Gerri Taylor is an important figure on the Bentley campus, and today I got the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with her! After a few minutes of talking with Gerri, it was very easy to see how much she loves her job and loves helping Bentley students. As a highly respected figure in her field, Gerri was recently asked to help create a more effective health center at a college in Maryland by theAmerican College Health Association. We are so lucky to have her available to us here at Bentley!
HC: During the upcoming colder months, what do you feel is most important thing that students do to stay healthy?
GT: Flu vaccine for SURE! It is a great way to keep healthy! Other things to keep in mind are using Purell® , wash your hands with soap and water, and avoid sharing drinks!! It happens a lot on campus and that’s how germs are spread.
HC: When should students get flu shots? Is it too late to get one?
GT: It’s never too late to get the flu shot! Bentley is having a flu shot clinic in the Backbay on Thursday October 20th (from 9:00am-3:00pm) and a second on Tuesday November 15th. It takes about two weeks for the shot to take effect, so the earlier you get one the better.
HC: With people showing lots of interest in vitamins these days, do you believe in them or take any yourself?
GT:I take one Multivitamin each day and one calcium vitamin. Recently an article has gone out about the use of too many vitamins and that additional vitamins can be found to be harmful if not used in correct moderation.
HC: Any advice for women as sexual assault awareness month is upon us?
GT: I’m one of the co-chairs for Sexual Assault program at Bentley. We have just updated the Sexual Assault resource booklet and it will be online very soon. We are working with publications right now and expect a hard copy to be out in the next two to three weeks. Soon everyone will receive an email titled “Important notice from Center for Health and Wellness” with the online booklet attached. So DON’T DELETE!
HC: Does the Center for Health & Wellness have any special programs for those who have been sexually assaulted? Do you have any specific advice?
GT: Debbie Forman, one of our nurse practitioners, is a medical advocate for BARCC (Boston Area Rape Crisis Center) and is on call there every week. She goes to go into hospitals for Sexual Assault during off hours and is an incredible resource.
Campus Police can get to us on weekends, nights, off hours, any time that someone needs assistance from Sexual Assault. Someone will help accompany a student to the hospital, meet them there, or just talk to them on the phone if they have been in some sort of sexual attack. All someone needs to say toCampus Police is “This is personal and I must talk to Gerri Taylor”—but only if it is an emergency!
We also provide services here [on campus], without going to the ER. We can examine patients, provide contraception solutions, and medication for STDs as a result from a sexual assault.
HC: What is your favorite part about working on a college campus?
GT: The students! They really energize me. Bentley students are better than other students. Other colleges are less alive! The kids here are so enthusiastic and really want to learn and want to stay healthy. Every kid watches out for his/her friends, and that is something you won’t always find on other campuses. I would not want to work with any other population.
I make sure that the people hired here enjoy working with college kids, as well. You have to be non-judgmental, fully accepting, and understanding and really be able to embrace diversity.
After hearing all these great details from Gerri I decided to find out some more about her. It turns out she never gets sick! Even though she is constantly around sick college students, she manages to stay healthy. In fact, last spring she had a bout of pneumonia, but it was the first time in years!
Gerri absolutely LOVES photography and has traveled to places like China, Africa, and New Zealand mainly to do photography. Her next stop? Australia and South Africa!
She also would like to request that any suggestions that students have to help improve the Health Center to please let her know.as she is always open to suggestions. She can be reached via email atgtaylor@bentley.edu.