Gaston College Partners with Gaston County Schools to do COVID-19 screenings
As Gaston County schoolchildren in grades K through 12 went back to school last week, Gaston College health students and the County schools partnered to screen the students for COVID-19 as they arrived at their schools.
Thirty-six health students, dressed in black shirts and wearing cloth face coverings and their Gaston College name badges for identification, worked with principals and staff to do temperature checks and ask screening questions as they worked the car lines or stood at the buildings’ entrance doors. Screenings were held at Carr Elementary, Costner Elementary, W.C. Friday Middle School, Highland School of Technology, and North Gaston High School.
Health students who volunteered gained more experience and worked toward accruing their volunteer hours.
Susan Neeley, Coordinator of Health Services and School Social Work for Gaston County Schools invited Gaston College to assist with the screenings.
“Our partnership with Gaston College has been such a grand experience over the years, I thought what a great idea if it were possible,” said Ms. Neeley. “We wanted to have the three levels of CNAs, MOAs and Nursing Students to assist our schools with state mandates and COVID-19 compliance by doing volunteer temperature checks and asking screening questions in the car lines and at the doors to our schools.
“I called Mrs. Janie Peak, one of your board members, with the idea and immediately she said, ‘that is a win-win initiative, and we can make it happen.’ Dr. Jeff Booker also said yes to the idea. Dr. Allison Abernathy and her Leadership team, along with one of my School Nurses, Missy Foley, took it from there and the partnership was formed.”
Ms. Neely continued, “I was at Carr Elementary School on Monday taking pictures and acting just like a proud parent and was able to see the vision come into reality. I thank Gaston College President Dr. John Hauser; Gaston County Schools Superintendent Jeff Booker; Gaston County School Nurse Melissa Foley, RN, BSN; Gaston College Board Member Mrs. Janie Peak; Dr. Allison Abernathy, Dean of Health and Human Services at Gaston College; and her Leadership Team for such a great success in our continued partnership with Gaston College.”
