Success Stories

ALASKA

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ALABAMA

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ARKANSAS

AHEC-NW (Arkansas)
Published February 2007

In the summer of 2006, AHEC-NW offered a first-of-its-kind program in Arkansas that specifically supported minority students interested in health careers. “I can’t wait until tomorrow!” This comment summarized the feelings of the fifteen junior high school participants as they completed their first day of the week-long event. “This was the first time I ever experienced something like this!” wrote one participant. “I liked it because I learned the proper way to get clean and sterile,” wrote another. Fourteen of the participants were Latino, and one was Asian.

During the week the students met 33 different health professionals. They visited four post-secondary institutions and met their respective healthcare faculty members. They toured four healthcare institutions. The students were given scrubs and T-shirts to wear during the program. After instruction, students were given stethoscopes, thermometers, and first aid kits to take home. The students also took a CPR class and earned a CPR credential. Responses to these experiences indicated learning was taking place on many levels:

“You have to work hard to get your own clinic.”
“I learned that no matter what, keep going and don’t give up.”
“I felt so important being a part of this program and going to different places.”
“I learned not to do the Heimlich on a pregnant person.”

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ARIZONA

Arizona-Sonora Mexico Border Community Initiative
By Amanda Aguirre, CEO/President, RCBH/WAHEC

The Regional Center for Border Health, Inc./Western Arizona Area Health Education Center (RCBH/WAHEC) in collaboration with Community Health Workers National Network Association is pleased to announce the 9th Annual National Community Health Workers/Promotores Conference that will be sponsored in San Diego, CA on August 23-25, 2006. This year’s conference theme is “A State of Mind: Community Health Workers Promoting Mental Health and Prevention of Substance Abuse.”

With this annual conference, we proudly create a unique forum for Community Health Workers, leaders of agencies, and organizations to network, empower, support, inform, unify, and enhance their knowledge and strengthen their efforts in serving their communities nationwide. Last year conference was very successful with an average of 350 participants.

This educational and uplifting event has the major goals of providing the opportunities to:

• Enhance the National Network capabilities of Community Outreach Workers/Promotores programs by participating in the “Community Health Worker National Network Association/Red Nacional de Promotores de Salud.”
• Promotores will learn about effective health education, disease prevention, community strategies and interventionsin community emergency preparedness.
• To increase the quality of life and to eliminate health disparities by providing a variety of health educational training and informational sessions that will best prepare CHW to address and meet their communities “Healthy People 2010 Objectives.”
• Community Outreach Workers will learn best practices in community awareness and outreach on mental health and substance abuse programs.

Chronic Disease Prevention Initiative
Paso a Paso Chronic Disease prevention through education on nutrition and physical activity as a means of health forming habits. Cooking classes stressing the importance of healthy eating as well as community sessions are offered to the public.

• Paso a Paso classes are offered throughout the target areas of: San Luis, Somerton, and Yuma, Arizona with emphasis in the areas of the Lanes, Carver Park, Pecan Grove, and Wellton.
• Five Walking Clubs have remained constant since 2004.
• Participants complete a series of 12-week/12-session program. The topics for these classes are nutrition, chronic disease prevention and physical activity including cooking classes.

School Health Index- Created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This program aides in improving school nutrition, physical activity and diabetes awareness through increased capacity of school personnel, programs, and the development of related policies in the context of a coordinated school health program.

• A total of six schools completed the School Health Index in which one school added Health Screenings for its employees.
• Three of the schools will use the SHI Program in the creation of their Wellness Policy. The Health Career Club Students at one of the local high schools have completed the SHI as well as the Action Plan in which they plan to educate and bring awareness to other students on Nutrition & Chronic Disease Prevention through healthy eating. Some other school districts are interested in completing the SHI for the creation of their Wellness Policy during 2006.

Quality of Care- Program

• To improve the quality of medical care.
• Offers medical providers the standards for preventative healthcare practices.
• Increases the likelihood that physicians develop treatment plans for diagnosed patients. Pr
• ovides follow up so that physicians apply acceptable standards of care.

PROJECT H.E.R.O. – Helping Everyone to Reach Out- Youth and Community to Prevent Drug Abuse
Effective prevention of alcohol, drug use, violence and related problems requires communities to become organized and strongly motivated to meet this challenge. The Regional Center for Border Health, Inc. is one of three Arizona FY2004 grantees receiving support from the Drug-Free Communities Program. The Drug-Free Communities Support Program enables local citizens and coalitions to strengthen coordination and encourage citizen participation in substance abuse awareness, reduction and prevention efforts. The Regional Center for Border Health also serves as the lead agency in partnership with Community Intervention Associates, Inc. a licensed behavioral health provider agency. Project H.E.R.O. staff and coalition leaders and members prioritize prevention goals and objectives which promote and advocate for the integration of health and behavioral health services which can address the needs of children, youth and families most affected by substance abuse and related problems. Grant funds awarded in Yuma County help to mobilize citizens and groups to address problems and needs related to Underage Drinking Border Binge-drinking, the Production, Sale and Use of Methamphetamine, Early Identification & Referral, Prevention Education & Outreach and Public Information & Social Marketing.

Community Access Program of Arizona and Mexico
The Community Access Program of Arizona-Mexico Healthcare Discount Network (CAPAZ-MEX) is a program of the Regional Center for Border Health, Inc. that provides a medical safety net to the uninsured and vulnerable residents of Yuma County so they can better gain entry into a comprehensive system of medical services. The program facilitates access to professional healthcare at discounted prices so the uninsured can afford. This system provides a medical home for primary and preventive healthcare, as well as access to specialty, diagnostic and inpatient care. CAPAZ-MEX is a Discount Network, not a health insurance, for residents of Yuma County in which the person is responsible for payment to healthcare providers at the time of the visit. This is an opportunity for members to participate in their own care by allowing affordable care, provided by the Yuma County Healthcare Providers as well as providers in San Luis, R. C. Sonora, Mexico, at greatly reduced prices. Currently, there are a total of 720 individuals and 448 families enrolled in the CAPAZ-MEX program.

