SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Last week, Dow Rummel Village announced that more than 94-percent of all staff members have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Jackie Pendergraft decided to get her COVID-19 vaccine because she says it was the right thing to do.

“We all got vaccinated as children when we were going to be going into school and for me this is no different. It is the right thing to do for our staff and for our residents here at the facility,” said Jackie Pendergraft, Director of Nursing.

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In October, Dow Rummel Village mandated COVID-19 vaccines and now just months later 94-percent of their staff are vaccinated.

“We work in health care, so it’s really important for us to provide a safe place for our residents to live, a place where our staff can go and feel safe and receiving the vaccines has certainly helped us provide that safe environment,” said Darla Van Rosendale, CEO. “It just seems natural in health care and we work with an older population who are more vulnerable so it certainly makes sense for us to have the vaccines to keep them safe and healthy.”

Residents have peace of mind knowing that vaccination rates have increased among staff.

“I feel really good about that because in a real sense it gives a new meaning to freedom and I am of that age where I’m what you might call seriously high risk and so for people to be vaccinated and for myself to be vaccinated one, two three and also the booster gives me a new sense of freedom that I don’t have to fear or worry so much about the hospitalization or the seriousness of the virus,” said Frederick Sprenger, resident.

Sprenger hopes more people will decide to get vaccinated.

“I’d like to see everybody be vaccinated personally,” said Sprenger.

Dow Rummel has seen a vaccination rate of 97 to 98-percent among their residents. They have been recognized as a COVID-19 Vaccination Ambassador by Great Plains Quality Innovation Network.