Meet Online MPH Student: Cynthia Mosher

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 10, 2021) – During the COVID-19 pandemic, online MPH student Cynthia Mosher took initiative in vaccinating pets against rabies in her role as Rabies Program Manager for Tompkins County Health Department. Mosher’s inventiveness and ambition earned her recognition as a “Student Who Rocked Public Health in 2020” by the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice.    

As Rabies Program Manager, Mosher was responsible for redesigning the county rabies vaccination clinics as a drive-through model to resemble anticipated COVID vaccination Point of Dispending Sites. Mosher scouted new locations and designed an entirely new clinic layout and safety protocols to adhere to CDC COVID-19 guidelines for workplaces.    

Mosher acknowledged that her work required coordination with a variety of community partners, including area veterinarians, Cornell University Hospital for Animals and Small Animal Community Practice, Tompkins County SPCA, Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit, Inc (TCAT), and town clerks within the county. She stated that she "could not have done it without their support."

As families were experiencing economic losses and veterinary clinics remained closed, Mosher knew the value in maintaining a rabies vaccination clinic. “Local health departments are a valuable component of community health equity. The more I work at the local level, the more potential I see for equity work,” said Mosher.