For more information on our programs you can contact us at (928) 627-9222 or www.rcfbh.com

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CALIFORNIA

New Employee Grows Poison Prevention Outreach in California’s Central Valley
By Mary C. Wallace, MHA, FACHE, San Joaquin Valley AHEC/HETC, Fresno, California

Gloria Ponce Rodriguez and Governor Mark Warner of Virginia, Senate Hispanic Leadership Summit, 9/29/05.

The San Joaquin Valley AHEC/HETC, in partnership with the California Poison Control System (CPCS), is delighted to spotlight the newest addition to our team, Gloria Ponce Rodriguez. Gloria will serve as a Health Educator in poison prevention, expanding educational efforts throughout the Central Valley. Given the ethnic composition of our region, outreach to the Hispanic and Southeast Asian community is of particular interest.

Poison exposure is the third leading cause of injury and death among children 5 years of age and under in California. Hispanic children are more than twice as likely as non-Hispanic Caucasian children to be hospitalized as a result of poisoning. Regrettably, the toll-free poison control hotline is underutilized by non-English speaking individuals, despite 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, continuous, simultaneous interpretation capacity in over 100 languages! Calling the hotline puts you in touch with a trained healthcare professional who will immediately assess an incident’s severity and offer fast, free, and expert medical advice for the on-site management of any poison exposure. Pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and poison information providers answer the phone and can prevent an unnecessary trip to the emergency room. On average, CPCS helps to avert approximately 60,000 trips to the emergency room each year. The CPCS Fresno/Madera Division is under the management of Dr. Richard Geller, MD, MPH, FACMT, and is generously hosted by Children’s Hospital Central California.

The California Poison Control System (www.calpoison.org) looked at the valley’s hotline usage data and issued a call-to-action to respond to the changing demographic shifts of the Central Valley. Working with the San Joaquin Valley AHEC/HETC and the CPCS Fresno/Madera Division, CPCS designed a culturally sensitive outreach project to get the word out about services. Gloria was brought aboard to increase consumer awareness, and also, to train community health workers from partnering organizations to help spread the word!

Gloria has an extensive background in education and multicultural outreach. She has served on numerous boards, panels, and committees throughout her professional career in Virginia. In recognition of her work in the community, she was appointed to Governor Mark Warner’s Latino Advisory Commission for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and was nominated for four consecutive years to the Senate Hispanic Leadership Summit. Gloria is a Fresno native and we are fortunate she returned home after thirty years!

The CPCS is certified by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, which sets standards for poison center operations, personnel and education programs. Activities also include promoting scientific research, creating awareness of poison center services nationwide, and collecting national poisoning data. For more information and contact information for your local Poison Control Center, visit www.aapcc.org.

For further information, contact Gloria Ponce Rodriguez at gloriar@sjvhc.org

RN to BSN Online Nursing Program, CSU Chico, sponsored by Shasta Community AHEC Center
By Alice Knipe BSN RN CPN

I am a first generation college graduate. Education has always been very important in my family. Growing up my parents inspired me to find something better than working the fields. Education was the key they stressed. My goal during high school was to obtain a career and go to work. I was not able to afford the tuition for a State or University education at that time so I looked towards the local junior college.

I have always known that my profession would be one in which I could help others. I have been in the nursing field twenty three years. I acquired my associate degree in nursing and then accepted a job working on a medical surgical unit for five years. I then transferred to a pediatric unit with adult overflow where I worked as a Primary caregiver. I was given the opportunity to manage the unit and have been doing so for the last eighteen years.

My desire to continue my education was stimulated by the interaction with the nursing students from CSU Chico. Working as a preceptor to the students stimulated my desire to teach. I delayed entering the BSN nursing program due to the fact that attending fulltime school was not financially feasible for my family situation and my work situation would not allow the flexibility required to attend on campus classes.

The development of the on-line program was the solution to achieve my higher educational goals. The program allowed for continued employment and minimal disruption of my family life. The program offered classes in a self directed atmosphere that allowed easy access to the instructor and students. The flexibility of the program allowed the planning and organization of my assignments with my work schedule and extracurricular activities. I graduated in 2003 with my BSN from California State University, Chico and am currently enrolled in their MSN on line program.

I enjoy nursing and am excited to build on the various opportunities that higher education has to offer. Teaching for the California State University system is one of my future goals. The availability of higher education on line allows the opportunity for other who have limitations and restrictions to take the step to acquiring their Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. The economy requires both spouses work to make ends meet and On-line programs offers the possibility of advancing in education in an obtainable manner. I look forward to participating in other On-line programs to continue my education in either a specialty nursing field or obtaining my PhD in Nursing.

Post Baccalaureate Program at UC Irvine funded by California HETC
Participant Profiles

Post Baccalaureate Class of 2004

Connie Gomez, MS II
Connie was accepted to the UCI Postbacc Program as a two-year participant. Typically the program is completed in one year, but it was with the recommendation of advisors that she take a complete year of upper division undergraduate courses before reapplying to medicals school. She took this advice seriously and performed at the “A” level during her time as a postbacc student. She received multiple acceptances to med school, but ultimately matriculated in fall of 2004. She is now participating in a preceptorship program at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center, which is also a HETC funded initiative.
Connie is a graduate of UCLA. While a postbacc student, Connie volunteered at the Share Our Selves free clinic in Costa Mesa, serving also as translator.

