Ellen Holst Is Oswego County’s Volunteer Of The Week

Ellen Holst is pictured here administering a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in an Oswego County Health Department clinic held at G. Ray Bodley High School in Fulton. Photo courtesy of Sonia Robinson, Oswego County Health Department.

OSWEGO COUNTY – Oswego County continues to honor volunteers by highlighting the contributions of Ellen Holst, retired RN and former senior director for health and nutrition services at Oswego County Opportunities.

“It is fitting that our ‘Volunteer of the Week’ is an RN,” said Danielle Carlone, public health sanitarian for the Oswego County Health Department. “As we continue to mark National Nurses Week which started [Thursday] with Nurses Day.”

Holst has participated in many of the vaccination clinics across the county, including those at Central Square Intermediate School, SUNY Oswego, G. Ray Bodley High School in Fulton and the Tailwater Lodge in Altmar.

“Ellen is passionate in her volunteer efforts for the community,” Carlone added. “She also serves as president of Operation Oswego County’s Board of Directors and is a member of Oswego Health’s Board of Directors.”

When asked what she will take away from her volunteer experience, Ellen stated, “It makes you feel like you are making a difference in people’s lives.

“I wanted to do my part in the community,” she added. “I used to serve on the Board of Health and wanted to give back to a place where I’ve lived for 40 years. It is just the right thing to do and I love the people I have worked with along the way.”

The Oswego County Health Department is thankful for the many generous and talented volunteers that have come out to prove that “we are all in this together.” Their support has helped the department’s critical operations run as smoothly as they have. Volunteers have participated in vaccination clinics, answered phones and questions on the Oswego County COVID-19 Hotline, made homemade masks for the community, and many other helpful tasks.

The Health Department continues to recruit both medical and non-medical volunteers for upcoming COVID-19 vaccination and testing clinics.

Non-medical volunteers are needed to register and screen people who are being vaccinated, manage flow control, and help with other activities. People with a medical background can help with COVID-19 vaccinations and testing. They can monitor patients and provide emergency medical assistance.

“A mass vaccination clinic is a big undertaking, and we rely on support from many volunteers and partner agencies in addition to our own Health Department staff,” said Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang. “The clinics have been running very smoothly, but we can always use more people to help with the many steps required to deliver the vaccine.”

Those interested can fill out a form on the county’s COVID-19 page and provide information about their availability, areas of interest and related information. Those with a medical background must also provide information about their medical license or CPR certification.

The application form is posted on the health department’s COVID-19 page at https://health.oswegocounty.com/information/2019_novel_coronavirus/medical_volunteering.php

For more information, go to the Oswego County Health Department’s COVID-19 page at health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19 or call its COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330. Phone lines are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Under New York State Public Health Law, the Oswego County Health Department is the local public health authority regarding the COVID-19 pandemic response within the County of Oswego. The Oswego County Health Department works closely with New York State Department of Health regarding COVID-19 monitoring, response and reporting.

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