College of Health Sciences staff, faculty members and students across all departments are dedicating themselves to helping during the COVID-19 health crisis we are all facing. Here, we highlight their work in their own words. Know someone helping out who should be recognized? Email their story to patrickluce@uri.edu.
Robert Munoz, who graduated from the University of Rhode Island’s College of Health Sciences this year, is already working in COVID-19 fight, and in fact has been on the front lines of health care for the better part of his college career.
Munoz has been working with the Rhode to Health mobile health unit at its COVID-19 testing site in Central Falls, R.I. A partnership between URI, the Rhode Island Department of Health and CVS Pharmacy, the Emergency Disaster Response Testing Services Agreement allows the deployment of the mobile unit to Central Falls to provide COVID-19 testing to residents of that community and neighboring Pawtucket.
Munoz, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and biology, has also been working as a first responder for Alert EMS since his sophomore year. He is also a volunteer with the Charlestown, R.I. Fire District, spending his weekends serving on the town’s ambulance team.
At the Central Falls testing site, Munoz has been overseeing the EMS personnel who greet cars as they enter the drive-through testing site. He and his team gather the necessary information from the cars’ occupants, assess their condition if they are ill, and direct them to the testing sites. In addition to ensuring proper safety procedures are followed and samples are collected properly, Munoz has also been serving as a Spanish translator, helping ensure the critical information is correctly communicated.
“Everything has to be done properly and safely, and we have to make sure people receive the information they need,” Munoz said. “I’m really happy to be here doing this work every day; it’s great to be working with URI on this. Everyone is very thankful that we’re here for them. It’s been really rewarding.”
Munoz plans to continue working with Alert EMS and plans to make a career in health services.
“I’ve always been interested in being an EMT. I kind of thrive on pressure, so it works for me,” Munoz said, adding he plans to continue his education. “I love learning, and in the medical field you have to constantly learn; you have to actively pursue it. I love helping people, so I definitely plan to continue in the medical field.”