Connie has been actively involved in LMSA the Latino Medical Student Association, serving as co-chair while at UCI and has given a tremendous amount of time to premedical students.

Francisco Navarro and Shanee Porter on Graduation Day 2005

Francisco Navarro, M.D.
The environment, where most of his peers either were destined to become high school drop outs or join a gang, Francisco was determined not to be a statistic. During high school he received grants, scholarships and was a work study student in order to put himself through a college preparatory high school. With determination and self-motivation he went on to college, graduated from UCLA with a degree in Psychobiology. He is the first in his family to graduate from college and his parents both had elementary school level education. Francisco worked up to 30 hours per week during college.

While in medical school he was involved with the student run Clinica Cariño and was inducted into UCI’s inaugural chapter of the Gold Humanism Society. He was nominated for graduation with Distinction in Service. He also served as class co-president and delivered the address at commencement. The joy in his mother’s eyes said it all on that bright June afternoon.

Francisco is now a first year Psychiatry resident at UCLA Medical Center and will be a tremendous asset to the psychiatric field of medicine.

Mayra Contreras and Eileen Munoz-Perez on Match Day 2004

Mayra Contreras, M.D.
Being raised in a close-knit traditional Mexican American family, it was expected of Mayra upon graduation from high school to be married and raise a family. Mayra was determined to take another path. She persuaded her parents to allow her to attend college and she began her studies at USC, graduating with a Biology degree in 1999. She was fortunate to have found a mentor in Dr. Diana Ramos, an Ob/Gyn physician who guided her to the Postbacc Program when Mayra was initially rejected from medical school. It was in fact the path that Dr. Ramos took, as she was a graduate of the 1988 UCI Postbacc Program. Both of these women attended USC as undergraduates. It has come full circle now as they are colleagues in the specialty area of Ob/Gyn.

Mayra Contreras on Graduation Day 2004

Mayra was accepted to UCI College of Medicine in 2000 and is now a second year Ob/Gyn resident at USC Medical Center. While Mayra was a medical studentshe served as a mentor and conducted numerous mock interviews for the postbacc students. As a medical student, she was co-director of Madres del Futuro, a student run pre-natal clinic. She also served as co-founder and co-president of the Ob/Gyn Interest Group. Most recently she presented her research findings with Dr. Ramos at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists annual conference. We envision Mayra carrying on as a mentor to other Latina women such as herself. She continues to be involved with the program visiting as a lecturer and she has invited our students to “shadow” her while at USC Medical Center. Mayra is truly a role model.

Hospital Fostering Future Doctors with Mentoring - Harbor-UCLA teams high schoolers with college students for summer of surveys and health fairs
By Melissa Milios, Daily Breeze

Door to door, they've been canvassing Wilmington for weeks with questions about children's health: How many cans of soda did your daughter drink last week? Is there a safe place for her to play nearby? Has she ever had a wheezing attack?

Like the doctors that most of them hope to become, the 35 students in County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center's Summer Urban Program listen intently and scribble on their clipboards.
On Tuesday, during their annual Health Summit at Banning High School, they'll present preliminary results from the children's health survey, along with complete data from last year's survey and information on local health-care providers.

It's the culmination of a six-week program that brings together three levels of students -- 15 from Banning and other local high schools, 13 college undergraduates and seven from medical school -- for a peek at what it's like to be a family doctor in a medically underserved community.
The students also attend lectures, shadow doctors and mentor one another. They've put on two health fairs, where they screened nearly 500 local residents for anemia, tuberculosis, asthma, obesity and access to medical coverage.

University of California, Irvine medical student Connie Gomez, who is Latina and bilingual, said she was right at home working with the primarily Latino population in Wilmington, where -- according to last year's survey results -- at least 18 percent of families don't have health insurance.

"A lot of doctors want to go practice in Beverly Hills or areas where they can make a lot more money," Gomez said. "This program really makes everyone aware there are other areas that need physicians badly, and what you can bring from your own background."

Gomez said that for her, one of the most rewarding parts of the program was giving the younger students career and academic guidance that she, as the daughter of Mexican immigrants with only sixth-grade educations, didn't have.

Family physician and clinical professor Gilberto Granados said that forging mentoring relationships among minority students was exactly what he and his wife, Dr. Jyoti Puvvula, had in mind when they founded the Department of Family Medicine's Summer Urban Program in 1991.

"We really want to get them to start thinking about higher education," Granados said. "If they can see students that look like them in medical school and in college, that in and of itself is going to help them out."
The medical students and undergraduates in this year's program were selected through a competitive application process. But Granados said they welcome all students from high schools in the Harbor Area, especially those from lower-income households.

Dammy Joseph was just 13 years old when she and her mother -- both Nigerian immigrants -- heard about the program during a checkup with Puvvula. Dammy said she had always dreamed about becoming a doctor when she grew up, but didn't know how to get there.

Now, after three summers of working side-by-side with pre-med and medical school students, she is about to start her junior year at Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School near USC. Her brother, Michael, 14, has joined her in the program the past two summers.

"The mentoring is helping us now ... and also helping us with the future -- answering questions we have and sharing experiences they've had that can actually help us," said Dammy, 16.

"Getting the experience in the medical field, it's exciting for me," she added. "It makes me feel good, like I didn't waste my summer. I did something constructive."

Community Health Workers Make Housecalls
By Esmeralda Servin, Student Intern, San Diego EXPORT

From her office in San Diego, Maria Barraza is armed with pen in hand and ready to take down the next appointment for one of her daily house calls—a house call that usually leads to a three-year relationship with the family. As a community health worker for the Parents as Teachers program, Barraza serves the predominantly Latino communities in Mid-City.

“It helps that I speak the language,” said Barraza, whose primary language is Spanish.

