As a Health Educator supporting Emergency Preparedness at Washtenaw County Public Health, I contributed to public health initiatives during a period that included the 2009 H1N1 pandemic response.

Working with the emergency preparedness team and medical director, I supported vaccine allocation when supply was limited and public guidance was changing quickly. The work required tracking provider information, vaccine availability, eligibility guidance, storage and distribution considerations, and competing needs across healthcare systems, universities, pediatric practices, primary care providers, and community partners.

The county response included 12 mass vaccination clinics attended by 11,709 residents, including 721 first responders. Each clinic required roughly 100 staff and volunteers per shift, underscoring the scale of coordination needed to move from public health guidance to community access.

A significant part of my role involved communicating with healthcare providers on a daily basis during a high-stress response. I helped share allocation updates, respond to questions, and support a fair and organized distribution process as vaccine supply changed over time. I also supported mass vaccination clinics through greeting, wayfinding, information sharing, and on-site coordination.