Doctor turned library aide coordinates Bay Village Schools' COVID-19 response

Dr. Michele Moore went from being Westerly's library aide to the Bay school district's COVID-19 coordinator.

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Dr. Michele Moore had no idea she’d be putting her medical degree to work for the Bay Village City School District when applying for a library aide position in 2014. But when Gov. Mike DeWine asked school systems to name district-wide COVID-19 coordinators this past September, Dr. Moore’s name was on the short list.

“Michele not only has the medical training, she knows our district,” said Dr. Holly Schafer, director of human resources for Bay Village Schools. “We immediately thought of her, and she hasn’t missed a beat since accepting the challenge.”

Dr. Moore not only coordinates the district’s confirmed cases and quarantines, she’s involved with compiling student daily health check information, coordinating contact tracing with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and talking to families daily to help parents decide if they should send their students to school. She is a key member of the district’s COVID-19 Task Force, and assists with projections based on the data she collects. All tasks she had no idea she’d be doing when reentering the workforce six years ago to take on a job in Westerly Elementary School’s library.

The Youngstown-area native said she left the medical profession – and its hours – behind to raise her two children (Patty and Cyril), and reentered the workforce as her youngest entered fifth grade. An avid reader, Dr. Moore thought a job in one of the school district’s libraries would be perfect.

“I joke around that I went from elementary science fiction books to real-life science fiction with the pandemic,” said Dr. Moore. “It’s been an extreme change of direction for me, but I’m honored to be helping my adopted hometown’s school district.”

Drs. Moore and Schafer keep families, faculty and staff updated with new, confirmed cases of the virus, and also host a weekly “Monday Minute” Zoom session for district team members. The popular segment is optional, but with more than 200 of the district’s 400 employees tuning in each week, it’s becoming a “gather around the water cooler” opportunity for district staffers.

"I tune in every Monday to learn more about how our district, region and state are managing the virus,” said Susan Bish, secretary to the principal of Normandy School. “Drs. Moore and Schafer do an excellent job explaining information in layperson's terms. I especially appreciate that they both, along with Supt. Hausmann, take the time to respond to staff questions during and after the meetings."