'Together We Will Move Forward'

Mar 20, 2020

5 Questions with Alumna Christa Hyson of The Health Collaborative

It’s been a long couple of weeks for Christa Hyson.

“Slammed is an understatement,” she wrote. “Happy to take questions via email. After two weeks of 12-plus hour days on the phone—I have no voice.”

So that was how we interviewed the 2008 alumna, and we don’t blame her one bit. Hyson is currently serving as the senior manager for external affairs at The Health Collaborative, a nonprofit that helps solve challenging health problems.

Like how to respond to a pandemic.

With a degree in Communications and Public Relations, (as well as a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Florida) Xavier prepared the Mt. Washington native as best as anyone could for this moment. With previous experience at the Department of Defense and the Cincinnati Health Department, we thought she could offer a unique perspective on how we’re responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

Here’s 5 questions with Christa Hyson:

1. How did you get into this field, and how did Xavier help you get there?

Ever since I was little I’ve been involved and had an interest in the arts — I liked the breadth of the Communication Arts program at Xavier. Outside of the classroom — being a Xavier Player (Theatre) and in many shows, has truly helped me speak on my feet with journalists, reporters and many conference presentations. My work-study job (shout out to the AV crew at the Cintas Center!) prepared me by challenging me to using critical thinking skills in high-pressure situations (can’t mess up the audio during the Crosstown Shootout…).

2. What exactly is the role of the Health Collaborative?

The Health Collaborative is a nonprofit organization based in Greater Cincinnati. We bring together those who provide care, pay for care, and receive care, to find mutual solutions to challenging problems — like COVID-19.

The Health Collaborative runs the Greater Cincinnati Disaster Preparedness Coalition. This coalition facilitates regional collaboration and resource allocation among all members in their response to COVID-19. Members include hospitals, emergency medical services, emergency management, public health departments and other community partners in the TriState region.

The Greater Cincinnati area is unique in that its hospitals and health systems, public health departments, first responders, social service agencies, and local governments have been working together for years to make sure our region is trained and equipped to handle this type of outbreak. Regular trainings and exercises prepare our communities for public health crises as well as natural disasters, terrorist attacks and other types of events.

I serve as the Public Information Officer for the Greater Cincinnati Disaster Preparedness Coalition.

3. What have the past two weeks been like in this job?
Working in public health — we train, we prepare, we exercise for worst case scenarios. I’ve worked during floods, forest fires, and mass casualty incidents — but this pandemic is so different than any other outbreak I’ve worked. For H1N1 — our country had already built up enough herd immunity. We had the foundation to build a better vaccine, and most states in the U.S. had labs capable of diagnosing H1N1 without verification by a CDC test.

With COVID-19 — we don’t have that luxury. We are working, as fast as we can, to be experts in a virus we didn’t know about six months ago. The pace has been nothing short of a sprint, trying to get the right information, to the right people, in the right amount of time. Which sounds hard — but is even more difficult when information is evolving at such a rapid pace.

The past two weeks have been filled with an overwhelming amount to do on not much sleep — but also, I’ve been the recipient of great kindness — from food deliveries to flowers. I’m able to get by and do my job through the kindness of others.

4. What is your opinion on what universities have done (especially Xavier) in response to this crisis?

I was proud to be a Xavier alum when I saw a recent email from Gary Massa. Reading that the Xavier call center personally reached out to every single undergraduate student to make sure their needs were addressed and that the Student Emergency Fund was accessed to serve students in need reassured me that Xavier continues to live out, “All for One.”

This is an unprecedented time — as long as universities are acting in the best interest and health of their students, faculty and staff — the drastic actions are worth it. I do have concerns with the students that can’t afford to travel last minute, that can’t afford to eat without a meal plan, and that don’t have the adequate tools to distance learn effectively. I hope that other universities provide the tangible and financial backing to support these students during this time.

5. What are some of your recommendations for our community going forward the next few weeks, months, etc.?

Everyone plays a part, and in times of rapidly changing information, it is important to follow the guidelines given by Public Health in order to protect our healthcare workforce.

This is imperative so our hospitals are not over capacity and our most vulnerable patients can be treated first. It’s important to note that many individuals with mild symptoms will not need to be tested for COVID-19 and will be instructed to stay home and self-quarantine. Due to limited resources, testing at this time is reserved for the sickest patients.

The most important thing for Greater Cincinnati residents to do is to continue prevention measures: 

• Follow social distancing procedures outlined by local and state governments.
• Clean your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow or upper arm.
• Stay home from work/school/activities if you are feeling ill.

During this unprecedented time, I’d like to encourage everyone to find the good and the joy in the little things, know that this is temporary, and together, we will move forward with the lessons we have learned during this time.

Questions about our regional response to the virus? Email chyson@healthcollab.org.

By Ryan Clark, Office of Marketing and Communications