I discuss the COVID-19 vaccine with Dr. Rhonda Collins, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for Revera, an owner, operator, and investor in the senior living sector with an aim to improve the aging experience by celebrating the ageless spirit of older adults. She joins me today for the second time on Boomer Living to discuss the new coronavirus vaccines that have been in the news so much recently.

Topics of discussion:

• Why is it so important that our older adults get vaccinated quickly? [02:17]
• What is different about this vaccine? How does the vaccine work? [03:13]
• Myths and Facts about the vaccine [11:05]
• Should the vaccine be mandatory for Senior Living Staff? [13:00]
• Share with me the journey at your community and the rollout of the vaccine. When did it start? How has the the rollout been for you? [15:28]
• How has the pandemic affected you over the last year? [20:44]

Dr. Rhonda Collins
Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Rhonda Collins brings passion and expertise in memory care, dementia, falls prevention and clinical quality improvement to the role of Chief Medical Officer – a first for the seniors living sector in Canada.

Dr. Collins is a family physician with a certificate of added competence in Care of the Elderly from the College of Family Physicians of Canada. She has been lead physician for the Outpatient Primary Care Memory Clinic at Shaver Hotel Dieu Health and Rehabilitation Centre in St. Catharines, and Medical Director and attending physician for several long term care homes in the Niagara Region. She regularly consults on neuropsychiatric behaviours of dementia for the Niagara Seniors Mental Health Outreach program. She is Associate Clinical Professor with the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University School of Medicine where she developed and leads a Care of the Elderly rotation for family medicine residents.

You can reach Dr. Rhonda Collins M.D. via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonda-collins-96ba4067/