Grant Supports Student’s Efforts to Quell Infectious Diseases

Felicia Creary assists with on-campus flu and COVID-19 management

Sacred Heart University graduate student Felicia Creary received a $3,500 grant based around her work supporting infectious-disease awareness and management at SHU, which included tracking and preventing the spread of the flu and COVID-19.

Creary, who is studying for her master’s degree in public health, received the grant from New England Public Health Training Center’s health equity internship program to cover the expenses accrued during her applied practice experience. This is a project that pairs MPH students with a community partner so they can apply what they have learned in the classroom to a real-world setting.

She worked at SHU’s Maureen Hamilton Wellness Center, supporting infectious-disease management to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak on campus and in the neighboring community. She created and oversaw follow-up care procedures for Sacred Heart students and tracked COVID-19 cases using Point and Click Solutions, an electronic health record and practice management system used at many colleges. She also monitored students’ COVID-19 symptoms through the Campus Clear app.

Creary created and updated a COVID-19 roster to track students’ quarantine and isolation status, reported positive cases to the Connecticut Department of Public Health and compared University-documented COVID-19 cases with data from SHU’s contact tracing team.

Her project focused on flu awareness and vaccination campaigns. To encourage students to get their flu shots, she created marketing material for a campus vaccination clinic, and she conducted a survey to determine the number of students who attended. Her survey also identified reasons some students avoided flu shots, stigmas about them and concerns about getting the flu during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am extremely proud of Felicia’s accomplishments,” said Sofia Pendley, clinical assistant professor of public health at SHU. “Throughout her time in the master of public health program, she has shown a commitment to advancing community health and well-being. Now, she’s been recognized and rewarded for all of her hard work."