It’s been a year since the first six people were tested for the novel coronavirus at Augusta University, and two were determined to be presumptive positive — considered positive pending verification by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since then, Augusta University and AU Health have led the fight across the state of Georgia against the virus and the disease it causes, COVID-19.
The Augusta University community has come together like never before to respond to this threat to public health. Scientists, medical personnel, faculty, staff and students have developed in-house testing; made hand sanitizer and 3D-printed testing swabs and face masks during shortages; protected the mental health of frontline workers; and developed systems for mass testing across the state and mass vaccination across the Augusta community. We’ve also supported each other and cried together as we lost some of our own to COVID-19.
Augusta University has collaborated with the Augusta National, the state of Georgia, the National Guard and numerous state and private entities to support these efforts. Below is a timeline of AU’s fight against COVID-19.
The COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund is designated to support Augusta University and AU Health’s response and associated expenses pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. Donate and learn more here.
Augusta University College of Nursing Professor and Dean Emerita Dr. Lucy Marion was among 10 inductees in the inaugural Georgia Nursing Hall of Fame cohort.
Augusta University Health‘s work to slow the spread of COVID-19 was featured on 7.30 on ABC News (Australia), and features interviews with Dr. Phillip Coule, Dr. Pascha Schafer and Dr. Jedidah Ballard.
The new Washington Square shopping center location, as well as pop-up community clinics in area churches, are funded by a $2 million joint donation by the Augusta National Golf Club and the Community Foundation for the CSRA.
Dr. Phillip Coule, vice president and chief medical officer of Augusta University Health, will be discussing the health system’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic with America’s News HQ on Fox News this Saturday.
Media Statistics
On topics related to COVID-19, Augusta University’s communications team sent out 111 news releases, which led to 21,127 mentions in local, regional and national news outlets.
More than 30 of these outlets are top-tier news outlets, including the New York Times, NPR, PBS, MSN, Newsweek, CBS News, CNN and Forbes. This means Augusta University’s name reached 11.5 billion readers or viewers in 2020.
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