STUDENT PROFILE Alexis Chapple-Falleroni
Bearing down
Health law MJ student Alexis Chapple-Falleroni served as Chicago Bears鈥� COVID-19 nurse
Like so many of us, Alexis Chapple-Falleroni, RN, couldn鈥檛 have dreamed of the ways 2020 would change everything. Certainly, the MJ in Health Law program student never foresaw working as a COVID-19 nurse for the Chicago Bears.
As a Chicago area native and a lifelong fan, Chapple-Falleroni says one of her fondest childhood memories is of helping her family decorate the exterior of their home to celebrate Da Bears鈥� 1985 Super Bowl victory.
鈥淚 never really imagined that as a nurse I would work for a professional football organization,鈥� she says. Then a chance conversation with a friend who consults for the team led to an opportunity she 鈥渃ouldn鈥檛 pass up.鈥�
When the pandemic hit, the NFL had just entered its offseason and had time to implement strict COVID mitigation protocols before training camp in July, with the hopes of a 鈥渘ormal鈥� season in the fall. The biggest challenge for each of the league鈥檚 32 clubs: rigorous, standardized, daily testing.
In her role with the Bears, Chapple-Falleroni worked alongside the team鈥檚 head athletic trainer to ensure that the players, along with their support staff and families, remained healthy鈥攁nd were compliant with the NFL鈥檚 protocols. She became a liaison between the football club and a third-party lab company that processed the tests. When the lights turned on in September at Soldier Field, she helped coordinate masking and testing for hundreds more game-day personnel.
It was certainly a challenge, but 鈥渇ascinating,鈥� says Chapple-Falleroni, who worked in marketing before she pivoted to medicine and became a registered nurse. After a few years in the operating room, she joined Baxter Healthcare and specialized in pharmacovigilance (drug safety) and quality control. So while Chapple-Falleroni was no stranger to the complex web of healthcare compliance and privacy laws, she wasn鈥檛 quite prepared for the world of professional sports, where athletes鈥� health is a matter of public record and popular speculation.
The legal implications were both 鈥渁larming and intriguing,鈥� she says, adding that it was part of what drove her to seek 鈥渁 higher level of training鈥� at Loyola.
Chapple-Falleroni worked alongside the team鈥檚 head athletic trainer to ensure that the players, along with their support staff and families, remained healthy鈥攁nd were compliant with the NFL鈥檚 protocols.
尝辞测辞濒补鈥檚 MJ in Health Law program, offered entirely online, is designed for busy medical professionals to complete part time in six semesters over two years. Live classes meet via Zoom during evening hours, so a typical courseload can fit into just about any schedule.
鈥淣ow that the pandemic is hopefully behind us, I'm focusing on my studies,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd I'm thrilled to be here.鈥� 鈥�Audrey Michelle Mast (August 2022)
