School of Health Professions faculty and students assist in vaccination effort

By Kate Hunger 

Faculty and students of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies administered vaccinations during the on-campus COVID-19 vaccination effort that rolled out in mid-December, while Emergency Health Sciences faculty worked to schedule vaccinations set aside for area medical responders.

Meredith Quinine, DHSc, MPAS, PA-C, assistant professor, and academic coordinator, noted that the School of Nursing organized the on-campus vaccination clinic. Dr. Quinene was joined by Leticia Bland, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, assistant professor/clinical and admissions coordinator; Tammy Harris, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, assistant professor/clinical; Tiffani Burgin, MPAS, PA-C, assistant professor and clinical coordinator; and Charles Tringo, PA-C, assistant professor/clinical. 

Physician assistant studies students who volunteered to administer the vaccine at the clinic received valuable hands-on experience, Dr. Quinene said. Second-year student Margaret Walsh said she will always remember the opportunity to participate in the historic event, as well as her pride in UT Health San Antonio for being one of the first institutions to administer the vaccine. She described an optimistic mood among those receiving vaccinations.

“This is a very monumental moment,” she said. “People are excited to be here.”

Emergency Health Sciences faculty, including Lance Villers, Ph.D., associate professor and department chair; Delia Popoy, RN, regional infection control officer; and Robert Moya, Bexar County First Responder Coordinator, handled scheduling and logistics with the three hospital groups receiving vaccination allotments to ensure vaccinations for San Antonio Fire Department paramedics and area medical responders and agencies.

Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccination effort at UT Health SA, which was one of four Texas sites to receive the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 14.