Volunteers sought for Hagerty Center vaccination clinic

The Grand Traverse County Health Department and United Way of Northwest Michigan are partnering to provide volunteers for the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at NMC’s Hagerty Center.

The health department is looking for general volunteers to help with non-healthcare related tasks during the vaccination clinics, running now through at least February. Volunteers will be required to wear a mask and follow all CDC guidelines. Anyone interested in volunteering their time will need to create a volunteer profile, including submitting to a background check, as well as completing a COVID-19 waiver. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. Read more here.

Volunteers can register to help here: unitedwaynwmi.galaxydigital.com.

Message from the President: Thank You to Vicki Cook

Dear NMC community,

During the last year our society and our college have undergone significant changes due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have been so proud of NMC’s ability to adapt while remaining true to our mission. Vicki Cook, Vice-President of Finance and Administration, has demonstrated incredible leadership during this time, not only in managing the operational response to the pandemic, but also limiting the financial implications. Her work has been critical in allowing us to achieve our goals of keeping our students and employees safe, while limiting the disruption to learning as much as possible. We all owe her a tremendous amount of gratitude. Which is why it is difficult for me to share the news that Vicki will be retiring from full-time work at the college beginning in March, so she may spend more time with her family. However, in true Vicki form, we have worked together to create a plan that will ease the impact of this transition while we move toward the future and through this change in leadership. (more…)

Wellness Tip- Receiving Without Obligation

“Until we can receive with an open heart, we can never really give with an open heart.” – Brene Brown

Isn’t it interesting that when we receive a gift, sometimes we react by feeling like we have to pay the giver back rather than to simply say ‘thank you’? For example, you have a friend who is recovering from surgery, so you take them a home-made dinner. If you get your casserole pan returned with lemon bars and a gift card to Starbucks, your dinner gift feels smaller and insignificant. You gave for the giving’s sake and did not expect anything in return, yet your generous gesture was diminished. Learning to receive without obligation is the true gift to the giver.

Daily Practice: Think about a time when you received a gift, and you were simply thrilled. How did you say ‘thank you’?

Results for Hold It for the Holidays Challenge

Challenge Complete!

Congratulations to all who completed the Hold It for the Holidays challenge through the NMC wellness program. We had 33 people join and 32 complete the challenge by holding their weight within 3 lbs over the holidays. We hope you enjoyed the challenge and look forward to “seeing” you on the Wellbeing Hub! An additional congratulations to our prize drawing winner, Margaret Fox; please contact Hollie DeWalt in HR for your Visa gift card!

Questions on the NMC wellness program?

Contact Priority Health Wellbeing at (877) 689-3161 or Wellness@priorityhealth.com.

COVID-19 vaccine scheduling update from Grand Traverse County

Schedule a COVID-19 vaccine buttonThe Grand Traverse County Health Department asks community members to visit gtcountycovid19.com/vaccine/ to learn more about the current status of COVID-19 vaccinations, including eligible groups, scheduling, and the proposed timeline for vaccinations. The available supply of COVID-19 vaccinations is limited for now compared to the estimated number of people eligible for the vaccine, and the county is scheduling appointments as new vaccine supplies are received. Current eligible vaccination groups are EMS, medical first responders, healthcare workers and  long-term care facility residents, people age 65 and older and some frontline essential workers. If you have questions, please go to gtcountycovid19.com/vaccine/ or grandtraverse.org/2394 for answers.

Message from the President: MLK Day Message

Dear NMC community,

Today, as we recognize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I encourage us all to take time to reflect on his impact. Lately for me, one of the most meaningful passages is from Dr. King’s 1968 speech at the National Cathedral, just weeks before his assassination. He proclaimed, “We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.”