Equipped with 10 years of experience, Barraza visits homes prepared to share her knowledge on the subject of child development. Though most of her training involves topics such as dental hygiene, immunizations, or lead poisoning, she is also prepared to handle other issues that may come up during the visit.

“But sometimes all of the little secrets come out,” said Barraza. “We’re workers, but most of time we establish friendships. Once we establish a rapport with the family, we learn that there are other issues that need attention.”

If someone has a problem with domestic violence or child abuse, she is able to refer the individual to the proper health and social services agency. Barraza also refers families to low-income medical or dental programs—a much-needed service considering many of the families lack health insurance.

The Parents as Teachers (PAT) program, began as a pilot project in 1981 in St. Louis, Mo. It was created to put an emphasis on parent education and family support, in order to enhance a child’s development from birth to three years of age. Now, the program has been modified to serve the low-income, multicultural population of Mid-City. PAT is a nationally acclaimed, home-based prevention program that empowers parents to give their children the best possible start in life.

“We visit mothers with children or pregnant mothers,” said Barraza. We visit grandmothers too. Sometimes the parents are at work and the grandmother is the primary caretaker of the child.”

Community outreach workers for PAT must complete many hours of training before the home-visits take place. During the first year of training, 25 hours of community service must be achieved. The second year of training involves 15 hours of community service and a third year requires 10 hours of service, Barraza said. Most of the community service involves fieldwork related to topics in child development. According to Barraza, the program has increased in popularity just by word of mouth. Mothers often times refer their friends to the program because of the success that they’ve encountered, she said.

“We guide them and let them know what to expect—depending on the age of the child,” said Baraza.

The home-visits, which usually last one to two hours, are a great way to sit down and talk to the mothers in their own environment. The counseling sessions can begin as early as the birth of the child and last until the child is three.

One mother enrolled in the program, “Sylvia,” has benefited enormously from a year of home visits and counseling from Barraza. “Sylvia struggled with domestic violence in her life and has seen dramatic changes as a result of the PAT program.

“Pinch me—I think I'm dreaming,” said “Sylvia,” in reference to the PAT program and its services. (“Sylvia’s” story is recounted on Homestart’s web site, www.home-start.org). It’s stories like “Sylvia’s” that emphasize the need for programs in the community like the efforts of PAT.

In June, the final farewell is marked by a graduation celebration, where mothers celebrate the accomplishments they’ve achieved due in part to the program.

But the learning doesn’t stop there. The child is then referred to Head Start—a program aimed at increasing school readiness of young children in low-income families.
The Parents As Teacher program serves community members living within the Mid-City boundaries. For more information on how you can participate in the program, contact Maria Barraza at (619) 281-2670.

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COLORADO

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Connecticut

Youth Health Service Corps
Created by the Connecticut Area Health Education Center

Amargeet and Celeste practicing BP

The Youth Health Service Corps trains and places high school students as volunteers in community agencies providing health care to vulnerable populations. Students provide valuable services with in their community while increasing their awareness of health care and public health careers. Through their participation in the Youth Health Service Corps students are filling a large community need for volunteer service while acquiring real life learning experience under the guidance of professional role models.

The early success of the Youth Health Service Corps was recognized when the program was named the first place winner of the 2005 Linkage Award presented by the Council on Linkages between Academia and Public Health Practice.

Brushing and flossing instruction.

Since Connecticut AHEC implemented the program in September 2004, a nine module curriculum with evaluations has been developed. Over 250 high school students from urban, subuAmargeet and Celeste practicing BP.Connecticut have completed the Youth Health Service Corps core training. Student volunteers have logged over 1,000 hours of service at over 20 health care agencies across the state of Connecticut. Current volunteer sites include community health centers, migrant farm worker clinics, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and nursing homes.

The Connecticut Area Health Education Center is partnering with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the Connecticut Primary Care Association, and the National Health Service Corps to implement the Youth Health Service Corps.

After receiving national exposure as the 2005 Linkage Award winner and presenting at two national conferences, several sister Area Health Education Centers expressed interest in utilizing the Youth Health Service Corps in their respective states. In response to this interest, Connecticut AHEC has developing a Youth Health Service Corps Coordinator Training to train staff at other AHEC’s in the nation who want to implement the Youth Health Service Corps in their respective states. Through the National AHEC Network the Youth Health Service Corps has the potential to mobilize high school students across the nation to provide much needed volunteer services while concurrently developing a national pipeline of future health care practitioners willing to serve our nation’s most vulnerable populations,

Rubab practicing on the AED

As a complement to the Youth Health Service Corps, Connecticut AHEC is developing the College Health Service Corps. The College Health Service Corps will train college students as who are pursing a career in health care and place them as volunteers in a health care setting. The College Health Service Corps will include a college level web based curriculum to train college aged Corps members. College students will be placed as volunteers working side by side with the high school corps.

To learn more about the Youth Health Service Corps visit our website at www.youthhealthservicecorps.com or call Tricia Harrity at (203) 758-1110.

Download Youth Health Service Corps Flyer

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

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DELAWARE

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FLORIDA

AHEC’s Anti-Tobacco Message Rocks – Loud and Clear
By Dianne Frankel, MPH, Anne Maynard, MPH, CHES, Emily Meade, BA, and Vanessa Travieso
Published March 2007

The music was pumping in Karen Stewart’s fourth period class at Pineview Middle School.

“Fergalicous… So delicious… It’s hot, hot!”

Under the watchful eye of University of South Florida (USF) College of Nursing students: Crystal Nichols, Brittany Reidy, Marcell Rice and Clarissa Rowe, 20 sixth graders were jumping and swaying around their classroom to the pop tune’s rhythmic beat.

