The Dartmouth Institute taught me that a small group of passionate people have the power to make meaningful change. I am doing my best to help healthcare providers during the pandemic so that we can maintain a workforce that is equipped to fight this virus."
BRIANA KREWSON MPH'19
When Briana Krewson, a first-year medical student at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, learned that there was a large shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the city's hospitals, she co-founded the Medical Students for Masks intiative. The grassroots effort has successfully helped to mitigate the shortage, raising over $60,000 in donations to get PPE distributed to the front line in Philadelphia. To date, Krewson and her team have provided more than 17,000 masks, 3,000 gowns, and 4,100 additional supplies (including plastic ear savers and goggles) to over 30 hospitals.
To learn more and support Medical Students for Masks:
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Addressing healthcare disparities is a must if we are to make our response equitable and sustainable. By being here, I hope I am doing a small part in making their lives just a tiny bit better. "
MARK "MAC" PUSUNG MLA, MPH'20
As a registered nurse, Mark “Mac” Pusung specializes in providing bedside patient care in disaster response and public health crises.
When his local government in Boston, Mass. asked for healthcare professionals to help at the Boston Hope Medical Center, a new field hospital they were constructing within the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Pusung volunteered. The converted exhibition center is now a 1,000-bed hospital for historically underserved and underrepresented COVID-19 positive patients, including minorities, immigrants and underinsured people of color.
"These patients are not used to receiving attention let alone medical care," Pusung says. “The sense of gratitude I receive from them gives me a profound sense of fulfillment."
Pusung is currently drafting a Perspective article for the New England Journal of Medicine highlighting his experience and the health inequities brought to light by the pandemic.
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At a time of crisis, the Triple Aim – optimizing and aligning quality patient care, along with the health of the population, at a reasonable cost – is the guiding principle that has led the way for me and my team."
ANNE JONES DO, MPH'13
As medical director of Cornell University's student health service, Cornell Health, Anne Jones is leading efforts at the intersection of patient care and public health.
When the first sparks of news media showed evidence of a novel virus in China, just as students were returning to campus from all over the world, she mobilized their teams for situational awareness. As predicted, they had students returning to campus with early symptoms. They needed to activate an immediate response to test their population appropriately, rapidly assess their resource needs and capacities, secure PPE for their front line staff, and communicate broadly to the campus leadership and community about the potential risks and consequences of the virus.
As the pandemic has evolved, Jones continues to lead strategic and immediate changes, empowering her team to "adjust, stay safe, and do our part to navigate during this intense time."