This is an unparalleled time in our nation’s history. The images from the violence at our nation’s capital on January 6th are still fresh in our minds, and the effects are still unfolding. I want to acknowledge how deeply disturbing it was to see the U.S. Capitol under siege that day, but also how important it was to witness members of Congress complete their constitutional responsibility and certify the vote. (more…)

Instructor wins grant to revise “Comparative Religion” course

Hawk Owl Helper logoCongratulations to social sciences instructor Sarah Montgomery-Richards, who was awarded a $2,000 grant from Boston University’s African Studies Center, Pardee School of Global Studies. The grant supports her work to revise “Comparative Religion” at Northwestern Michigan College to increase its coverage of Africa-focused materials. This will enrich the depth of material offered at NMC, and furthers the college’s commitment to promoting respect for diversity, equity and inclusion.


Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!

Media Mentions for January 18, 2021

The following college events and stories have appeared in the media recently. We want to share your media involvement too. Please send information about your NMC-related interview or appearance to publicrelations@nmc.edu. If possible, please include a link to the piece and information about where and when it was used.

Please note access to some stories may be limited by paywalls set up by the media outlet. This includes the Traverse City Record-Eagle, which limits free clicks to five per month. You may also read Record-Eagle articles in the print edition at the NMC Library.

Traverse City’s first mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic opens Monday
Record-Eagle, Jan. 15
The Ticker, Jan. 15
UpNorthLive, Jan. 17
UpNorthLive, Jan. 18 (more…)

Grand Traverse County expanding COVID-19 vaccination effort to NMC’s Hagerty Center

TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County is partnering with Northwestern Michigan College to launch a vaccination clinic for COVID-19 beginning Monday, January 18 at NMC’s Hagerty Center through at least April. Vaccines will be given by appointment only and are currently available for individuals in Phase 1A and Phase 1B of the priority groups endorsed by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PHASE 1A includes:

  • EMS, medical first responders, healthcare workers and residents in long-term care facilities.

PHASE 1B includes:

  • Persons age 65 and older
  • Some frontline essential workers including:
    • Police officers
    • First responders
    • Frontline state and federal workers
    • Jail and prison staff
    • Pre-K-12 teachers and childcare providers
    • Adult and child protective services, and
    • Homeless shelter staff

For next week, appointments will be available Monday, January 18 through Friday, January 22. To schedule an appointment, please visit gtcountycovid19.com/vaccine/ We are expecting these appointments to fill up very quickly and it is likely that you will experience difficulty scheduling an appointment early on. Additional appointments will be added weekly as the county receives more vaccine. We encourage you to visit gtcountycovid19.com/vaccine/ frequently to check if additional appointments are available. If you have already signed up for notice on how to schedule an appointment, you will be receiving an email with the link to this website. You must schedule your appointments through this website.

This partnership with NMC will allow for the rapid expansion of the vaccination efforts in our community. “We are excited to expand the availability for more people to get this life-saving vaccine. This is a highly complex and rapidly evolving process that takes incredible logistical coordination and patience from our communities. But any challenges are far outweighed by the promise of a return to normal when we have made it through and are safe from COVID-19,” said Health Officer, Wendy Hirschenberger.

“COVID-19 is a community-wide challenge that will require a community-wide response. We at NMC feel it is both our responsibility and our privilege to support this effort and keep our residents safe,” said Dr. Nick Nissley, president of Northwestern Michigan College. “I have been pleased to see the people and organizations of Grand Traverse County step up during this time. The finish line is in sight and I know we can get there by continuing to work together.”

“Since March 13, 2020 Grand Traverse County and the entire community have worked together to minimize the impact of the Coronavirus on our community. This partnership with NMC highlights the type of commitment our community has to ridding ourselves of the impacts of COVID-19,” said County Administrator Nate Alger. “We are continuing to expand our efforts in vaccination planning to vaccinate as many people as quickly and safely as possible. That said, in the early stages of the mass vaccination efforts we are expecting that you will experience difficulty finding an open appointment until the vaccine becomes widely available to us.”

The NMC Hagerty Center site will be used as an off-site vaccination clinic through at least April. Munson Healthcare is coordinating vaccine distribution through its system.

So far, the Grand Traverse County Health Department has vaccinated more than 2,000 individuals in Phase 1A which includes EMS, medical first responders, healthcare workers and residents in long-term care facilities.

