Community Colleges Responses to COVID 19 in Connecticut

Most of the healthcare workers are graduates of the many community colleges in Connecticut, now it is these institutions that are helping protect them. Community Colleges Responses to COVID 19 in Connecticut have proven again how essential these institutions are to society. They have stepped up in many ways to serve their students, their alumni, the local community, and supporting health care systems throughout Connecticut. During the crisis, all the community colleges within Connecticut have helped in one way or another.

This is what it means to be part of a community.

Here are the Community Colleges Responses to COVID 19 in Connecticut!

1. Norwalk Community College

Norwalk Community College is home to a Hospital Simulation Unit with a high-tech teaching facility for nursing, respiratory care, and allied health workers. While in-person instruction has been canceled for spring and summer terms these facilities are empty and students are not using the PPE they would be using for instruction. Faculty and staff have chosen to gather and donate all the PPE from these departments on campus.

They have donated 15,000 medical gloves, over 900 masks, and 130 gowns. Norwalk has also loaned out three ventilators to local hospitals to use while they treat patients of COVID 19.

2. Tunxis Community College

While campuses have closed and instruction has been transitioned to a remote online delivery method for spring and summer terms, Tunxis Community College has stepped up to help aid healthcare workers during this crisis.

Wanting to help with the shortage of PPE, they have turned to their 3-D printers to develop approved face shields to donate to local hospitals.

3. Asnuntuck Community College

While campuses have closed and instruction has been transitioned to a remote online delivery method for spring and summer terms, Asnuntuck Community College has stepped up to help aid healthcare workers during this crisis.

Wanting to help with the shortage of PPE, they have turned to their 3-D printers to develop approved face shields to donate to local hospitals. They have also used 3-D printers to develop ventilator manifolds as well as flexible reusable face masks. They have also donated 23 boxes of gloves to be used as PPE.

4. Housatonic Community College

Housatonic Community College has also been developing and printing face shield frames for use in hospitals. Currently they have printer over 150 frames that are approved by St. Mary’s Hospital. They are printing more each day to help meet the need for PPE. St. Mary’s Hospital has 20,000 face shields but they cannot use them without frames, Housatonic Community College is aiming to help them have the frames to use as many s they need.

5. Naugatuck Valley Community College

Naugatuck Valley Community College has gathered and donated PPE to local hospitals and facilities to help with the fight of COVID 19. While the campus is closed to in-person instruction, courses in the nursing department are not using the PPE they usually use in simulation labs. Naugatuck Valley Community College donated 28,400 gloves, 510 gowns, and 200 masks.

6. Connecticut College

As COVID 19 began to spread across the United States most institutions for higher learning were closed too in-person education, Connecticut College was among them. As they transitioned to remote, online learning they found that they had PPE form departments that would help alleviate the supply shortage so many hospitals and facilities are facing at this time. As they took stock of their supplies they chose to donate thousands of gloves and hundreds of masks. Connecticut College also donated over $1,000 of food to local organizations.

7. Gateway Community College

As COVID 19 began to spread across the United States most institutions for higher learning were closed too in-person education, Gateway Community College was among them. As they transitioned to remote, online learning they found that they had PPE form departments that would help alleviate the supply shortage so many hospitals and facilities are facing at this time. They donated over 8,000 pieces of personal protective equipment, disinfectant wipes, and ear thermoscans.

8. Three Rivers Community College

During these unprecedented times when fighting a global pandemic and hospitals facing a shortage of supplies, institutions like Three Rivers Community College have helped alleviate some of the challenges facing healthcare workers. They gathered and donated PPE from their nursing program and science labs. Supplies donated included gowns, masks, gloves, sanitizer, protective eyewear, and head coverings.

Community colleges continue to be an essential thread of American society as institutions for learning, training, and now mobilizing for necessary PPE. Community colleges’ responses to COVID 19 in Connecticut have proven how much society depends on these institutions. They have all gathered and mobilized to protect the healthcare professionals and the communities in which they are a part during the crisis of COVID 19.

Know of a great Connecticut college response to COVID-19? Let us know! We love to recognize schools for their amazing efforts.