Katie Welch serves as the director of administrative services for the Jackson County Health Department. She currently spends the majority of her time completing case investigation and contact tracing for positive cases of COVID-19. Katie shared, “During the pandemic, we have been using a lot of technology resources. The major change for us is using WebEx, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Zoom meetings. We have a lot of meetings in public health and they are usually statewide and in Columbus with public health officials from all counties. I think this will definitely be something we will continue as we move forward.” Katie has also been in charge of the PPE distribution for the county. Katie stated, “The department gets shipments
and we are in charge of maintaining the inventory and distributing PPE to our partners.”

John Gibson is the assistant principal at Chesapeake Middle School and also serves as the program manager of afterschool programming. Mr. Gibson reports that COVID-19 has posed many obstacles for schools to maneuver but the experience has led to expanding teachers’ capacities to serve students. With little time to prepare for the original mandated closing in March, the district provided hard copy assignments and minimal instructional opportunities to assist students with learning. Recognizing a need to make teaching and learning more effective when remote learning must occur, the teachers spent countless hours in the summer mastering the use of Google Classroom. The
teachers developed proficiency in utilizing the virtual platform and a quality educational program can continue for students regardless of the circumstances. Going forward, students will receive virtual instruction in the event of any school closures including for COVID-19, inclement weather, power outages, and more! Mr. Gibson emphasized the district’s most important COVID outcome has been recognizing the value of adapting to the needs of those you are serving.

Jenni Dovyak-Lewis is the director of community outreach and training at the Area Agency on Aging District 7 (AAA7). The agency, based in Rio Grande, provides home and community-based services to a 10-county core district in southern Ohio and also serves additional counties through special contracts. Services are provided for older adults or those of any age living with a disability who want to remain in their homes. During COVID, the agency has developed some creative ways to reach out to consumers and the community: Porch Talk Telephone Reassurance Program, Wellness Tip of the Week, Telephone Caregiver Support, Telephone Wellness Classes, Fall-Free Fridays on the agency’s Facebook page, and Volunteer Ombudsman opportunities via the telephone. The Agency also
delivered PPE to providers and wellness kits to senior apartment complexes thanks to federal CARES Act dollars. Contracted providers have continued to provide needed services to seniors and those with disabilities in their homes. This support includes home-delivered meals, personal care, homemaking and transportation. Anyone interested in learning more about available services and support, please call the AAA7 at 1-800-582-7277 or e-mail info@aaa7.org.