Maine’s community colleges host vaccination sites

Health care students help with vaccination efforts

AUGUSTA, ME — Maine’s community colleges are hosting vaccination clinics and providing trained students and staff as part of a coordinated statewide effort to vaccinate Mainers against COVID-19 as quickly as possible.

Those efforts include:

• Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) hosting vaccination clinics in Fairfield in partnership with Northern Light Inland Hospital;
• Northern Maine Community College (NMCC) hosting vaccination clinics in Presque Isle in partnership with Northern Light AR Gould Hospital; and
• Eastern Maine Community College hosting vaccination clinics in Bangor in partnership with Bangor Fire and Public Health, to vaccinate public safety employees.

All appointments must be coordinated through the hospitals and partner agencies.

The Maine Community College System has also entered into a memorandum of understanding with the state so students in nursing, medical, physician assistant, pharmacy, and public health programs can assist the Maine CDC with administering vaccines as needed.

This week at NMCC, about 80 students and 10 faculty members from nursing, medical assisting, and paramedicine programs will help administer 840 vaccines, supported by maintenance and custodial staff.

“Our nursing faculty and the nursing and allied health students have been working with the local hospitals since the beginning of the pandemic and are ready for the next phase of this challenge,” said NMCC President Timothy Crowley.

Crowley said NMCC has invited students and faculty from nearby University of Maine Fort Kent and University of Maine Presque Isle to be part of the effort.

“Community health is one of our priorities, and our gymnasium and wellness center will be put to good use in the coming months,” Crowley said.

“KVCC is so pleased to become part of the solution to the pandemic in our region,” said KVCC President Richard Hopper. “Besides providing the space, we are looking at how our students and faculty can play a role in helping at future vaccination clinics for second-round doses and the expansion of Northern Light’s program. Northern Light has been and continues to be a trusted partner of KVCC.”