April 3, 2021

Media Contacts:

Deidre McCabe, Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-3536

Charles Gischlar, Deputy Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-6491

Acting Secretary Dennis R. Schrader attends opening of COVID-19 testing center and visits COVID-19 vaccination clinic targeting minority populations in Prince George’s County

Baltimore, MD—Today, Maryland Department of Health (MDH) Acting Secretary Dennis R. Schrader attended the opening of a new COVID-19 testing site at the City of Praise Family Ministries in Landover, MD, and visited a Vaccine Equity Task Force (VETF) mobile vaccination clinic serving the LatinX and Hispanic population in Adelphi, MD. 

Maryland Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford; National Guard Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead, who is also the head of Maryland’s VETF; and officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also attended the opening of the testing site at City of Praise Family Ministries, which has more than 10,000 congregation members, in Landover.

At Mary’s Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center serving over 60,000 people of all ages, incomes, and backgrounds and located in a MDH target underserved zip code, 20783, healthcare workers and members of the VETF, administered more than 200 first-dose vaccines to community members.

“Testing is one of the four pillars of Governor Hogan’s Maryland Strong Roadmap to Recovery and has been and remains a critical tool in this fight,” said Acting Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. 'I am thrilled that this community and Prince George’s County has this testing site, which is one of several hundred we have established across the state.”

“Dr. Elliott and his team at Mary’s Center reaching into the community to identify people to vaccinate and the Vaccine Equity Task Force providing medical and administrative support is another example of how we are vaccinating populations in target zip codes,” said Acting Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “Forging these partnerships is critical to our vaccinating underserved Marylanders and leaving no one behind.”

Acting Secretary Dennis R. Schrader, Lt. Governor Rutherford Boyd K. Rutherford and National Guard Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead, at City of Praise Ministries, Landover, MD.

Acting Secretary Dennis R. Schrader, Dr. Tollie B. Elliott, MD Chief Medical Officer, Mary’s Center; Maryland Delegate Ms. Wanika B. Fisher, Esq. National Guard Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead, and Maryland State Senator James C. Rosapepe, at Mary’s Center, Aldephi, MD