Decisions on moving to the next phase are made at the state level, but distribution depends on vaccine availability at the county level and may vary by community. The entire vaccination process statewide is projected to take 9 to 12 months. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is encouraging all residents to develop a plan to get vaccinated. Residents should know which phase they belong to and to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing.

Michigan vaccinations phases are as follows:

  • Phase 1A: Paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials and are unable to work from home as well as residents in long term care facilities.
  • Phase 1B: Persons 65 years of age or older and frontline essential workers in critical infrastructure.
  • Phase 1C: Individuals 16 years of age or older at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 infection and some other essential workers whose position impacts life, safety and protection during the COVID-19 response.
  • Phase 2: Individuals 16 years of age or older.

These prioritizations may change as more information on vaccine effectiveness and additional vaccination products become available. Grand Traverse County residents seeking more information about the COVID-19 vaccine can visit gtcountycovid19.com/vaccine/

 

Release date: January 15, 2021

For more information:

Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

COVID-19 vaccine update

Good afternoon NMC community,

The COVID-19 vaccine is now being distributed throughout our region. Reaching a 70% vaccination rate of our population is the fastest way for our society to return to normal, but this vaccination process is a highly complex and rapidly evolving undertaking for public health leaders.

Right now only health departments and hospitals are distributing the vaccine. So far, the Grand Traverse County Health Department (GTCHD)  has vaccinated more than 2,000 individuals in Phase 1A which includes EMS, medical first responders, healthcare workers and residents in long-term care facilities. Starting Monday, January 18 the GTCHD is planning to begin giving vaccinations at off-site clinics including a temporary clinic NMC’s Hagerty Center through at least April. Please note this information is not yet public. (More details below.)

Decisions on moving to the next phase are made at the state level, but distribution depends on vaccine availability at the county level and may vary by community. The entire vaccination process statewide may take 9-12 months. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is encouraging all residents to develop a plan to get vaccinated. Residents should know which phase they belong to and  continue to wear masks and practice social distancing.

Michigan vaccinations phases are as follows:

  • Phase 1A: Paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials and are unable to work from home as well as residents in long term care facilities.
  • Phase 1B: Persons 65 years of age or older and frontline essential workers in critical infrastructure.
  • Phase 1C: Individuals 16 years of age or older at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 infection and some other essential workers whose position impacts life, safety and protection during the COVID-19 response.
  • Phase 2: Individuals 16 years of age or older.

These prioritizations may change as more information on vaccine effectiveness and additional vaccination products become available. Right now higher education employees are included in Phase 2. Unless an individual qualifies for an earlier phase, the majority of  NMC employees and students will likely not qualify for the vaccine until after the spring semester.

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine can visit Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine. Locally, go to www.grandtraverse.org/2394.

Great Lakes campus building access during vaccination clinics:

The schedule for next week is:

  • Monday & Tuesday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Wednesday – Friday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. 

Right now the vaccines will be given by appointment only. Patients are being instructed to use the main entrance to the Great Lakes campus with county employees managing the process on site. Clinic hours may vary week to week. We will keep you informed of the impact on the Great Lakes campus.

Please avoid visiting this campus during clinic times, if possible. Culinary and Maritime employees and students should use the side entrances and avoid the main entrance. The side entrances will be unlocked during the class scheduled times so students and employees can avoid using the entrance that the general public will use. We have worked to reschedule NMC classes and events at the Hagerty Center.

Grand Traverse County expanding COVID-19 vaccination effort to NMC’s Hagerty Center

TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County is partnering with Northwestern Michigan College to launch a vaccination clinic for COVID-19 beginning Monday, January 18 at NMC’s Hagerty Center through at least April. Vaccines will be given by appointment only and are currently available for individuals in Phase 1A and Phase 1B of the priority groups endorsed by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PHASE 1A includes:

  • EMS, medical first responders, healthcare workers and residents in long-term care facilities.

