Provincetown Covid-19 Task Force
In March, 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, Lise King partnered with nurse practitioner Alison Dwyer to create the Provincetown Covid-19 Task Force, as mentioned in the NYTimes on March 23, 2020.
(L to R) Lise King, Karen Pagano, Chef Dan Lacombe, Barbara Murphy, Mary Ellen Dwyer, Alison Dwyer
Task Force members hand out COMMUNITY MEALS at St. Mary of the Harbor Church, paid for by the generous donations of many community members (near and far) during the early days of the pandemic, when Lise started a facebook fundraiser for the Task Force, and with Alison Dwyer’s help, raised over $20,000.
Local coalition announces formation of Provincetown COVID-19 Task Force to serve community needs
PROVINCETOWN, MA – In response to the Coronavirus global pandemic, a group of local medical providers, mental health practitioners, emergency management professionals, and community health organizers have come together to form the Provincetown COVID-19 Task Force. They are calling for volunteers to provide support to residents through direct service and in coordination with existing healthcare and other local service providers.
The PC19 Task Force recognizes this moment as an opportunity for the community to come together, including year-round and part-time residents, to serve side-by-side during this time of great challenge and need.
The group’s leadership team met twice weekly to gear up and prepare for the local impact of the epidemic, and they have received over 100 applications for both medical and non-medical volunteers.
Through affiliation with the Cape Cod Medical Reserve Corps (CCMRC), members of the PC19 Task Force serve as the Provincetown outpost of the Corps.
All PC19 Task Force team members are vetted by the CCMRC and become certified volunteers. The CCRMC is part of the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment and is directed by Diana Gaumond, BSN MPH.
The PC19 Task Force offers support to local healthcare systems, government, and community organizations to address the expanding needs of our community during the crisis: “In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are concerned for the health of our Outer Cape community. Provincetown has a high per capita of over–60 and medically vulnerable individuals living in a geographically isolated demographic with one healthcare organization. For these reasons, we offer our services to our community.”
The first offering of the group is a STRESS SUPPORT LINE: 508-309-5848 which has been created to accept calls about stress and emotional challenges in the face of the pandemic. The Support Line is staffed by local mental health professionals Barbara Murphy, Mary Ellen Dwyer, Rita Paradise, Donna Flax, and Loretta Butehorn. Messages are checked frequently and, from 11 AM to 7 PM, calls will either be answered at once or returned promptly. They are also organizing a BUDDY SUPPORT SYSTEM that pairs up those who are willing to connect daily with someone seeking regular check-in support. (To volunteer to be a buddy, or to request a buddy, email pc19taskforce@gmail.com)
The Task Force began in early March when nurse practitioner Alison Dwyer and social impact producer Lise King combined their efforts to enlist volunteers. They had each seen the potential need for support services and were reaching out to the community to ask for helpers. The first MD to answer the call for volunteers was Dr. Scott Adelman, a recently retired cardiologist who now serves as head of the medical services team.
The Task Force is an all-volunteer organization.