OHIO regional campuses play key role in community COVID response

As Ohio has worked to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, Ohio University’s regional campuses have taken a leadership role in their respective communities as part of the response.

From hosting COVID-19 testing clinics to nursing students helping administer vaccines, the campuses have played a key role in the community response.

“Our regional campuses are an integral part of the communities that host them, and we’re happy they have been able to fulfill a need, however large or small,” said Nicole Pennington, Executive Dean of Regional Higher Education and Dean of Campus and Community Relations for the Southern Campus.

Pennington, along with fellow nursing faculty and students at the Southern Campus, are regularly assisting the Lawrence County Health Department to administer vaccines to residents in Lawrence County.

Student James Woods, of Ashland, said the experience made him “feel like a real nurse.”

“We are used to doing basic care in our clinicals, but to be in the position of asking the questions, administering the shots, answering their questions and teaching what little information we knew was just really exciting,” Woods said. “I, personally, probably saw at least 20-30 people, and my classmates the same. It felt like we were able to provide a little piece of relief to the people who came in.”

The vaccinations are happening on campus in Chillicothe thanks to an agreement with the Ross County Health District, which moved its vaccination clinic to the campus’ Shoemaker Center Feb. 1.

The Shoemaker Center provides the opportunity for multiple vaccination stations and a socially-distanced observation area for after the vaccines are administered.

“Given the current situation, we are interested in doing all that we can to help with the vaccination efforts in an attempt to protect our community,” said Roberta Milliken, Dean of Campus and Community Relations at OHIO Chillicothe. “OHIO Chillicothe is committed to helping with the pandemic efforts moving forward.”

At the Zanesville Campus, senior nursing students who were no longer able to work in flu clinics turned their attention to a social media campaign urging people to wear their masks. The “Why I Wear A Mask” campaign videos caught the attention of the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department and were shared via Ohio University Zanesville’s Facebook page.

The Eastern Campus parking area has served as a COVID testing site for the Belmont County Health Department a number of times.