PHASE 1B includes:

  • Persons age 65 and older
  • Some frontline essential workers including:
    • Police officers
    • First responders
    • Frontline state and federal workers
    • Jail and prison staff
    • Pre-K-12 teachers and childcare providers
    • Adult and child protective services, and
    • Homeless shelter staff

For next week, appointments will be available Monday, January 18 through Friday, January 22. To schedule an appointment, please visit gtcountycovid19.com/vaccine/ We are expecting these appointments to fill up very quickly and it is likely that you will experience difficulty scheduling an appointment early on. Additional appointments will be added weekly as the county receives more vaccine. We encourage you to visit gtcountycovid19.com/vaccine/ frequently to check if additional appointments are available. If you have already signed up for notice on how to schedule an appointment, you will be receiving an email with the link to this website. You must schedule your appointments through this website.

This partnership with NMC will allow for the rapid expansion of the vaccination efforts in our community. “We are excited to expand the availability for more people to get this life-saving vaccine. This is a highly complex and rapidly evolving process that takes incredible logistical coordination and patience from our communities. But any challenges are far outweighed by the promise of a return to normal when we have made it through and are safe from COVID-19,” said Health Officer, Wendy Hirschenberger.

“COVID-19 is a community-wide challenge that will require a community-wide response. We at NMC feel it is both our responsibility and our privilege to support this effort and keep our residents safe,” said Dr. Nick Nissley, president of Northwestern Michigan College. “I have been pleased to see the people and organizations of Grand Traverse County step up during this time. The finish line is in sight and I know we can get there by continuing to work together.”

“Since March 13, 2020 Grand Traverse County and the entire community have worked together to minimize the impact of the Coronavirus on our community. This partnership with NMC highlights the type of commitment our community has to ridding ourselves of the impacts of COVID-19,” said County Administrator Nate Alger. “We are continuing to expand our efforts in vaccination planning to vaccinate as many people as quickly and safely as possible. That said, in the early stages of the mass vaccination efforts we are expecting that you will experience difficulty finding an open appointment until the vaccine becomes widely available to us.”

The NMC Hagerty Center site will be used as an off-site vaccination clinic through at least April. Munson Healthcare is coordinating vaccine distribution through its system.

So far, the Grand Traverse County Health Department has vaccinated more than 2,000 individuals in Phase 1A which includes EMS, medical first responders, healthcare workers and residents in long-term care facilities.

Decisions on moving to the next phase are made at the state level, but distribution depends on vaccine availability at the county level and may vary by community. The entire vaccination process statewide is projected to take 9 to 12 months. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is encouraging all residents to develop a plan to get vaccinated. Residents should know which phase they belong to and to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing.

Michigan vaccinations phases are as follows:

  • Phase 1A: Paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials and are unable to work from home as well as residents in long term care facilities.
  • Phase 1B: Persons 65 years of age or older and frontline essential workers in critical infrastructure.
  • Phase 1C: Individuals 16 years of age or older at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 infection and some other essential workers whose position impacts life, safety and protection during the COVID-19 response.
  • Phase 2: Individuals 16 years of age or older.

These prioritizations may change as more information on vaccine effectiveness and additional vaccination products become available. Grand Traverse County residents seeking more information about the COVID-19 vaccine can visit gtcountycovid19.com/vaccine/

 

Release date: January 15, 2021

For more information:

Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

Kudos!

Honoree’s Names: Ben Post and Ryan Bernstein
Honoree’s Dept./Division: Educational Technology
Reason for Kudos: Ben Post and Ryan Bernstein stepped in and helped Tamella Livengood when she encountered difficulties with the Nursing department testing software, going above and beyond to solve an issue with student final exams.

Honoree’s Names: Shannon Schultz, Lindsey Lipke, Kristi Hallett, Crystal Bailey, and Josh Mills
Reason for Kudos: Thank you to Shannon Schultz, Lindsey Lipke, Kristi Hallett, Crystal Bailey, and Josh Mills for recently serving on a staff search team. Your time is valuable and your work is greatly appreciated. Thank you for going above and beyond!

Honoree’s Name: Jeffrey Cobb
Honoree’s Dept./Division: Music Department
Reason for Kudos: Thank you for taking the time to give an inspiring presentation to the NMC Board of Trustees at the faculty showcase during this busy time of the year. The presentation featured an experiential learning project that was a collaboration of the NMC’s Music Department, Audio Tech, and Visual Communications programs — “The Lesson of the Lark”, a new concert work celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of Women’s Voting Rights. This was a great example of leadership, innovation, and collaboration! Jeff, your passion and dedication to this project and your students was a perfect example of excellence and innovation here at NMC!

