Karen Vincent, RN, has been hired as the new COVID-19 Coordinator.
The East Greenbush Central School District is pleased to welcome Karen Vincent as the new COVID-19 Coordinator. Ms. Vincent is a registered nurse who will assist with the district’s Reopening Plan as it relates to compliance with COVID-19 health and safety procedures and contact tracing. Importantly, she will serve as a liaison between the school district and the Rensselaer County Health Department.
Ms. Vincent worked as a nurse at Albany Medical Center for the past two years. She has firsthand knowledge of COVID-19 as she worked on three different COVID floors of the hospital during the worst of the pandemic this past spring.
“I’m really interested in the virus itself and also, of course, the reaction on others,” she said.
Her new duties include:
- Assist with the continuous compliance of all aspects of the district’s reopening plan
- Act as a liaison between administrators, Department of Health and the community
- Manage and answer questions from staff, parents/legal guardians and community members regarding the COVID-19 health emergency and the plans implemented by the district
- Help coordinate phased-in reopening activities to maintain compliance and allow for operational issues to be resolved before activities return to new normal levels
- Serve as the main contact upon the identification of positive COVID-19 cases and is responsible for subsequent communication
- Assist with compliance of return to school protocol when staff and students are seeking to return after a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 or after close contact with a person with COVID-19
- Update New York State’s COVID-19 dashboard daily
“My goal is to ensure the top standard of health and safety for our entire school community by facilitating a coordinated, transparent and collaborative response to COVID-19,” said Ms. Vincent.
Bringing in Ms. Vincent as the new COVID-19 Coordinator is just the latest investment the district has made to provide a safe and healthy reopening of schools. The district has purchased PPE, cleaning supplies and thermometers; supplied families with chromebooks and wifi hotspots so that remote learning is possible for every student; upgraded and improved HVAC systems to provide cleaner air in schools; and hired additional teaching assistants and other staff to provide more instructional support.
“We as a school district have done our best to provide whatever resources we can to ensure a safe and productive learning environment,” said Superintendent Jeff Simons. “Our school community is fortunate to have Karen Vincent serve in this vital role. Her expertise will help our school district continue educating students under these challenging circumstances.”