“Okay,” Crystal shouted after pausing the CD, “now stop and take your pulse!”

As the class dutifully and silently counted their heartbeats, the nursing students began handing out drinking straws. After completing a lesson on the effects of smoking on the heart, Crystal turned the music back on and instructed the kids to get up and dance around again while breathing through the straws.

This time, it was harder.

Some of the kids found it difficult to get enough air. Before a minute was up, a few stopped dancing and sat down.

“Okay, now take your pulse again,” Crystal instructed.

The kids took their seats and did as asked. For many their pulse rates were higher. The team of future nurses from USF explained that breathing through a restricted airway like a straw is similar to having emphysema – one of many conditions caused by smoking.

Since 2000 the USF Area Health Education Center Program (AHEC) has marshaled the resources of health professions students in a coordinated anti-tobacco effort known as PIPSA (Partners in the Prevention of Substance Abuse). Teams of health professions students from the USF College of Medicine and Nursing along with doctoral students from the Florida A&M University School of Pharmacy are assembled and trained on a variety of tobacco-related issues. Lesson plans, videos and teaching kits were provided to 244 future healthcare professionals to help them deliver an anti-tobacco message aimed at vulnerable young people such as these sixth graders.

“We target children at this age level because Big Tobacco is also targeting them,” said USF AHEC Program Director Cynthia Selleck. “While delivering an important message, our students also serve as role models to these kids.”

For a more detailed story, check out the spring 2007 issue of the Access newsletter: http://www.health.usf.edu/ahec/pubs.htm#access
 

Community Profile: Dr. Christina Pelaez
by Emily Meade, Gulfcoast South AHEC
Published February 2007

Pediatrician Christina Pelaez, M.D., has become a familiar face to children in Parrish, Florida, over the last year. She was hired in July 2005 by Manatee County Rural Health Services (MCRHS) and is the only pediatrician at MCRHS’ Edgar H. Price Jr. Children & Family Healthcare Center. As a bilingual pediatrician, Pelaez is a great asset to both MCRHS and to the children and families of Parrish.

“I am excited to be in the job,” said Pelaez. “I really wanted it. I want to give the best service possible to all of my patients and let them know they can get good treatment in a community health center clinic. I know it is working because the patients are coming back.” However, Pelaez does recognize the unique challenges that come with working in a community health clinic. “It can be frustrating because you want to help with everything. It’s hard to let go because I can’t stand the thought of someone not getting care.”

Even though she has only been employed by MCRHS for the last year, Pelaez is no stranger. She originally came to the area as part of her University of South Florida (USF) residency under the guidance of Dr. Xavier Sevilla, a pediatrician and preceptor with Manatee County Rural Health Service. During her residency Pelaez was impressed with her “exposure to a wide variety of people” and felt that she was “better utilized in the clinic than in a private practice.” So after completing her residency rotation with Sevilla, also an AHEC preceptor and the beneficiary of an AHEC rotation during his medical school education, Pelaez is now returning the favor by precepting USF medical school students.

When asked why she decided to precept, Pelaez responded, “I want to be a role model and let students learn by example. You cannot be a good doctor just by knowing all the information in the books. You need to be motivated. Children need fun, nice, happy doctors. They respond to the look on your face.”

Pelaez’ success as a preceptor is evident by her award as the 2004-2005 “USF Pediatric Resident Teacher of the Year.” As a preceptor, Pelaez focuses on teaching the students about patience, attitude and observation. “There are qualities [of a good doctor] that you have or you don’t. Certain things can’t be taught, but others can. I teach them about the details and that observing your patients is extremely important,” said Pelaez.

As a preceptor, Pelaez is a wonderful mentor who has gladly taken on students throughout her time at MCRHS. Gulfcoast South AHEC is extremely appreciative of her dedication, expertise and time and looks forward to continuing to work together in the future.
 

Health Literacy: A Prescription for Clarity – A Curriculum for Health Professionals
By Michael Cunningham, Florida Keys AHEC

Did You Know?

• Low health literacy is a common problem in the United States and in Florida.
• Forty-six percent of American adults are unable to understand instructions written on most prescription labels.
• Low health literacy increases health care costs by $73 billion a year.
• Low health literacy may affect the quality of care thus impacting an individual’s overall health.

The Florida AHEC Network, in partnership with the Florida Department of Health, has developed a comprehensive health literacy curriculum for health care professionals. In addition to a speaker/trainer guide and resource directory, the curriculum also includes practical suggestions for improving verbal and written communication between providers and patients with low health literacy.

This curriculum is designed to support health professionals striving to meet the Healthy People 2010 Goal of improving the health literacy of persons with inadequate or marginal literacy skills. This national objective is a critical step in understanding and improving the health of the nation.

To purchase a copy of this curriculum call Rachel Chase, (386) 462-1551. Purchase price is $99.99 per curriculum.

The University of South Florida AHEC Program, Tampa and Gulfcoast North AHEC, located in Land O’Lakes, Florida, presented the first annual “Belles & Boots Bash.” This fund raising event was held on November 19, 2005 at the Lange Farm in Dade City, Florida. Our special guest speaker was Neil Shulman, MD, writer and producer of the film “Doc Hollywood” which starred Michael J. Fox.

The reception, dinner and auction raised funds for Student Health Career Camp scholarships. Gulfcoast North Area Health Education Center, Inc. has educated over 500 students from rural and underserved neighborhoods about the benefits and qualifications needed to pursue a career in the health professions field. Emphasis is placed on early preparation for high school coursework, community service involvement, SAT study courses and onsite visits to area health care facilities. Funds raised from this event will provide additional scholarships for rural and underserved area high school students. For more information contact Kathryn Scallon, kscallon@hsc.usf.edu.