Honoree’s Name: Caroline Schaefer-Hills
Honoree’s Dept./Division: Visual Communications
Reason for Kudos: Thank you for taking the time to give an inspiring presentation to the NMC Board of Trustees at the faculty showcase during this busy time of the year. The presentation featured an experiential learning project that was a collaboration of the NMC’s Music Department, Audio Tech, and Visual Communications programs — “The Lesson of the Lark”, a new concert work celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of Women’s Voting Rights. This was a great example of leadership, innovation, and collaboration! Caroline, your passion and dedication to this project and your students was a perfect example of excellence and innovation here at NMC!

Honoree’s Names: Kyle Morrison and Chris Hanna
Honoree’s Dept./Division: Educational Technology
Reason for Kudos: A huge kudos to Kyle and Chris for helping HR transition our all-campus, “face-to-face” new employee orientation to a virtual version and creating two legacy videos that we can use for future events! We could not have done this without you. Thank you for helping new employees learn about the big picture of NMC!

Honoree’s Names: Nicco Pandolfi, Paul Kolak, Joelle Hannert, Katie Sommer-Ford, Kari Kahler
Reason for Kudos: We wanted to take a moment to recognize every single person on this team for not only meeting expectations lately but exceeding them. This team has been serving the food pantry over the last nine months of the pandemic- making sure that our students have what they need. They have shown a commitment to communication, accountability, and collaboration! Thank you for the hard work you have done behind the scenes to keep the NMC Food Pantry stocked with nutritional supplies and our students healthy and supported!


Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. During our “Stay Home, Stay Safe” directive, please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!

IAF honors Vice Admiral John Currier and the Lifesaving Role of the U.S. Coast Guard

Monday, Jan. 25, 5 p.m. ET via Zoom

John CurrierIAF hosts a special evening to honor the late Vice Admiral John Currier, career aviator and former IAF board member.

VADM Currier was the recipient of the Harmon International Trophy for aviation, which resides in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. He shares this accolade with the likes of Charles Lindbergh, Chuck Yeager, and “Buzz” Aldrin.

U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City Commander Charles “Chuck” Webb will provide remarks. A first-person interview with VADM Currier describing his most daring and commendable rescue mission will also be aired.

Join us for this virtual event via Zoom. All proceeds go to the Vice Admiral John P. Currier Aviation Scholarship at Northwestern Michigan College.

Register at TCIAF.com.

Free to students and educators.

A spring semester welcome message from President Nissley (video)

Good afternoon NMC students,

Welcome to the start of the Spring 2020 semester! President Nick Nissley has a special message for you as we begin the new semester and a new year together. While this is an unusual time, we are still so excited and proud to have you as members of our NMC community. We look forward to helping you keep reaching your goals.

 
Spring welcome video screenshot

Find more information on nmc.edu, including a registration checklistupdates on how the college is working to limit the disruption to learning during the pandemic and resources to help you including virtual and online tools. You can also find important information on how we can all continue working together to keep safe on campus at nmc.edu/keep-safe.

If you have any questions, please let us know and our student services experts will work to get back with you in less than 24 hours.

Welcome again to the spring semester and we look forward to seeing you soon, whether virtually or in person!

Free on-campus preschool available for 3-5 year olds

The preschool is run by Munson Healthcare and children of NMC students are welcome. Call (231) 342-7861 or email kkogge@mhc.net to enroll.

MORE DETAILS:
Head Start is a federally-funded preschool program. Its success is based on compassionate partnerships between Head Start program staff and parents. In Michigan, local Head Start programs work with families to remove barriers to success and to deepen parents’ ability to support their children. Head Start services at NMC run from 8A-1:15 Monday- Thursday year-round with before and after care, as well as all day Friday care available for $4.25 per hour. DHS funding is accepted. Head Start is available to 3- and 4-year-old children.

