St. Lawrence County Health Department

• Shannon Beldock, Administrative Assistant; Debra Benware, Registered Nurse; Chelsea Bice, Service Coordinator; Samantha Bice, Secretary I; Tari Burnett, Principal Account Clerk; Tracy Chase, Public Health Program Aide; Brigette Conklin, Community Health Educator; Kindra Cousineau, Public Health Nurse; Alysson Darrah, Service Coordinator; Patti Hogle, Public Health Specialist; Alexandria Horner, Public Health Nurse; Renae Johnson, Supervising Community Health Nurse; Aimee Larue, Account Clerk Typist; Mary Martin, Clerk; Jim McNamara, Keyboard Specialist; Jolene Munger, Director; Patricia Olson, Public Health Program Aide; Adria Pennington-Lee, Registered Nurse; Megan Poste, Service Coordinator; Erin Rodriguez-Doyle, Registered Nurse; Amber Sheppard, Coordinator of QA and Improvement; Nicole Smith, Senior Account Clerk; Jenesse Watson, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator; Kari Trimble, Senior Account Clerk; Desiree Deon, Keyboard Specialist

The St. Lawrence County Public Health Department has shown incredible perseverance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. While the department has always worked as a cohesive unit, COVID-19 is the first program where all staff, regardless of roles, have come together to work as a single team. Staff worked together to raise morale and be a support system for each other when fatigue set in and sometimes seemed to be too much. Throughout the pandemic, staff have worked to create or strengthen relationships with various community partners, which will only continue to benefit the department with post-COVID-19 work. The department has developed creative ways to engage community members for vaccinations, including having college mascots and K-9 units at community Point of Dispensing (POD) sites to entice people to get vaccinated. The department operated several migrant vaccination clinics which also served local farmers who were often unable to leave their farms to attend other daytime clinics. Throughout the pandemic, St. Lawrence County Public Health Department has consistently kept up with ever-changing guidance, despite being short-staffed throughout the pandemic. Department staff consistently show up to give their best effort and to improve the health of their community, one day at a time.