Mark Hamlin Joins the Infectious Diseases Community Conversation Series

A Glenn College graduate from 2008, Mark found himself in a unique position going from working in the Ohio Department of Commerce, to the Department of Insurance, to working with ODH on putting together a response to the pandemic. He emphasized that his background did not make him a scientist, but his experience and skills have been useful in seeing things from a different perspective.

Students learned about the supply and demand difficulties that faced the pandemic response teams. When testing was less available, demand was higher. But as the state testing programs began to ramp up, the vaccine made demand for testing plummet. With schools going back to in-person delivery at all levels, the demand for testing has risen again to try to keep students from spreading COVID-19.

“Testing is a math problem,” he said about the challenges the team waded through.

He also talked about the importance of good leadership during the pandemic to reach the testing levels necessary to keep Ohioans safe. Mark praised Governor DeWine for constantly pushing the team to reach new levels of testing capacity.

“By demanding the impossible from us, it drove us to be able to do more and create better processes.”

As the event came to a close, the students asked about what this means for the future of public health. “The only way we are going to move the needle in public health is through partnerships.” Mark talked about the need to connect with the community and have a commitment to public health across various spaces including colleges and hospitals in order to make a difference.

This was a great opportunity for students to hear from a professional in the field and the type of work that has been done during the pandemic. Mark is a perfect example of the interdisciplinary nature of public health. A big thank you to Mark for taking the time to speak with our students.