As nation-wide COVID-19 vaccination efforts have continued gaining speed, many local rollout plans have relied on PA students to play an integral role in vaccinating our communities – ultimately bringing families, neighbors, and friends safely together again.
Creighton University has partnered with the Douglas County (NE) Health Department in Omaha, Nebraska, to provide a weekly COVID vaccination clinic for the community, staffed entirely by Creighton faculty, staff, and students. Each Saturday, the clinic administers an impressive 5,000 vaccinations to members of the public in just under 12 hours. Students from the health professions programs at Creighton – as well as many other graduate and undergraduate colleges and programs – have volunteered at the clinics each week.
Though free time is a precious commodity for PA students and faculty members alike, the Creighton team has actively participated in the clinic and found it to be a worthy investment. In the words of one student, “It’s a historic opportunity. Someday I will tell my grandchildren that we survived a pandemic, and I was able to participate in a mass vaccination event.”
Volunteering for the clinic is not a program requirement for students. However, week after week they selflessly give of their weekend time to volunteer for 6-hour shifts serving the community. The students particularly value the appreciation they feel from thousands of vaccine recipients and the opportunity to expand and hone their clinical skills.