Visit the Michigan Head Start Association website to learn more.

GSRP: the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) is a state-funded preschool program with aims that are similar to those of Head Start. While fewer children qualify for Head Start than GSRP, Great Start Readiness Program also serves families whose circumstances indicate a need for free early childhood education. GSRP at NMC runs from 8:30-3:30 Monday – Thursday during the school year. Before and after care is accepted, as well as all day Friday for $4.25 per hour, and DHS funding is also accepted. GSRP is available 4 yr. old children who turn 4 by Dec 1.

STRONG BEGINNINGS: Our 3 yr. old funded program is beginning January 11. Children must have turned 3 by Dec 1, 2020.

Visit the Michigan Department of Education website to learn about GSRP.

Success Stories from NMC

NMC Now logo
NMC students both past and present, along with faculty, staff and alumni, are achieving success in the classroom and their chosen fields. This section showcases just a few of those successes. Sign up for NMC Now below to get these stories (plus upcoming campus events and media mentions) delivered to your inbox every other week during the fall and spring semesters. You can unsubscribe at any time. (Check out past issues here and below.)






Check out our most recent issues

Success Story: Tami Putney is Chief Nursing Officer at Munson

January 6, 2021

An NMC nursing alumna is among the northern Michigan healthcare leaders guiding the region’s response to COVID-19 as the pandemic enters the hopeful stage of vaccination.

Tami Putney

Last August, Tami Putney, a 2002 graduate of NMC’s associate degree in nursing program, became Chief Nursing Officer and vice president of patient care services at Munson Medical Center. She also serves as chief of operations for the hospital’s Incident Command team responding to COVID-19. Working through a pandemic has been a life-changing, humbling experience, she said.

“What I’ve seen is this (Munson) team come together like you can’t even imagine,” she said. The Traverse City hospital, the largest in northern Michigan, has had to adjust its model of care and become flexible and nimble in order to fulfill its duty to the community amid a pandemic.

“It’s so important for us to get it right. It’s so important for us to help each other,” Putney said. It was at NMC where lessons like respect for others, self-discipline and the value of diversity were instilled.

“Their expectations were very high. They do a great job of helping students realize their potential,” Putney said of NMC’s nursing instructors.

In addition, NMC taught a holistic approach to health care that includes patient families. That’s been important during COVID, which has changed normal visiting procedures.

“The family structure is stressed,” Putney said. “(We are) nursing patients back to health, but never forgetting about the families along the way.”

The circle of care then widens from families to the broader community, who may still need surgery or cancer treatment or labor and delivery services.

“We still want to serve the community,” Putney said. “We want to continue all normal operations, but we have this whole other unexpected population we have to care for.”

That has led to the creation of multidisciplinary teams and staff working in areas outside their usual assignments, like obstetric nurses serving as PPE buddies, ensuring that personal protective equipment is donned and discarded correctly.

After NMC Putney earned both a BSN and an MSN from Ferris State University in 2013 and 2016, respectively, and then her nurse executive certification in 2018. She worked as a bedside nurse for several years before transferring to clinical informatics at Munson from 2011 to 2014.

“That’s bridging the gap between the technology world and bedside care delivery,” she said, including transitioning the hospital from paper to electronic health records. “That was kind of groundbreaking work for the time.”

At Munson Putney said the vaccine rollout has been smooth. As of Tuesday, 5,371 staff, physicians and contract workers had received their first shot of the two-shot series. That’s 50 percent of those eligible at Munson in the tier that the state of Michigan has designated as first priority: health care workers and long-term care facility residents.

Putney has received the first shot herself, but only did so after she made sure all the bedside nurses and staff had an opportunity to schedule theirs.

“We can’t run the hospital and serve the community without those folks at the hospital,” she said.

When it comes time for the general public to be vaccinated, Putney said Munson expects to announce partnerships with area pharmacies to distribute the vaccine. Munson, NMC and the Grand Traverse County Health Department are all part of Grand Traverse County’s Joint Operations Center coordinating a community-wide response.

