L-R: Director of Island Outreach Douglas Cornman, Director of Island Health Services Sharon Daley, RN, Nurse Peggy Akers, and Assistant to the Island Health Services Director Margaret Snell enroute aboard a mail boat to give Covid booster shots on Maine islands.
NORTHEAST HARBOR, ME — Island Health Services Director Sharon Daley, RN no sooner completed a multi-island run aboard the Sunbeam administering flu shots, when the Mission received a CDC green light to administer Covid vaccination boosters among certain island communities.
Sharon and fellow Sunbeam crew member, Director of Island Outreach & Chaplain Douglas Cornman, are members of the Mission Covid Vaccination Team. In three months, starting in February 2021, that team Covid vaccinated 343 people on seven islands.
On November 1, Douglas said, “Last week, in less than 48-hours, Sharon, Administrative Assistant Margaret Snell, and I, scheduled Covid booster shot trips to seven islands. We secured vaccine. We put fliers together announcing the vaccine booster is available, and posted them on the islands,” Douglas said.
The response from island communities was instantaneous.
“Over the weekend we had over 50 people contact me requesting their booster. In two weeks we’ll be doing boosters on those seven islands. We will have given everyone their booster before their Thanksgiving holiday,” said Douglas.
It’s Thank you Thursday. Today’s shout out of Mission love goes to the entire Mission Covid Vaccine Team.
Mission President John Zavodny, Island Health Services Director Sharon Daley, Island Outreach Director & Chaplain Douglas Cornman, and Mission Board member, Jill Goldthwait express their thanks during a mini-Sunbeam “thank you” cruise to the many good people who helped make a success the months long vaccination clinics on the several islands.
Maureen Giffin, RN, Peggy Akers, NP, EMTs, boat captains, pharmacists, and to everyone who said, “Yes” – we will do what it takes to get this done – thank you. With your help and knowledge 343 people were vaccinated over a three-month period.
It’s Thank you Thursday. Today’s shout out of Mission love goes to nurses Maureen Giffin and Peggy Akers, who have joined Island Health Services Director Sharon Daley – also a nurse – in administering Covid-19 vaccinations to people in our island communities.
“What a pleasure and honor it is to work with two amazing dedicated nurses doing the island Covid Vaccine clinics on the islands,” said Sharon Daley. “There is no way I could do it without them. I’ve called and asked them, “Can you work this day?’, only to call back and changed the day due to vaccine not coming in. Still, their answer is always yes.
“I have called them with numerous questions,” Sharon continued. “Without fail they help me find the answers. Maureen and Peggy have been adaptable to climbing down ladders onto boats, flying on little planes when the wind is howling, and anything else they need to do.
“Most of all,” said Sharon, “they treat each person they meet with care and respect. I am honored to work beside them and call them friends.”
L-R: Nursing Instructor Peggy Akers, Sharon Daley, Cheryl Crowley from Cliff Island, and Amy Tienery from Long island.
BAR HARBOR, ME — On Thursday February 7th Maine Seacoast Mission Island Health Director Sharon Daley, RN joined two other island leaders in speaking to nursing students at University of Southern Maine College of Nursing’s Casco Bay Fishing and Island Partnership. Fourteen nursing students will partner with the Casco Bay islands during their nursing school studies. For many nursing students this was their introduction to Maine islands.
Island Health Director Daley spoke to the students at the invitation of Nurse Practitioner Peggy Akers. Ms. Akers teaches the Partnership course, and is a member of Sharon Daley’s Island Elder Care Conference, a group of health care workers focused on finding ways for island residents to age in place, among family and friends.
Maine Seacoast Mission hosts an Annual Elder Care Conference where members gather in person. Between Conferences, group members stay connected with the internet and phone.
USM’s Casco Bay Fishing and Island Partnership course is taught by Nurse Practitioner Peggy Akers who also participates in Director Sharon Daley’s Island Elder Care group.
As explained in USM’s College of Nursing course description, “The Casco Bay Fishing and Community Partnership is primarily focused on those individuals and families who make their living in the commercial fishing industry, and those living on the remote islands in Casco Bay.”
Island Health Director Sharon Daley shared with the nursing students information about island life, the Sunbeam, telemedicine, and answered questions about the sustainability of island life, health care, emergencies, schools, telemedicine and daily life on islands. Peggy Akers, NP of the USM School of nursing said it is especially important for the students to learn about the collaboration of mainland providers and Maine Seacoast Mission in providing health services to Islanders.
