Mount Nittany Health staff spring into action to help a community member in need

When a patient arrived at Mount Nittany Heath – Mifflin County for a pre-admission COVID swab, rather than coming into the facility, the patient pulled around to the side of the building where the drive-thru COVID test collection site is located. The practice was not doing drive-thru COVID testing at the time, so that side of the parking lot was vacant.

Jessica Hartley, MA-C, was at the nursing station close to the exit door on the side of the building where the drive-thru collection site is located. Jessica heard a loud honking from a horn and went outside to investigate. She saw a man violently attacking a woman inside the car. The woman was honking the horn for help. Jessica immediately returned inside, notified her coworkers, and pulled the panic alarm.

Amy Aumiller, MA-C, rushed outside to assist the woman, while Alexis Inzerillo, MA-C, alerted Kelsey Short, DO. Amy and Dr. Short broke up the attack and kept both the man and woman calm until police very quickly arrived. Dr. Short took the woman into the office for evaluation to ensure she received the care she needed.

"It all happened so fast," Amy says. "Thankfully, Jessica saw the car sitting out there quickly. When I walked out, I saw the subject hitting the victim and asked him what was going on. He just kept saying that he needed COVID testing done. It just kept going through my mind, 'We can't let her leave. Please don't pull out of the parking lot.'"