Alumni Reunion

Reunion Program

• Welcome by Ruth Lee, DNP ’10, MS ’04, MBA, RN, NEA-BC
• Dean Jane Kirschling’s Highlights
• Class of 1971 Heritage Class Induction
• Distinguished Alumni Award Presentation to J. Taylor Hayden, PhD, MS ’77, BSN ’72, RN, FGSA, FAAN

Continuing Education Program Session I 

Option A

The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Local and National Response

Karen Doyle, DNP ’20, MBA, MS ’91, BSN ’85, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Senior Vice President, Nursing and Operations, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center
Co-incident Commander for the COVID-19 Pandemic, University of Maryland Medical Center 

Helga Scharf-Bell, DNP ’16, FNP-BC, MSN, NHDP-BC
Acting Director, National Disaster Medical System, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Objectives:

• Utilizing the hospital incident command system, describe the actions taken by a local health system to address the pandemic.
• Describe the role of the National Disaster Medical System and its role in the pandemic.
• Discuss the moral distress experienced by frontline health care workers and interventions utilized to address. 

Abstract:

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic due to the severity and spread of the COVID-19 virus. Until this time, the last pandemic was the H1N1 influenza pandemic experienced in 1918. Not being fully prepared for this novel virus, the infrastructure to manage such a pandemic was minimal at best at both a local and national level. The stress placed on the health care system was something never experienced in over a century. Local and national systems needed to react and pivot quickly to address the devastating impact of this disease. This presentation will provide in detail the herculean efforts undertaken at both a state and national level. 

Option B

Nursing and Innovation to Serve Homeless Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Catherine Fowler, MPH, BSN, RN
Director of Nursing, Healthcare for the Homeless

Objectives:

• Identify several of the factors that put those experiencing homelessness at increased risk for COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality.
• Identify two challenges that someone experiencing homelessness might have in obtaining COVID-related care at mainstream providers (e.g., urgent care, mass vaccination sites, etc.).
• Describe two of the ways that Healthcare for the Homeless (HCH) reconfigured their space or services to provide screening, testing, and/or vaccination services over the past year.

Abstract:

When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, HCH was focused on providing walk-in and primary medical care, behavioral health, case management, and housing services, amongst others, to some of the most vulnerable people in the area.

As the realities of COVID became clear, leadership quickly moved from “Where can we refer our clients for testing?” to “We must provide testing services here.” Our attempts at referring clients to other organizations were simply not working. Likewise we realized that we had to continue to provide in-clinic services; telehealth was not going to be successful for all of our clients, and we could not just close our doors.  Screening became a priority but presented challenges: how do you screen on the front porch where people are sleeping; how do you get an accurate temperature on someone who is staying outdoors? This winter we were faced with a new challenge: vaccinating. Again it seemed easier to refer our clients to community partners as we faced space and staffing constraints as well as vaccine supply questions.  But again we quickly realized that we had to provide this service or risk many of our clients missing out on a life-saving vaccine.

Now, a little more than a year into the pandemic, we have screening, testing, and vaccination programs that have touched thousands of our clients and neighbors. With some creative thinking, flexibility, and a willingness to take ideas and adjust them many, many times, we have been able to provide these services, along with nearly all of our original services both on-site and in the field. Pivoting to provide COVID-related services has been challenging but rewarding and has maintained a key connection for our clients to care during a stressful and isolating time. 

Massive Compassion and Simple Technology: Bringing Telehealth to Homeless Shelters During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tracy Zvenyach, PhD ’18, MS ’06, RN
Co-Founder and President, Nurse Disrupted, LLC
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Georgetown University

Objectives:

1. Analyze health information technology methods to deploy simple telehealth connections with limited budget and resources.
2. Describe challenges associated with applying health technology across a volunteer nurse network.
3. Relate the impact of public policy to nursing and the health of individuals and communities.

Abstract:

Imagine living in these difficult pandemic times without a home or regular health care. In March 2020, Madison, Wisconsin's homeless shelters had no access to care providers for COVID-19 outbreak prevention. With only a utility trailer and a single power outlet, Nurse Disrupted launched its first two Care Stations and virtual nurse volunteer network, creating quick and simple telehealth video connections between clinicians two hours away and homeless shelters that needed them. Nurse Disrupted's COVID-19 Virtual Volunteer program provides trained and licensed nurses that screen for COVID-19, maintain screening protocol, and educate everyone on safety precautions. The Care Station includes video connection, a one-touch user interface, hardware, software, stable internet, technical support, and project management. Since starting, the Care Stations have created over 19,000 patient connections across 200 providers. The outcomes of the program include only limited cases of COVID-19 at one shelter site and zero outbreaks at the other shelter location. The Care Station was created for resource deserts like homeless shelters: locations with no internet, IT team, budget, or few on-site health staff. Other common resource deserts include rural clinics, long term care facilities, prisons, and schools. The Care Station can go anywhere that needs a simple telehealth video connection. Oftentimes innovation can lead to policy change. As a result of the pandemic, the telehealth policy landscape has dramatically evolved. Nurse Disrupted will describe their role and approach in navigating policy changes and advocating for improved access to care at the federal and state levels.

Continuing Education Program Session II 
Choose option A or B below.

Option A

Giving Birth During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives from a Sample in the U.S.

Rachel Blankstein Breman, PhD ’18, MPH, RN
Assistant Professor, UMSON

Objectives:

• Participants will learn about integrating social media and online platforms to reach study participants.
• Participants will learn about how the first wave of COVID-19 affected pregnant and birthing people from the patient perspective.

Abstract: 

The COVID-19 pandemic forced hospitals in the United States to adjust policy and procedure in order to provide safe care and prevent the spread of disease. At the beginning of the pandemic, media and case reports described pressure for medical         interventions, visitor restrictions, separation from newborns, and an increase in patient demand for community birth (home and birth center). The purpose of this study was to describe birth experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic centering the birthing person’s perspective. A survey was emailed to users of the Ovia Pregnancy app reaching a national sample who gave birth between March 1 and June 11, 2020. Survey topics included birth location, the Mothers on Respect index, and open-ended questions capturing patient perspectives on the pandemic’s effect on their birth experiences. Differences were assessed based on state-level COVID rate and by race. Content analysis was performed to analyze open-ended responses.

Option B 

COVID-19 Vaccine Development at an Unprecedented Pace: Perspectives from Nursing in Phase I-III Clinical Trials

Ginny Cummings, MS ’99, CRNP
Research Study Coordinator, University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Vaccine Development

Linda Wadsworth, BSN ’81, RN
Research Site Coordinator, University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Vaccine Development

Objectives: 

After the presentation, the learner will be able to:

• Identify the Phases of Clinical Trials.
• Describe the usual steps taken in the process of initiating a clinical trial.
• Identify challenges of implementing COVID-19 vaccine studies during a pandemic. 

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic put the world in a frenzy starting in December 2019.  It soon became clear that the way back to “normal” before mask-wearing and social distancing meant widespread vaccination against the SARS—CoV-2 virus. The race was on! COVID-19 vaccine trials began at an unprecedented pace, leading to Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in December 2020. This presentation will highlight the usual steps undertaken in the initiation of a clinical trial and illuminate how systems came together to allow this vaccine to be approved so expeditiously without sacrificing safety. The Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine studies by Moderna and Novavax were also undertaken rapidly, and the many challenges that this study team faced in conducting these studies will be discussed.  Pediatric clinical trials are the next priority in order for children to be protected, and these developing protocols will be outlined.

Alumni Through the Ages Slideshow Presentation

Breakout Rooms for Informal Networking