Rensselaer County: Collaborative Partnership between Rensselaer County Department of Health and Russell Sage College

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

Rensselaer County Department of Health (RCDOH) and Russell Sage College Nursing Department have developed a collaborative partnership that has proven essential during COVID-19 activities, but also activities to achieve our NYS Prevention Agenda goals through our Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). Beginning in March of 2021, RCDOH and Russell Sage Nursing established a partnership to aid RCDOH in their COVID-19 vaccine clinic, but also assist the Nursing students to achieve their allotted clinical hours needed to complete their requirements. As a result, both junior level and senior level nursing students were engaged in the various activities during the COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Hudson Valley Community College. These activities included assisting in flow, observation, and administering the vaccines (senior level students only). As our COVID-19 vaccine activities have decreased, RCDOH has found other opportunities with Russell Sage to engage the students in public health. These have included conducting Public Health Detailing at local pharmacies to ascertain their knowledge and current practice regarding the Naloxone Co-Payment Assistance Program (N-CAP), as well as engaging local Primary Care Providers and learning more about what resources they offer to their patients who may be experiencing pre-diabetic symptoms and how they educate them on prevention activities that may best suit their individual needs. In addition, we have collaborated with Russell Sage to participate in their Disaster Preparedness Simulation. This simulation allows the nursing students to become exposed to a mass victim scenario, while also building upon their triage and assessment skills. The benefits associated with partnership have emphasized the potential in flexibility in a local health department working with a local college. In addition, it has led to developed knowledge about how public health and nursing can intersect in working to improve the overall health and well-being of our local communities.