UCI School of Medicine students take on volunteer roles

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, a group of UCI School of Medicine students has taken on extraordinary volunteer roles to support their teachers and mentors at UCI Health.

Third-year medical student Justine Chinn matches medical students with UCI Health clinicians. (Photo courtesy of UCI Health)

Emily Tom, a first-year medical student, walks a dog for a UCI Health clinician working long hours during the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo courtesy of UCI Health)

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Nancy Johnson at her salon next to her colleague, Jeremiah Taylor, and her dog Atlas. Johnson, a hospice volunteer, is being recognized by Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary and Fairhaven Memorial Services. (Photo courtesy of Nancy Johnson)

Laguna Plein Air Painters Association is a recipient of the Festival of Arts’ FOA Foundation 2020 arts grants. (Photo credit: Jeff Sewell)



Third-year medical student Justine Chinn and first-year medical student Austin Franklin have organized more than 100 of their fellow classmates to provide child care, grocery shopping and pet sitting for UCI Health doctors, nurses and staff. UCI Health employees simply fill out a Google spreadsheet expressing their needs and then are matched with a student volunteer.

The students have also been hosting community drives to secure additional personal protective equipment to prevent a shortage at UCI Medical Center. First-year medical student Jaspal Bassi organized the drives with classmates and is being supported by 40 volunteers. So far, the group has collected thousands of surgical masks and N95s, hundreds of goggles, disposable gowns, face shields and boxes of gloves, packages of disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers.

The drives will be held every Saturday in April from 8 a.m. to noon in the parking lot of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute on the UCI School of Medicine campus.

Two first-year medical students, Tim McMullen and Ermin Dzhic, led a weeklong effort with six volunteers to cut and assemble 5,000 face shields for UCI Medical Center staff. The students partnered with UCI Beall Applied Sciences to utilize laser printers to cut the materials for the shields.

Medical students Francisco Cerda, Sylvana Marquina and Helen Joyce from the UCI Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC), which trains physicians on how to meet the needs of under-resourced Latino communities, are translating COVID-19 patient education materials into Spanish for the UCI Family Health Centers. The students developed Spanish-language materials on the latest guidelines for prevention and steps to access health care services for its patients.

The PRIME-LC students are also working with Radio Santa Ana to record COVID-19 PSAs in Spanish and share additional helpful tips for the Latino community. They also recorded phone messages in Spanish for Madison Park Elementary School in Santa Ana to provide updates on COVID-19 for parents.

–Submitted by Sandy Rodriguez

Salon owner recognized for work with hospice patients

Newport Beach resident Nancy Johnson, a local hospice volunteer for the last decade, has been honored with the March/April Oliver Halsell Care Award.

Johnson is one of six dedicated individuals being recognized this year by Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary and Fairhaven Memorial Services for providing exceptional care that improves the lives and spirits of those they touch.

Johnson owns the Shear Attitude hair salon in Newport Beach and has combined her love of cosmetology with volunteering. She never fails to answer the call when a patient requests a haircut or makeover. Johnson said she believes this special attention empowers both patients and their families, helping to improve their self-confidence.

Fairhaven will make a charitable contribution in Johnson’s name to her chosen charity, Working Wardrobes.

Fairhaven is accepting nominations for the remainder of 2020 to recognize more outstanding individuals. For more information or to nominate an outstanding caregiver, call 714-922-2953 or email Cynthia.Adair@DignityMemorial.com.

Fountain Valley principal named educator of the year

Oka Elementary School Principal Erik Miller was recently named the 2020 National Educator of the Year by the National Character Education Center. He has been selected from educators throughout America for his leadership in establishing the passion, tone and atmosphere for promoting character development in his school.

During school assemblies, morning announcements and personal interactions with students, Miller encourages and affirms students who demonstrate positive character traits. He has developed a noteworthy school-wide system for teachers and staff to recognize students. Miller’s highest priority is for all students to become respectful, responsible and compassionate citizens.

Festival of Arts’ FOA Foundation awards over $100,000

The Festival of Arts’ FOA Foundation awarded $107,000 total in arts grants for 2020 to 22 recipients. The FOA Foundation helps fund the many art-related nonprofit groups in the Laguna Beach community, emphasizing the enrichment of children and young adults in all disciplines of art.

The 2020 Art Grants recipients are: Art for Kids, Inc., Arts Orange County, Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, Festival of Art Education, Laguna Beach High School Art Department, Laguna Beach High School Drama Department, Laguna Beach High School Music Department, Laguna Beach High School Ceramics Department, Laguna Beach Chamber Singers, Laguna Beach College of Art and Design, Laguna Beach Live, Laguna Beach Museum of Art, Laguna Beach Seniors, Laguna Community Concert Band, Laguna Dance Festival, Laguna Playhouse, Laguna Plein Air Painters, LagunaTunes, LOCA (Laguna Outreach for Community Arts), No Square Theater, Sawdust Art Enrichment Fund, Thurston Middle School Drama

The Bravo! section highlights achievements of our residents and groups. Send news of achievements for consideration to ocrbravo@gmail.com.