Upper Valley MRC Supports COVID-19 Testing

Volunteer Brett Mayfield dons his PPE to begin a clinic shift, while providers at the specimen collection station look on.

Since May, the Vermont Department of Health has sponsored weekly COVID-19 testing clinics for the asymptomatic public. Residents and visitors regularly register for these clinics for many reasons. People want to visit loved ones who are high risk, reduce their quarantine period, attend a summer camp, or protect themselves while working at a high-risk business. The reasons are as varied as the people who come, but the results are the same. Upper Valley folks from both Vermont and New Hampshire are flocking to get quality testing in their community.

Volunteer Eileen Murphy mans the triage tent to screen and check in registrants.

Upper Valley MRC Supports COVID-19 Testing

Three Upper Valley Medical Reserve Corps volunteers have stepped up to supplement the healthcare workforce staffing these weekly Covid-19 testing clinics. Eileen Murphy is a local nurse practitioner. Brett Mayfield is a town health officer and owner of a local healthcare practice. Andrea Morancy is a school nurse.  All three regularly take shifts at the Springfield or White River Junction COVID-19 sites. Their tasks are as varied as triaging and symptom checking incoming patients, communicating critical healthcare information, verifying registration information, or conducting testing. These skilled providers fill critical roles that aid the Health Department and local EMS personnel who regularly run the clinics. They also fulfill the MRC mission of being the second line of defense when local capacity is stretched.

Attendees of local clinics constantly provide feedback on the professionalism, friendliness and gentleness of the team. The Upper Valley has garnered a reputation for being ‘the place’ to go for testing. “It’s all about setting expectations and meeting them,” says Eileen Murphy, who often works the Triage station. “It’s so rewarding to have someone full of anxiety come through the line, receive information and reassurance, and just see the stress leave their face. Then to get a thumbs up when they exit the testing area and to hear confirmation that although there is discomfort, it was not as bad as expected.”

Covid-19 Testing Clinics Continue Through August

Covid-19 testing clinics will continue in Vermont through the end of August (2020). For more information on locations and how to register, visit https://www.healthvermont.gov/response/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-covid-19. To volunteer with Upper Valley MRC, reach out to us at www.oncallforvt.org.