Community

Student Medical Reserve Corps volunteer recognized for work in vaccine rollout

Milli Osei-Tutu was supposed to study abroad in Spain to complete her public health capstone experience, but COVID-19 changed her plans. Instead, the graduating senior in public health sociology has been a key player in central Ohio’s vaccine rollout as an intern for Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

College honors 2020 Public Health Champions

Those in the field know that so much of the meaningful, life-changing work of public health goes on quietly, without fanfare or accolades. But leadership at Ohio State’s College of Public Health believes in recognizing those who use their voices, their energy and their expertise to make a difference. This year’s Champions of Public Health Awards are presented to individuals and organizations whose actions personify the college’s mission to improve the lives of Ohioans. This year’s five winners were nominated by various community leaders and selected by a faculty committee.

Public health faculty, staff create COVID-19 surveillance tool for schools

A kindergartner develops a sore throat, so he visits the school nurse. A teacher and two students at the middle school next door call in sick with fevers. Across town, a second grader at another elementary school in the district goes home after a bad cough sets in.

All this information is entered into a system called the COVID-19 Analytics and Targeted Surveillance System (CATS), monitored by staff throughout the school district and the local public health department for signs of coronavirus outbreaks.

A DOSE OF THE REAL WORLD: CPH student Ryan Yoder gets a head start on harm reduction

Ryan Yoder’s volunteer work at Safe Point began with small tasks: transporting syringes, handing out brochures on HIV and Hepatitis and restocking tourniquets. A year and a half later, he’s one of only three staff members supporting one of Columbus’s comprehensive harm reduction program for intravenous drug use.

Yoder had no idea that volunteering at Safe Point would be the beginning of a much larger journey that would have an impact not only on the clients he served, but on him as well.

Shear Advocate: The indomitable Al Edmondson clips hair, grows hope for all

“When I was in elementary school, my dad would cut my hair.  I used to get mad at him because he would always nick me and mess up.  The final straw was one time he was cutting my hair pretty low and he put a big hole in my hair.  I had a huge bald spot and everyone was making fun of me at school.

“That’s when I decided my dad wasn’t cutting my hair anymore.  We knew Al through our church and knew he had a barber shop.  Ever since, I’ve been coming here.”