historically short amount of time, this site played a vital role in Baltimore City and Maryland's largest vaccination effort in history."

A video about the M&T Bank Stadium Mass Vaccination Site can be viewed here.

UMMS is one of the state's most proactive healthcare partners in the fight against COVID. The System and its member organizations have co-managed multiple mass vaccination sites in addition to M&T Bank Stadium, including the sites at the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital; the Southern Center for students at the University of Maryland, Baltimore; Glenarden Baptist Church; Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium; and Regency Furniture Stadium. UMMS was also the first health system in the state to provide in-patient vaccination. Additionally, the System has deployed mobile vaccination teams throughout Maryland, administering vaccinations at clinics in businesses, churches, schools and senior housing communities.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state's future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the UM Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system's 28,000 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations and at 13 hospitals. UMMS' flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore is partnered with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care. Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

###