A Touro PA student assists a patient in her bed

As Omicron Spikes New Wave of COVID Cases, Touro’s PA Students Remain Vigilant on the Frontlines

Jan 28, 2022

As the Omicron variant spikes another wave of COVID-19 cases around the world, Touro University Nevada’s Physician Assistant Studies students are working in strike teams to deliver as much care as possible to alleviate the suffering within the Southern Nevada community.

“Community outreach is often about adapting to the community’s needs. Right now, the Las Vegas Valley is experiencing its highest COVID positivity rate, and we are working with the community to increase availability of COVID testing as well as COVID vaccinations,” said Dr. Rebecca Edgeworth, Assistant Professor in the School of Physician Assistant Studies.

Touro’s PA students worked closely with the Nevada National Guard to administer COVID-19 tests at Sam Boyd Stadium’s drive-thru location, assisting thousands of Southern Nevadans.

Students also brought COVID-19 and flu vaccines to multiple senior centers around the Valley. Many of these individuals were confined to their beds and would not have been able to leave to get their vaccines.

That’s where Touro’s students came in.

By providing vaccines to the older individuals in their homes, Touro’s students helped them decrease their risk of being exposed to COVID by traveling to a public place to get their vaccination.

“Being a part of the Touro strike team with Dr. Edgeworth and my classmates has been a truly inspiring experience,” said PA student Alex Frandsen. “This experience has helped motivate me on my journey to becoming a PA and reminded me that the connection with people and improving my community is why I started on this path in the first place.”

For nearly two years, students have been quick to assist on the COVID-19 frontlines whenever an opportunity presented itself. From providing initial screenings to homeless populations in March 2020 to the thousands of vaccines they’ve administered across the Valley, the future healthcare providers and educators at Touro have answered the call to help their community.

“While COVID has changed a lot of the students’ clinical experiences, it has also provided an opportunity for students to connect with their community in need,” Dr. Edgeworth said. “The more we can connect our newest providers to the community, the more likely we are to retain excellent Touro-trained medical providers.”