Honda, DCMH collaborate on Health and Safety

GREENSBURG, IN (June 4, 2021) — While COVID-19 upended lives and challenged us in many ways, there are some positive things that emerged during the last 18 months. In Decatur County, community partnerships have deeply resonated as a positive way to address challenges.

A partnership between Honda and Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) recently proved to be a mutually beneficial undertaking for the health and safety in the community. In April, DCMH began a vaccination clinic at the Honda Indiana Auto Plant in Greensburg. Since that time, approximately 300 Honda employees have been vaccinated.

Honda Indiana Auto Plant Lead Larry Geise says the health and safety of their associates is their top priority and made the decision to open the on-site clinic an easy one.

“We are providing the opportunity for Honda associates to get vaccinated in order to help stop the spread of the virus within our communities, and we are pleased to offer these clinics as the latest step in Honda’s efforts to help defeat COVID-19,” he says.

Plant Safety Specialist Trent Wiseheart concurs, saying the convenience factor has been a help in moving along the vaccine. “We want to have a one-stop shop here and the vaccines are a good service to provide our associates. It’s the right thing to do,” he says. “Especially from a health and wellness standpoint. We’ve worked a long time to get it going and here we are.”

Honda employee Brandon Barrett is just looking forward to getting back to normal activities like attending ball games and going to movies with his wife. “I’m getting vaccinated for the well-being of my family. I want to get back to normal and take these masks off. If me getting vaccinated and everyone around me getting vaccinate helps get us closer to that, I’m all for it.”

Likewise torque engineer Dave Miller calls himself “a sports guy” and misses those outings. But he has even a bigger reason for getting the vaccine. “My wife is pregnant, and knowing we are going to be in and out of the hospital, I’m avoiding the risk of passing it on to the baby or anyone else.”

The experience of having COVID-19 was enough to convince Process Associate India Brinkley to get her vaccination. “It was a horrible experience. My son had it, and I hated to see him like that. I don’t wish it on anybody,” she says. “To protect myself and my kids, I feel like it is the right thing to do.”

According to DCMH CEO Rex McKinney, the partnership was a natural fit. “Collaborating with Honda to ensure the health and well-being of their employees is a natural extension of our community- and patient-centric focus,” he says. “Anytime we can extend a helping hand to community partners like Honda, we are happy to oblige.”

Says Geise, the experience has been a win-win situation. “Associates who have participated in our onsite vaccine clinics have been greatly appreciative of a convenient option to get the COVID-19 vaccines. And we appreciate Decatur County Memorial Hospital’s partnership in this effort and the work of the DCMH and Honda teams to make this happen.”

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