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GEORGIA

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HAWAII

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IDAHO

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ILLINOIS

Active Living and Healthy Eating in Logan Square, Chicago
Illinois Health Education Consortium
Published February 2007

Garages and basements in Chicago’s Logan Square are filled with bikes in need of repair. Many families, living from paycheck to paycheck can’t afford to have them fixed at a shop. Through the Ayuda Mutua (Mutual Help) program, Matthew, an eighth grader from Ames Middle School, participated in the bike repair and safety “Train the Trainer” program. With support from his parents, Matthew turned their basement into a small bike shop where he teaches his peers how to fix their bikes. Matthew learned how to ride on his own at age five and is mechanically inclined his mother says. This program has helped build Matthew’s self-esteem and as a result, he is doing better in school.

The Active Living Logan Square partnership focuses on creating an environment that promotes physical activity and healthy living in Logan Square, a dense, predominantly Latino community in Chicago. An asset-based community survey identified safety concerns as a major barrier to physical activity for adults and children. In response, the partnership organized a Walking School Bus program and created a safety committee, bringing together seven neighborhood schools, local police districts and four Aldermen to collaborate on safety issues. The vision is that residents will implement a strategic plan that emphasizes their priorities: sharing their skills in the “Ayuda Mutua” program, reinstating recess, increasing walking and cycling, and establishing family gardens.

Through the Healthy Eating by Design subgroup, first graders at McAuliffe School receive a fresh fruit or vegetable snack every afternoon and participate in a curriculum that integrates nutrition and gardening into other subjects. Healthy eating messages are translated to the home environment through after-school healthy cooking demonstrations for parents and school to home nutrition fact sheets.

For more information please refer to the IHEC web page at www.ihec.org or email Virginia Warren at vwarren@ihec.org.
 

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INDIANA

Jonathan C. Barclay, MA Associate Director, Indiana Area Health Education Centers Program (AHEC) speaking to press and attendees. Renetta H. Williams, Executive Director of HealthVisions of Fort Wayne is also in the picture waiting to speak.

The Indiana AHEC Program is proud to announce the opening of the Northeast Indiana AHEC (NEI-AHEC), the fourth of five planned Indiana AHECs. Hosted by the Purdue University School of Health Sciences on the Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) campus, the Northeast Indiana AHEC held an open house Monday, November 28, 2005.

Local press and 50 partners and visitors joined IPFW administration and local and state elected officials in celebrating the launch of Indiana’s newest AHEC. During the opening, Renetta Williams, Executive Director of Health Visions of Fort Wayne and member of NEI-AHEC partner Allen County Health Disparity Coalition said:

“HealthVisions of Fort Wayne and the Allen County Health Disparity Coalition is pleased to be a community partner with IPFW and the NEI-AHEC center. This center will address the shortages of minorities in the healthcare field, especially African American. One of the goals of the Health Disparity Coalition is to increase the number of minority students in healthcare careers. It is our hope that this center will work with community leaders, community groups, healthcare providers and religious groups to help spread the word about the center and it resources. We are excited about the collaboration and congratulate IPFW for its desire to bring the services to the community. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”

Located in the Lafayette Medical Center, in a Health Professions Shortage Area and medically underserved area of the city of Fort Wayne, the NEI-AHEC will focus initially on health careers outreach to minority K-12 students, education and training of dental, dental assisting, and dental hygiene students, engaging health professions students in community health literacy and mental health activities, and continuing education of health professionals. The NEI-AHEC will serve as an education resource and health promotion site for the community.

The NEI-AHEC is delighted to join the AHEC family! For more information, please contact NEI-AHEC at 260-744-1188, or Linda Finke, Director, Northeast Indiana AHEC, at finkel@ipfw.edu.

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IOWA

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KANSAS

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KENTUCKY

A Formal Partnership Developing and Sustaining Off-site Clinical Education to Kentucky’s Working Poor, Uninsured/Underinsured, Immigrant and Refugee Populations in the Louisville Metro Area

In 1991, a formal partnership was established between Kentucky’s two major health science hubs and two federal 330 supported clinics located in Louisville’s West End that has the largest concentration of African Americans in the state coupled with high levels of unemployment and poverty. This partnership gave impetus for the establishment of the NorthWest Area Health Education Center to develop off-site clinical education in the aforementioned comprehensive federal 330 community health centers, i.e., Park DuValle Community Health Centers, Inc. and Family Health Centers, Inc. Annually, approximately 55 health professions students and medical residents participate in off-site medical education in disciplines such as family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, nurse practitioner studies, dentistry, nursing and physicians assistants. Through these two well established training sites, health professions students and medical residents participate in the delivery of quality health care services to medically underserved populations, regardless of their ability to pay. For more information, contact Brenda Fitzpatrick, Northwest AHEC, at brenda@louahec.org.

The Kentucky AHEC Program provided important input for the proposal and is providing in-kind support to the University of Louisville Schools of Medicine and Dentistry for a new summer academic program for undergraduates. One of 12 sites selected, the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP), funded and designed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will also involve two of Kentucky's regional AHEC centers with recruiting undergraduates for this new summer academic program. Participating students will gain information about the Kentucky AHEC program as part of their orientation to providing healthcare to underserved and disadvantaged populations. The national SMDEP, as designed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, with AAMC and ADEA, supports the primary goals of AHEC to acquaint students from rural, disadvantaged and underrepresented minority backgrounds with health careers. This new summer academic program is a very good fit with the mission of the Kentucky AHEC program and is open to any undergraduate from across the country. This new summer academic program provides an essential link between our pre-college and MCAT/DAT prep programs for pre professional students interested in studying medicine and dentistry. For more information, contact Rebecca Stutsman, rsstut03@louisville.edu.

