Mason and Partners (MAP)

Congresswoman Wexton, Delegate Roem, and Mayor Rishell Visit Mason Vaccine Clinic in Prince William

mthomp7 — Thu, 13 May 2021 23:39:43 +0000

Congresswoman Wexton, Delegate Roem, and Mayor Rishell Visit Mason Vaccine Clinic in Prince William mthomp7 Thu, 05/13/2021 - 19:39

In This Story

Robert M. Weiler, PhD, MPH

Elected officials recognize Mason’s contribution to fighting COVID and thank nurses and staff.

On May 6, U.S. Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA 10^th District), Delegate Danica Roem (D-VA 13^th District), and Manassas Mayor Jeanette Rishell (D) visited the COVID-19 vaccination clinic located at the Manassas Park Community Center. The vaccination clinic, operated by the George Mason University School of Nursing and the Mason and Partner (MAP) Clinics, have vaccinated more than 22,305 residents since the vaccine became available in January 2021, predominantly serving under-represented and uninsured populations.

Wexton, Roem, and Rishell thanked the nurses and staff running the vaccination site and spoke with clinic coordinator Bridget Jennison about George Mason and the MAP Clinics’ vaccination efforts. “The MAP Clinics are pleased to help greater Prince William fight COVID by offering vaccination clinics and partnering with the Prince William Health Department to reach as many people as possible,” said Jennison.

More than 1,000 doses were administered the day of the officials’ visit, though Jennison explained that the number of vaccinations was slowing down. Jennison indicated that the next wave of vaccinations would be for 12-15 year-olds (approved by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use on May 10 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 12) and those who may be harder to reach because of hesitancy or other factors. Jennison, Wexton, Roem, and Rishell discussed opportunities to work together to increase vaccination rates in the Prince William community and expressed optimism for continued and successful progress.

“I am very impressed with the MAP Clinic’s commitment to the greater Prince William community and am thankful for their help vaccinating so many residents. I am particularly pleased that the MAP Clinics were able to use Cares Act funding to secure vaccine freezers and other equipment to help our residents get vaccinated as quickly as possible,” said Congresswoman Wexton.

“It is important that elected officials understand the vital services provided by the Mason MAP Clinic in Manassas Park. This is so that we not only get our constituents vaccinated, but we communicate the message to constituents that may also have additional health needs and letting them know that the MAP Clinic is here to help them. Seeing first-hand the vaccination progress gives me hope that we are going to get close to that 70% vaccination level by July 4 in our community. We have incredibly dedicated public and civil servants doing their part to make sure that we get there,” said Delegate Roem.

During the visit, Wexton also spoke with Robert Weiler, senior associate dean for academic affairs for Mason’s College of Health and Human Services regarding Mason’s strategic initiative to become the first college of public health in Virginia. “Mason is ready to bring a college of public health to Virginia that will focus on preparing highly specialized public health researchers, practitioners, and leaders who can respond to existing, evolving, and emerging health problems in the region and throughout the Commonwealth,” said Weiler. Virginia is currently one of only 15 states that does not have an accredited college of public health. George Mason currently offers three accredited public health degrees: Bachelor of Science (BS) in Community Health, Master of Public Health (MPH) with six concentrations, and a PhD in Public Health.

The MAP Clinics are funded by the College of Health and Human Services School of Nursing and through Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants, as well as funding from the Potomac Health Foundation, and Northern Virginia Health Foundation. The MAP Clinic model is based on an academic-practice partnership model to help translate best evidence into practice at scale for the largest possible impact in the community.

Topics

MAP Clinic

Mason and Partners (MAP)

Vaccines

coronavirus; covid-19

CHHS News

Virginia First Lady Pamela Northam Visits COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic to Thank Front-Line Early Childhood Educators and Clinic Organizers

mthomp7 — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 22:28:47 +0000

Virginia First Lady Pamela Northam Visits COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic to Thank Front-Line Early Childhood Educators and Clinic Organizers mthomp7 Tue, 02/23/2021 - 17:28

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Topics

MAP Clinic

Mason and Partners (MAP)

coronavirus; covid-19

In This Story

Caroline Sutter, DNP

Rebecca Sutter, DNP, APRN, BC-FNP

George Mason University Mason and Partners Clinic, Prince William Health District, and Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William partner to vaccinate more than 1,400 people.

