OSU Health Care Heroes: Patty White

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

OSU Health Care Heroes is a series highlighting those from the OSU-CHS community who have gone above and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic to serve their institution, community and state.

What is your role here at OSU-CHS and how long have you been here? 
My role is the Safety Manager for OSU-CHS and OSU-Tulsa.  I have worked here about three and a half years.
 
What do you enjoy about working at OSU-CHS? 
Working in a support role to medical students, researchers, faculty and staff to ensure their experience at OSU is positive, safe and productive. I especially enjoy working with my teammates in Compliance and our partners in Facilities Management, Security, HR and IT that make my job possible.
 
In what ways has your role and responsibilities grown and changed due to COVID-19?
I have really enjoyed seeing how individuals have stepped up to do whatever is necessary during these unprecedented times. It has been exciting to see how OSU has served the state of Oklahoma and the A&M Partners with the testing centers, laboratory analysis and vaccine research.
 
How did you step up to meet these new challenges?
Work and volunteering to do whatever is needed. Being willing to take on new responsibilities and support initiatives that may not have been part of my normal safety duties. This pandemic has fostered a sense of working together to get things done, even with the smallest and sometimes most mundane details— those items that promote the goal of public health.
 
What did you learn about yourself, your co-workers and your workplace, OSU-CHS, during this time?
I’ve learned that through challenging times and limited resources, my colleagues and I can work across departments, and even across campuses, to achieve common goals safely. To advance health initiatives across the state and serve those affected by COVID-19. Go Pokes!

MEDIA CONTACT: Sara Plummer | Communications Coordinator | 918-561-1282 | sara.plummer@okstate.edu