San Juan Basin Public Health (SJBPH) is pleased to announce CoronaDoc, a confidential volunteer program to assist local employers, agencies, schools, and other organizations in educating their employees/members about COVID-19 and best practices for prevention, reducing spread, treatments, upcoming vaccine distribution, and more. The program is focused on short presentations delivered by medical professionals followed by question and answer sessions for participants.
The program is approved and supported by SJBPH but implemented by volunteer administrators and doctors. Americans are less likely to trust the medical profession than people in many other countries, but they often have high regard for their own, local doctors, according to a report from Harvard School of Public Health.
“The concept was brought to us by long-time locals Jack Turner and Dr. Joe Murphy,” said SJBPH Executive Director Liane Jollon. “The goal is to offer professional medical information about coronavirus and answer questions for frontline managers, employees, and others.”
SJBPH and other partners provide COVID-19 data and information on a variety of COVID-related subjects, such as public health orders and guidance, quarantine and isolation, where to get tested, and where to find resources. Having timely access to medical professionals through the CoronaDoc program will provide a valuable connection for those who have concerns or questions.
“Television, social media, friends, and acquaintances are the primary sources of information about what coronavirus is and what it does,” says Turner, who developed the CoronaDoc program. “Our thought was that most people could benefit from and be reassured by a medical expert rather than relying on something Uncle Marvin heard at the hardware store.”
The free presentations take about fifteen minutes with an additional fifteen minutes allowed for participant questions. The program is confidential and non-judgmental. “We are not a reporting or enforcement agency. We don’t even share what businesses or organizations participate in the program unless they give us permission to do so,” Turner said.
Volunteers will also demonstrate the “AidToAll” financial assistance application, locally developed by Matt Taylor, at the conclusion of each CoronaDoc presentation.
“We’re really pleased to partner with community volunteers to offer an additional source of information about the virus and the pandemic,” added Jollon. “With the proliferation of information, including, sadly, misinformation, out in the world, hopefully businesses and community organizations will take advantage of this program, hear from a respected local physician, and take advantage of financial assistance so we can all get through the winter as a community.”
For more information or to schedule a presentation, sign up using the CoronaDoc form here.
For more information on the COVID-19 pandemic see: https://sjbpublichealth.org/coronavirus/