FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Indiana University (IU) Health announced it is awarding $100,000 to the Super Shot efforts in Fort Wayne to help remove barriers and provide COVID-19 vaccines to the entire community. IU Health Community Impact Investment Fund and Riley Children’s Health also contributed to the donation.

“Coming off an unprecedented year, we’re encouraged to be able to provide resources where they are needed most and improve access to vaccines,” said Brian Bauer, president, IU Health Fort Wayne. “The Super Shot organization is a valued partner and we are excited to be able to support them in such a significant way.”

IU Health’s $100 million Community Impact Investment Fund (CIIF) contributed to the award. The fund was created to address social issues affecting Hoosiers’ health and is dedicated to reaching the entire IU Health service area, including Fort Wayne.

“The Community Impact Investment Fund was developed with the health of Hoosiers in mind,” said Dennis Murphy, president and CEO of IU Health. “We are especially proud to provide this support to the Fort Wayne community, which is relatively new to IU Health. The purpose of CIIF is to provide access to quality care and to address the health needs of the community. The Super Shot initiative does exactly that.”

Riley Children’s Health also contributed to this investment and believes vaccine access to children in the Fort Wayne community as a critical component to this announcement.

“We are proud to be an active contributor to improving access to vaccines for children in the Fort Wayne community,” said Krista Peak, Riley Children’s Health and serves on the board for Super Shot. “As a volunteer, I have a very close view of all the good work that the Super Shot team does for vaccine access and I’m confident that with the additional resources, we’ll be able to make an even broader impact.”

Officials at Super Shot said they are excited to partner with IU Health and expand vaccine access throughout Fort Wayne.

“We are incredibly grateful to have IU Health’s support and commitment in Super Shot’s $1.5M Building the Heart of Community Health campaign focused upon providing health equity, expanding services, and creating a permanent home for Super Shot where more families can receive life-saving immunizations,” said Connie Heflin, executive director with Super Shot. “Together we are creating a healthier community and protecting thousands of NE Indiana children and adults against disease.”