Special Event Brings Vaccines, Naloxone and Screenings to Community Members at Beautiful Gate

ChristianaCare and the Delaware Department of Public Health recently offered preventive screenings, vaccinations and overdose prevention kits at a special event at Beautiful Gate Outreach Center in Wilmington, Delaware. Beautiful Gate, part of the Bethel AME Church’s AIDS Task Force ministry, is nationally known for HIV education, counseling, testing and supportive services for community members with HIV infection.

About 125 people attended the fall event, said Brian Wharton, MSN, RN, CPEN, CPST, operations manager of the William J. Holloway Community Program at ChristianaCare.

“The Holloway Community program and Beautiful Gate have been partners in bringing HIV care and prevention into the community for the past 15 years,” he said.

“The beauty of having health services in a faith-based agency partnership is that community members feel safe and will access care there. By providing health care and education in our community, we can help our neighbors flourish.”

Together, the ChristianaCare health team and a local pharmacy provided 26 mpox vaccines to protect against monkeypox, 81 flu vaccinations and 48 COVID-19 vaccinations to community members.

The team distributed 63 opioid overdose reversal kits and training on the use of naloxone, a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids, including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications, when given in time. Naloxone is easy to use and small to carry.

The event included free blood pressure screenings, healthy sleep screenings for community members and information on cancer prevention and screenings.

Watch ChristianaCare’s events calendar for more health events and classes.