On February 23, First Lady Pamela Northam visited a vaccination clinic in Manassas Park to recognize the heroic efforts of early childhood educators. “Early childhood educators have truly been unsung heroes throughout this pandemic allowing other frontline workers to remain on the job. We are grateful for organizations like Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William, the Mason and Partner Clinics, and the Prince William Health District whose collaboration makes reaching this important group possible,” said Northam.

Northam issues ImagiNation staff Thompson and Bloom a First Lady Challenge coin.

At the event, Northam met Anaysha Bloom and Lacreshia Thompson lead pre-school teachers from ImagiNation Learning Center in Gainesville. “I chose to get the vaccine not only for myself and my family but to also keep my co-workers and most importantly the children in my care safe,” said Thompson. “We are so grateful for the opportunity to receive the vaccine and for child care providers to be made a priority to receive it,” said Bloom. When the First Lady asked what was their biggest challenge, both replied “Getting [four year-olds] to social distance.”

Virginia’s early childhood educators were among those deemed essential workers in April of 2020. Many early childhood education centers, including ImagiNation Learning Center, have remained open throughout the pandemic, providing continuity of care and allowing families who rely on these providers to return to work. Early childhood educators are part of Phase 1b for Virginia’s COVID-19 Vaccination plan– however many in this population were not aware they were eligible for a vaccine.

To help raise awareness and increase vaccination rates in Greater Prince William, Mason and Partner (MAP) Clinics, Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William (SBGPW), and the Prince William Health District (PWHD) partnered to schedule more than 1,400 appointments with early childhood educators over the course of seven days. On the day of the First Lady’s visit, more than 500 first doses and 150 second doses were administered.

“In just one week, we have contacted more than 350 early childhood education centers to let them know that they fall into Phase 1b and are eligible for the COVID vaccine. Organizing these clinics for those who educate our youngest children has been the most rewarding work I’ve done since COVID began. Having our front-line workers vaccinated is a critical first step in more people resuming in-person activities,” said Kathy Channell, Chairperson, Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William. Channell and her teammates Debi Stepien, Vice Chair, Gina Parr, Secretary and Tawnya Soltis, Executive Director, are all volunteers and helped make the hundreds of phone calls required to pull-off this massive event.

School of Nursing and Health Administration and Policy students pictured here play a critical role in staffing the clinics and gain valuable experience at the same time.

To date, the MAP Clinics have delivered more than 2,916 vaccines to early childhood educators, so were a natural partner for SMBGPW. “The community has really joined together to help this vital and often vulnerable population get vaccinated,” said Dr. Becki Sutter, co-director of the MAP Clinics and faculty at George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services. “The MAP Clinics are proud to partner with the PW Health District and Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William to raise awareness among early education centers and immunize nearly 3,000 people through these vaccination events over four weeks.”

Collaborators from ImagiNation, Mason, Mason and Partners Clinics, Prince William Health District, and Smartbeginnings Greater Prince William pose with First Lady Northam.

Collaborations such as this have helped the Prince William Health Department expand its vaccination program and to reach individuals who may be unaware that they are eligible or are hesitant to be immunized. “PWHD is building creative solutions and working with our community partners to vaccinate as many eligible residents as quickly as possible. This collaboration has helped engage and inform early childhood educators and we look forward to more events like this one,” said District Director for PWHD, Dr. Allison Ansher.

Mason faculty, staff, and alumni are integral to the success of the vaccination events as are CHHS students from across disciplines. Health Administration and Policy students manage health records and senior nursing students administer vaccines.

The City of Manassas Park has supported on-going vaccination events by providing space and logistical support. “We’re proud to provide with much-needed space and parking so the vaccination clinics can achieve their weekly vaccination goal,” said Loren Luck, marketing and communications manager for Manassas Park.

About the Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinics
George Mason University's Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinics are free clinics that serve low-income, uninsured, and refugee communities within Prince William and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia. Faculty and staff at the MAP Clinics have partnered with the Prince William Health District to vaccinate eligible residents through on-going clinics. The Clinics have vaccinated thousands of individuals to date and this number continues to grow. Information about vaccine eligibility and scheduling can be found at https://vaccinate.virginia.gov/.

The MAP Clinics are interprofessional clinics located in Manassas, Springfield, and Culmore. The Clinics provide health care, school physicals, screenings, and mental health services for vulnerable populations located in low income and medically underserved areas (MUA). The ambulatory clinics provide to the community referrals, resources, and case management for medical home placement; wellness and integrated care workshops; and group care for chronic disease management and education.

About Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William (SBGPW)
Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William (SBGPW), is a program under the PWCS Education Foundation SPARK (the 501c3). SBGPW serves the City of Manassas, the City of Manassas Park, and Prince William communities as an organization solely focused on birth through five-year old’s in preparing them for a successful start to kindergarten and life.

As part of a statewide network of Smart Beginnings, SBGPW serves with assistance and guidance from Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF). This approach allows local efforts to be individualized, while working in harmony with other communities to achieve results throughout Virginia.

About the Prince William Health District
The Prince William Health District (PWHD) operates multiple programs to protect and improve the health and well-being of its residents. Services provided include: immunizations; environmental health services, including restaurant and pool inspections; family planning services; confidential diagnosis, treatment, and counseling for sexually transmitted diseases; tuberculin testing and diagnostic chest x-rays; confidential HIV testing and early intervention services; nutritional education and food vouchers for women, infants, and children (WIC) clients; processing of birth and death certificates.

College of Health and Human Services Helps Crush COVID By Supporting Virginia Department of Health COVID Vaccination Efforts

mthomp7 — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 21:07:00 +0000

College of Health and Human Services Helps Crush COVID By Supporting Virginia Department of Health COVID Vaccination Efforts mthomp7 Thu, 01/28/2021 - 16:07

Topics

coronavirus; covid-19

College of Health and Human Services

Mason and Partners (MAP)

MAP Clinic

Department of Global and Community Health

School of Nursing

Department of Health Administration and Policy

CHHS News

In This Story

Rebecca Sutter, DNP, APRN, BC-FNP

College of Health and Human Service Students, Faculty, and Staff Help Crush COVID By Supporting Virginia Department of Health COVID Vaccination Efforts

Dozens of Mason faculty, staff and students will support local efforts to vaccinate eligible residents during a two-day vaccination clinic run by Fairfax County Health Department. The vaccination clinic will serve eligible residents, including home-based childcare providers, and employees of Fairfax County who have registered with the county health department to receive vaccines.

Within just hours of being notified about volunteer opportunities at the clinic, more than 200 students from the College of Health and Human Services volunteered to participate and complete the Virginia Department of Health five-module training program. Participating in the clinic offers students hands-on experience in pandemic response- where they will play an integral role in key aspects of managing the vaccination site, including checking in community members and providing logistical support. Faculty and students who meet County requirements will administer the vaccine.

“While some universities may be concerned that college students are spreading COVID, Mason students are playing a central role in controlling the pandemic and keeping our communities safe,” says Dr. Germaine Louis, Dean of the College of Health and Human Services. “Students from across disciplines are helping their community and getting experience in the many aspects of planning and executing a mass vaccination effort. These are skills and experiences they will carry throughout their careers and help build the future public health infrastructure.”

Faculty and students in the College’s School of Nursing will be integral to vaccination events such as this. Qualified students will administer the vaccine and monitor recipients after the dose is administered. Dr. Martha Kubik, Director of the School of Nursing says, “Our faculty and nursing students are committed to community health and are well-positioned to play an increasingly important role in the region’s COVID-19 response.”

In addition to supporting Fairfax County Health Department’s vaccination efforts, faculty, staff, and students from the College are also helping safeguard the community through vaccination efforts with Prince William County Health Department and holding clinics at the Manassas Park location of the Mason and Partners Clinic. The MAP Clinics are following CDC guidelines for administering and prioritizing vaccines. “Offering vaccinations at the MAP Clinics is an excellent example of academic and community partnership. We can deliver evidence-based best practices to benefit the community and provide students with valuable learning experience,” says Dr. Rebecca Sutter, assistant professor and Co-Director of the MAP Clinics.

A Note from the University:

If you have questions about availability and registration for vaccine, please use this tool to determine how and when to access vaccine. As information about vaccine availability through Mason’s partners or Mason becomes available, information will be shared with the university community.

WSWV Radio Station: Dr. Rebecca Sutter discusses The Health Wagon and virtual retail health clinics at pharmacies and stores.

mthomp7 — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 16:00:22 +0000

WSWV Radio Station: Dr. Rebecca Sutter discusses The Health Wagon and virtual retail health clinics at pharmacies and stores. mthomp7 Tue, 03/17/2020 - 12:00

Health Wagon Provided with Telehealth Carts