Prison board recognizes local clinic’s efforts to vaccinate inmates
Washington County jail Warden Jeffrey Fewell presented an award to Kathi Scholz of Central Outreach Wellness Center for her efforts to vaccinate inmates.
Judy Klobucar, Washington County jail’s treatment supervisor, helps educate inmates about the benefits of vaccination against COVID-19.
Central Outreach Wellness Center has worked with Washington County jail since July to vaccinate inmates against COVID-19.
At Wednesday’s prison board meeting Warden Jeffrey Fewell presented awards to Kathi Scholz, a nurse practitioner with Central Outreach, and Judy Klobucar, the jail’s treatment supervisor, for their efforts.
“Since July, (Scholz) has vaccinated over 461 inmates here in the facility,” Fewell said.
Central Outreach recently opened a new facility at 817 Jefferson Ave.
Scholz said she went to Fewell and proposed weekly visits to the jail to offer COVID-19 vaccinations, as well as testing for HIV and hepatitis C.
“We pride ourselves on serving the underserved, marginalized populations of Washington, Pennsylvania, and Southwestern Pennsylvania in general,” Scholz said. “Homeless folks, incarcerated folks, addiction recovery community folks and the LGTBQIA+ community are all communities that we serve. That’s kind of where we live.”
Klobucar volunteered to assist Scholz. When Scholz is not at the jail, Klobucar is educating inmates on the benefits of vaccination and getting them signed up for a shot.
“Since we’re such close quarters here, there is a high population that we’re going to come in contact with, whether it’s (inmates) or our staff. So we’ve been promoting it throughout the jail … to let them know it’s available, it’s free, we will get you vaccinated, we will get you a vaccine card,” Klobucar said.
Part of Scholz’s weekly visits involve visiting different pods for an educational seminar with inmates.
Scholz said she explains to the inmates that getting vaccinated is not only beneficial for themselves, but for their loved ones when they are released. She said this perspective often leads to last minute sign ups.
“The last time I was here, we did 131 vaccines in one day. There are more people interested in taking not only the booster, but getting vaccinated with their first or second dose that had never been interested in getting vaccinated before,” Scholz said.
According to Scholz, their efforts to vaccinate and test inmates and those in addiction recovery is funded through grants from the state.
Fewell said 55% of the current jail population has received at least one dose of the vaccine.
“She’s vaccinated both staff and inmates. I got my booster from Kathi. It has been a great program for us,” Fewell said.
In June, 13 inmates at the jail tested positive for COVID-19. In October, 22 more tested positive. There have been 19 staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
Klobucar has so far been impressed with the work Central Outreach has done at the jail.
“It has been absolutely wonderful to work with Kathi and her team. Very professional. They’re perfect to be in this facility,” Klobucar said.
Klobucar added hepatitis C testing has been of much interest with inmates, and many who have tested positive did not previously know they were infected.
“I have people lined up, 30, 40 people at a time per pod, wanting to get tested,” Klobucar said.
Scholz said inmates who test positive are able to go to Central Outreach’s clinic to receive medication when they are released.