Community Collaboration on Display at Special Tdap Clinic

The County, and HHSA in particular, are constantly reaching out to community partners to help us provide services to San Diego County residents. A great example of that was a recent Tdap booster shot clinic administered by HHSA's North Regions.

Since they already have a relationship with the County Library through a public health nurse/bookmobile partnership, North Regions approached the Ramona Library branch to arrange to use their Community Room for the clinic.  Naomi Brown, Senior  Public Health Nurse, also contacted Ramona Superintendent Robert Grable to request support to process the students.  He reached out to the Parent Teacher Association and volunteers from that organization assisted HHSA with keeping the clinic running smoothly.

The North Regions Public Health Nurses all performed various roles to ensure a smoothly run clinic. Registered Nurse Martha Magos reviewed immunization records to ensure that clients who did not need the immunization did not wait in line unnecessarily, while Sara Oien, Maria Rodriguez and Senior Public Health Nurse Iris Bentz explained and reviewed permission forms and ensured that protocols for parents and guardians were followed.

Public Health Nurses Donna Erfe-Beltran, Liz Inglis and Gisela Lauer reviewed contraindications to the vaccine, tracked forms and answered parent questions while Heather LaBelle gave health information and other vaccine information in HHSA bags provided by Health Promotion staff as parents exited.

Pat Stalcup, school nurse for the Ramona Unified School District, documented students as they left to ensure their prompt registration in school.

Many of the families that came for their booster shot took the opportunity to also visit the Ramona Library, completing the circle of County and community collaboration.