Current NMC nursing students may also join the COVID front lines to help with vaccination. Nursing Director Amy Jones said the department is working with the Grand Traverse County Health Department to allow students to participate in administration of the vaccine.

“It will be a benefit for both the community and our students,” Jones said.

Join the NMC Esports Club

The NMC Esports Club would like to invite existing and new NMC students to join the group. Come engage with other gamers in casual scrimmages, pick-up games, NMC tournaments, and external tournaments. New for the spring semester will be tryouts in late January for official Hawk owl teams. Three informational meetings will be taking place the week of January 11th via Zoom.

If you are interested in joining the club or attending one of the meetings, please contact Dr. Terri Gustafson (tgustafson@nmc.edu) or join the NMC Esports Discord server: discord.gg/69DSzHTZPR.

Testing center aces COVID challenge

Hawk Owl Helper logoThank you to the Aero Park Professional Testing Center, which provided professional testing to more than 66 individuals during a very short December testing window due to COVID-19 orders. Alana Peters, Testing Center lead, optimized the offerings of all six test houses while complying with the state requirements for limited occupancy.

She prioritized testing while still providing much-needed assessments and credentials to numerous individuals including FAA exams to future pilots (manned and unmanned aircrafts), IT and computer related industry certifications, auto mechanics seeking recertification and adult learners seeking their GED.


Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!

Media Mentions for January 11, 2021

The following college events and stories have appeared in the media recently. We want to share your media involvement too. Please send information about your NMC-related interview or appearance to publicrelations@nmc.edu. If possible, please include a link to the piece and information about where and when it was used.

Please note access to some stories may be limited by paywalls set up by the media outlet. This includes the Traverse City Record-Eagle, which limits free clicks to five per month. You may also read Record-Eagle articles in the print edition at the NMC Library.

New year’s wellness makes the jump, leap and squat online
Record-Eagle, Jan. 10 (more…)

Parking enforcement starts Jan. 18

The Traverse City Parking Patrol will begin issuing citations for parking violations at NMC on Monday, January 18. All NMC students and employees must have their 2020-2021 permits displayed by that date. If you haven’t received your permit, they’re available at the Campus Safety & Security office in the West Hall Innovation Center (#9 on the Main Campus Map).

The Traverse City Police Department has provided the following information on how to avoid parking tickets on campus by properly displaying your parking permit:

  • Place your permit in the bottom left-hand corner of your windshield.
  • Place your permit right side up. An upside-down permit will be considered invalid.
  • Hang tags must be on the rear view mirror. 
  • Be sure that the expiration date on your permit can be seen from the outside of your vehicle. (Some vehicles have a tint on the edges of their windshield, so be sure your permit is not behind a tint, as it will make it difficult to see from the outside.) When it doubt, get out of your vehicle and be sure you can see the entire permit from the outside.

If you do get a ticket, payment can be made at the red drop-off payment box at the east end of the Cedar lot in front of the Health & Science Building on main campus. You can also mail the fine in to the city, or pay at the parking services office in the public parking garage at 303 E. State St. Payment information is also on each ticket.

If you have any questions about parking enforcement on campus, please call Campus Safety & Security at (231) 995-1111.

Fall 2020 Dean’s List released

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College is pleased to announce its Dean’s List for the Fall 2020 semester.

Published at the end of each semester, the Dean’s List recognizes outstanding academic achievement based upon a student’s semester grade point average. To be eligible, students must have a grade point average of 3.5 or above out of a possible 4.0 while taking five or more credits in a semester.

 

RELEASE DATE: January 8, 2020

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director, NMC Public Relations, Marketing & Communications
(231) 995-1019
dfairbanks@nmc.edu

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

Jan. 18 Screening of John Lewis: Good Trouble

Good Trouble poster imageMONDAY, JAN. 18, 7–9 P.M. VIA ZOOM

In honor of MLK day, join the Student Life office for a showing of “John Lewis: Good Trouble” — an intimate account of legendary U.S. Representative John Lewis’s life, from his teenage years on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement, to becoming a legislative powerhouse.

Local musician Seth Bernard will be joining us in the beginning with a new song to kick off the evening.

Registration is required for the event.
Use this link to register.