Health career recruitment is exponentially enhanced when classroom teachers understand and are enthusiastic about health careers. This can be accomplished through teacher academies or teacher training in health careers.

South Central Kentucky AHEC conducted a 2003 Kentucky Department of Education funded teacher academy for five days in June for 25 teachers of grades five through eight. The final figures from these teachers’ evaluations indicated that over 1800 students were exposed to health career curriculum through their classrooms during the 2003-2004 school year.

During five days in June, 2005, South Central KY AHEC coordinated an AHEC funded teacher training for 14 teachers of grades 5 through 12. The first three days of the academy provided a working knowledge of health careers, shortages and educational opportunities.

Through presentations and experiential activities, including job shadowing of health professionals, the participants were immersed into the world of health care. The teachers examined the knowledge base, skill requirements, roles, and responsibilities of a broad range of different health careers. Beverly Mortimer, Director of Career Development, at T.J. Samson Community Hospital arranged shadowing with over 40 different health careers professionals for the teachers.

The fourth day focused on completing the 25 modules of the “Exploring Faces of Opportunities,” a curriculum developed and piloted by Southwest Georgia AHEC. Implementation was the focus of the last day. Possible barriers and solutions were explored as well as how the curriculum could be used to address the appropriate Kentucky standards.

One teacher stated, “The shadowing experiences were so beneficial. I can’t begin to write about the knowledge I gained while seeing these individuals in their working environment. I have a much deeper understanding of the many, many jobs that are in the health care field. This will allow me to perhaps get students interested in a health care career.”

Another teacher responded, “If you do not have a lot of money but want to be in the medical field of some form, there are a hundred options that students can do and then gradually work their own way up both by on the job training and eventual testing to push upward both educationally and financially.”

Still another teacher remarked, “In my experiences we were able to see behind the scenes – it was fascinating! The jobs we saw did not always deal directly with patients, but totally affected patient care. One fact that I can use in my classroom is to find an area you’re interested in, there’s a need for it or a related area in the medical field.”

Lastly, a teacher summed it up, “I feel the most useful resource I gained was the hands-on shadowing I did at T.J. Samson. My knowledge was greatly enhanced by personally observing and discussing with the staff as they went about their daily routine. This was great info that I can pass along to my students.”

For more information, please contact Glynda Stone, glynda.stone@wku.edu, at South Central KY AHEC.

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LOUISIANA

Bringing Out-of-School Youth Back In
By Margaret “Bootsie” Durand, MS, Director/Career Recruitment & Professional Education, SW LA AHEC

The SW Louisiana AHEC is researching health career exposure and/or training programs targeting WIA eligible out-of-school youth. This population is defined as persons between the ages of 14 and 21, who are school dropouts; or who have either graduated from high school or hold a GED, but are basic skills deficient, unemployed, or underemployed. (“Basic skills deficient” is defined as being unable to compute or solve problems, reads, writes, or speaks English at or below the 8th grade level.) Please email Bootsie Durand at careers@swlahec.comi if you know of any such programs. Thank you.

In the aftermath of Katrina…‘A Day with the Docs’ Program is Outstanding Success!
By Nan Ewing, CLAHEC Program Coordinator

The 2006 “A Day with the Docs” participants enjoyed the day of learning, observation, and experience.

2006 could have been difficult for Central Louisiana Area Health Education Center’s (CLAHEC) “A Day with the Doctors” program. Most of the parishes in the served region of central and south Louisiana were greatly affected by Hurricane Katrina. The LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans was forced to relocate medical students and faculty to the Baton Rouge area. Finding the appropriate facilities to accommodate the medical students and participants seemed a tough task, but Our Lady of the Lake College opened their doors between semesters to generously provide full use of the facilities and equipment at the Health Careers Institute. Even though the displaced 2nd year students were facing difficulties in housing and educational space, they made an outstanding impact on local high school students interested in a career in medicine.

On January 5, 2006, forty-three qualifying high school students from South Louisiana parishes had the opportunity to learn and practice listening to breathing and heart sounds, measuring respiratory rate, CPR skills, first aid, and splinting through one-on-one interaction with second year LSUHSC medical students.

Janki Patel,(On Right), East Ascension HS junior, practices taking the blood pressure of her LSUHSC medical school “buddy”.

Dr. Richard DiCarlo from LSUHSC-NO demonstrated the correct method of patient interviewing in a mock patient interview. Dr Robert Eubanks, Head of the Admissions Committee at LSUHSC-NO, walked students through the application process Marie Kelley, Vice-President of the Health Career Institute, and Marvell Nesmith, Director of Admissions for OLOL College, encouraged students to pursue health careers and told about opportunities offered by Our Lady of the Lake College. Students gained knowledge of other medical career choices and training requirements as described in the CLAHEC Health Careers Directory.

Central Louisiana Area Health Education Center (CLAHEC) collaborated with Our Lady of the Lake College and the LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans to bring the program to high school students in the area interested in a medical career. The high school students were chosen on the basis of grades, a letter of recommendation, and an essay expressing their future goals in the medical profession.

(On left), Jessica Banford, West Feliciana HS junior, and Blessing Odohofre (on right), Baton Rouge HS junior, enjoy learning with their “med-school buddy.”

CLAHEC is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare in Louisiana and addressing the health professional shortages in rural and underserved areas of our state. The “A Day with the Doctors” program is one of the ways that CLAHEC works to alleviate the health professional shortages by recruiting students into medical careers early in their educational experience and providing them with the necessary knowledge and tools with which to accomplish their goals. “This program places the kids in a practical atmosphere which allows them to develop ideas for their own future careers through observation and interaction,” says Nan Ewing, the CLAHEC program coordinator.

