Addressing the misconceptions and equitable distribution issues related to the COVID-19 vaccine

Tuesday, March 23 from 7 to 8:30PM EST via Zoom

Recording of event and CEUs can be found here

PANELISTS

Epidemiologist (Contractor, EIS) in Surveillance Research for the US Air Force*

*Views expressed are those of the presenter and do not reflect the official policy or position of the US Air Force, Department of Defense, or the US Government.

Victoria Bylsma is an epidemiologist contracted through Eagle Integrated Services, LLC to the US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Epidemiology Consult Service, Surveillance and Research branch at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH. Tori primarily serves as a surveillance epidemiologist and currently assists with managing COVID-19 surveillance and data dissemination. Beyond surveillance, she provides expert epidemiologic and biostatistical support in response to consultations on topics ranging from incidence of musculoskeletal injuries to infectious disease outbreaks. In addition, she develops and performs research and surveillance studies with her team, guides Air Force Public Health policy recommendations, and functions as an Air Force subject matter expert on disease surveillance, reporting, and case definitions. Tori received her BS in Biochemistry at Walsh University and her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology at Kent State University. She currently volunteers with the Ohio Medical Reserve Corps at vaccine distribution sites and enjoys exploring Dayton’s metroparks with her puppy and powerlifting in her downtime. 

Senior Practice Specialist at APTA and a board-certified clinical specialist in sports physical therapy

Hadiya Green Guerrero, PT, DPT, is a Senior Practice Specialist at APTA. At APTA her work covers scope of practice, the practice areas of sports, pediatrics, healthy aging, prevention, health promotion, wellness, primary care roles in physical therapy, nutrition, as well as health disparities and cultural competence. She achieved her clinical doctorate in physical therapy from Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine and is a board-certified clinical specialist in sports physical therapy. Her clinical background spanned New York City, Rochester, MN and Washington, D.C., including sports, orthopedics, early intervention, school-based, hospital-based (acute and outpatient), inpatient rehab, private practice, pain rehabilitation, and pediatric ICU settings. At Mayo Clinic she primarily worked as a physical therapist in pediatrics, a researcher, and instructor of physical therapy. She participated as a scholar at The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Translational Health Disparities. She enjoys a history of volunteering with the Special Olympics of New York, Minnesota, and the District of Columbia (DC) as an instructor and sports director, and currently volunteers as a youth track and field coach in Washington, DC.

Senior Manager of Community Health at Whitman-Walker Health

Ramatoulaye Keita has been at Whitman-Walker Health (WWH) since September of 2013. She started as a health educator in the Whitman-Walker community health department and is currently the Senior Manager of Community Health. In addition to working at WWH, she has the pleasure of serving as a commissioner on the Planning Commission on Health and HIV. As commissioner, it is her duty to implement and execute integrated strategies that address the health and social needs of all Ryan White clients across the DC metropolitan area. She is a first-generation West African from Guinea Conakry and proud to say that she is not only fluent in English, but also French and three of her native dialects. In her role at WWH, she oversees the HIV prevention efforts to include HIV testing and counseling, PrEP/PEP initiatives, and targeted outreach efforts. She holds a BS in Public Health and an MS in Management and Healthcare Administration from the University of Maryland.

MODERATOR

ANC Commissioner, 7E04

Natasha Dupee, a native of Washington, DC, is currently serving her first term in elected office as a DC Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner. Natasha works in the Office of Disability Support Services at The George Washington University while completing a master’s degree in public health policy. Her professional focus explores the intersection of health care, education, and employment. Beginning her career as a Teach for America – St. Louis Corps Member, she has also worked in management and diversity, equity, and inclusion facilitation for TFA. Natasha received her undergraduate degree in women’s studies and public health from GW and a master’s degree in education from The University of Missouri – St. Louis.

Learning Objectives

  1. Participants will understand the success and challenges of vaccine distribution on both a local and national level.
  2. Participants will be provided with evidence-based information related to the COVID-19  vaccine and vaccine development while learning about misconceptions related to the pandemic.
  3. Participants will be able to understand the differences between the mostly widely used vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson), as well as risks and benefits as it relates to COVID-19 vaccination.
  4. Participants will learn about equitable vaccine distribution, including historical context that may contribute to trends in distribution.
  5. Participants will verbalize strategies to advocate for their patient’s needs as it relates to COVID-19 safety and vaccine safety.

The APTA DC now provides CEUs via Seminar Web. This course is eligible for 1.5 CEUs in Washington, DC. To receive CEUs, you must register with Seminar Web when the course recording is made available. There will be a $5 fee for APTA DC members to receive CEUs and a $10 fee for non-members to receive CEUs. The event is free for all to attend with a maximum of 100 attendees. Please email us at heart@aptadc.org should questions or concerns arise.