Peninsula Medical Reserve Corps

November 1, 2009 - New Horizons Students – Energetic, Eager, and Engaged in Serving with the Peninsula Medical Reserve Corps

In October 2009, 14 new recruits from New Horizons Regional Education Center/Woodside Lane, Newport News Campus joined the ranks of the Peninsula Medical Reserve Corps. The students are part of the Health Occupational Student Association on a medical career path under the direction of Kathy Whitehead.  Most students are CPR trained, and have now received their PenMRC Orientation, and have taken the Psychological First Aid Class with PenMRC Volunteer Mary Begor.

On October 29, 2009, some of the students arrived at Peninsula Health District by bus, accompanied by their teacher Kathy Whitehead to assist with re-loading POD (Point of Dispensing) boxes enroute to H1N1 sites across the Peninsula. The students were responsible for taking inventory on the POD’s that had returned from the school vaccination sites, refreshing them, and securing them for transfer to the next sites in line. In addition they completed supply orders for items of low inventory.  H1N1 Assistant Crystal Ward under the direction of Virginia Department of Health Emergency Planner Kevin Pearce was overseeing the group’s activities, providing them information about the H1N1 mass vaccination protocol, and ensuring their experience was positive.  Crystal states, “The service that the students provided in refreshing the POD’s was swift and efficient and provided an enormous time savings in mobilizing the PODs”.  The students are eager to return, and the Peninsula Health District is eager to have them.  It is likely that the students will learn a new phase of the H1N1 Mass Vaccination Campaign by participating in a support capacity at after school clinics as they continue across the Peninsula. This will also provide the students opportunities to serve side by side with seasoned Peninsula Medical Reserve Corps volunteers and Peninsula Health District staff.

About New Horizons:

New Horizons is a public facility owned and operated by the six peninsula school divisions.

VISION:
“New Horizons will strive to become a state-of-the-art regional education center nationally recognized as an authority on specialized educational programs and services that support the development of a world-class workforce and a self-sufficient citizenry.”

MISSION:
“To serve the educational needs of the Peninsula’s school divisions, New Horizons will prepare students educationally, technically, and socially, according to each student’s needs, to become productive citizens.”