Cedar Hill Director Of Health Services, Called An “Expert”

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CHISD Nurse Reese Taylor
CHISD Nurse Reese Taylor Photo credit CHISD

Nurse Reese Taylor Is Part Of Dallas County Health Committee

(CEDAR HILL, TX) Everyone at Cedar Hill Independent School District knows her as ‘Nurse Reese Taylor’, her family and friends call her ‘Pamela’ or ‘Pam’.

When Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins and his staff speak to Cedar Hill ISD Director of Health Services Pamela Reese-Taylor, RN-BSN one word comes to mind – ‘expert’.

That is why Reese-Taylor was selected as one of seven health professionals to serve on the County Judge’s School Public Health and Education Committee. The committee was created to address the COVID-19 Pandemic. She is the only K-12 school health professional on the committee.

“In surveying the many eligible candidates, Nurse Pamela Reese-Taylor was chosen because of her qualifications and strong working relationship with the Dallas County health department on other school health matters,” Jenkins said. “Her insight on how schools actually work is invaluable as health experts try to give guidance on what schools can and should do to combat COVID-19. The experience she brings on the parent-child-school relationship is making a difference for students across the entire county.”

Her fellow committee members are pediatricians, epidemiologists and various types of doctors.

“I was honored to be asked to join the committee,” Reese-Taylor said. “They wanted to have someone who is able to give a school nurse perspective. It has also raised my level of knowledge, which I will be able to contribute to CHISD.”

The committee meets virtually twice per week, for approximately an hour. They discuss the latest information available, which aids the process for schools to make decisions based on the most current data for re-openings and closures. They played an important role in advising Dallas County Schools to host only virtual classes through September – which CHISD announced on August 20 that it would follow.

Cedar Hill ISD Virtual Classes begin on Tuesday, September 8.

Reese-Taylor has worked in the medical field in some capacity for the past 45 years as a Unit Clerk, Medical Assistant and culminating as a Registered Nurse, since graduating from Wilmer-Hutchins High School.

A Nursing graduate from the University of Texas-Arlington, Reese-Taylor has worked for CHISD for the past 16 years. In her current role, she supervises six Registered Nurses, three Licensed Vocational Nurses and seven aides.

“When we were in our rotations during nursing school, I had a rotation at a school,” said Reese-Taylor, who is the daughter of a nurse. “They were performing visual and hearing screenings. I thought that was interesting.”

In addition, Reese-Taylor is involved with the Dallas County Metroplex Nurse organization. She is a member of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and the American Nurses Association (ANA).

CHISD Is Proud Of Reese-Taylor

CHISD Superintendent Dr. Gerald Hudson is proud of the work that Reese-Taylor and her staff have done in preparing scholars and staff for a safe and healthy return to campus. They have attentively followed the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocols such as temperature checks, screenings, social distancing and hand sanitizer.

“We are honored that Nurse Reese-Taylor is serving on such a prestigious committee,” Hudson said. “It’s wonderful that her knowledge and perspective as a public school health professional provides insight to CHISD scholars and staff, and now, to the citizens throughout Dallas County.”

Reese-Taylor said specific challenges are providing safe environments for special education scholars and extracurricular activities. She has worked closely with fellow staff members to ensure safety.

Washing hands thoroughly and wearing masks properly are two keys to mitigating COVID-19.

“We encourage our parents to encourage the scholars,” Reese-Taylor said. “It’s important to keep yourself healthy. That is what has to be done.”