Photographs were taken by: Nan Ewing, CLAHEC Program Coordinator-Baton Rouge

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MASSACHUSETTS

The Boston AHEC, sponsored by the Boston Public Health Commission, is pleased to announce that two students in their Youth to Health Careers Program, Chubuzo Ibeabuchi and Bobby Lubin, have received POSSE scholarships. Mr. Ibeabuchi received a four year scholarship to Centre College where he will be pre-dental and Mr. Lubin, received a 4 year scholarship to Denison University where he will study dental informatics. Both students interned with Dr. Ana Karina Mascarenhas at the Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine through the Boston AHEC program. They were selected from a pool of 1100 nominations, 125 finalists and are two of only 50 scholarships nationwide.

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MARYLAND

Project Aware

Published July 2007

Western Maryland Area Health Education Center (WMAHEC) is bringing to a close its highly successful Project Aware program after two and a half fruitful years. The focus for this innovative project was to encourage and equip people, particularly those aged 55 and older, to perform meaningful and constructive volunteer service to minimize damage from Homeland Security threats and natural disasters and to aid in the recovery after an event.

The Corporation for National and Community Service awarded WMAHEC $347,000 per annum for Project Aware. In keeping with its philosophy of community partnership, WMAHEC distributed an average 73% of total funds to community partners contracted as project Field Sites and for regional volunteer training and activities. The six community-based Field Sites, encompassing a 17 county, four state service area, received funding for Field Coordinator salaries, laptops, and support for outreach and local training. 27% of CNCS funds were budgeted directly for WMAHEC for program oversight and overall project coordination.

During the course of the project, the six program field sites- Garrett County Area on Aging, Volunteer Center of Allegany County, Washington County Department of Emergency Services, Volunteer Frederick, Inc. Western Maryland Health System Parish Nurse Program and Grant Memorial Hospital- succeeded in recruiting 1,247 total volunteers. Among those volunteers, 630 were age 55 and older, meeting the project’s ambitious goal. Those volunteers provided their communities with more than 48,000 volunteer hours during the program. In addition to the large volume of volunteer hours, Project Aware staff, led by Martha Bird-Middleton, succeeded in providing training related to public health emergencies to hundreds of regional professionals and community members, including 28 regional educational programs with 9 tabletop simulations utilizing Command School, Inc.

The funding for Project Aware will have a long-lasting regional impact. Project Aware supported the growth of the local Community Crisis Response Team, and enabled team members to train and become a regional NOVA (National Organization for Victim Assistance) team serving the Potomac Highlands of Maryland and West Virginia. WMAHEC continues to support the work begun under the Project Aware grant through its Emergency Preparedness Caucus.

For more information about Project Aware’s accomplishments, contact WMAHEC at (301) 777-9150.

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MAINE

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MICHIGAN

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MINNESOTA

Minnesota and the International Legislators Forum
By Gwen Wagstrom Halaas, M.D., M.B.A., Associate Director, Minnesota Area Health Education Center

Minnesota Area Health Education Center Director, Dr. Barbara Brandt, and Deputy Director, Jennifer Stumpf Kertz, gave a presentation in June of 2005 regarding health care professionals in rural areas to the Fifth Annual International Legislators Forum, which serves legislators from Manitoba, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Their presentation reinforced Minnesota’s interest in the continued development of regional strategies to support education, awareness and community engagement in order to focus on the unique contributions that health professionals make to community vitality. Attendees requested that Brandt and Kertz bring additional information to the 2006 forum.

In preparation for the 2006 forum, the Minnesota AHEC Program Office has convened representation from health care leadership and health professions education from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Manitoba to discuss cross-jurisdictional health and health workforce issues in rural areas. The discussion has centered on health professions workforce challenges such as recruitment, retention, burnout and competition. Future meetings will address health professions workforce data, the health professions educational process, and opportunities for collaboration and coordination among the participants. The outcome of these meetings will be presented in May 2006 and will include recommendations to the legislators attending the International Legislators Forum.

For more information, contact Gwen Wagstrom Halaas, M.D., M.B.A., Associate Director, Minnesota Area Health Education Center, Minneapolis, MN, halaa001@umn.edu, 612-626-8788.

Minnesota Adds New AHEC Center
By Gwen Wagstrom Halaas, M.D., M.B.A., Associate Director, Minnesota Area Health Education Center

Fergus Falls has been selected as the host community for the Central Minnesota Area Health Education Center (AHEC). Fergus Falls will take leadership for collaborating with other communities in the region to promote existing health programs and to bring community and university interests together to address health care workforce concerns in the region. Fergus Falls was selected as the host community due to its strong community support, regional vision, entrepreneurial energy, creativity, and innovation. The community demonstrates the capacity and experience to successfully foster partnerships and opportunity throughout the region. The Central AHEC office will be located on the local campus of the Minnesota State Community and Technical College. This is the first academic based AHEC center in Minnesota; the other two regional AHEC centers are hospital-based.

Fergus Falls is the third regional center for the Minnesota AHEC which started in 2002. The centers in Hibbing for the Northeast AHEC and in Willmar for the Southern AHEC have been very successful in educating and engaging youth in programs for future health care careers. Hibbing was the first Minnesota regional center and Brendan Ashby, director of the Northeast AHEC, has had great success in partnering with local health care partners in obtaining funding for programs, and has recently announced the plan for a satellite office at Mercy Hospital in Moose Lake.

For more information, contact Gwen Wagstrom Halaas, M.D., M.B.A., Associate Director, Minnesota Area Health Education Center, Minneapolis, MN, halaa001@umn.edu, 612-626-8788.

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MISSOURI

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MISSISSIPPI

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MONTANA

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NORTH CAROLINA

Asthma Clinic in Rockingham County (Greensboro AHEC)
Published June 2008

Debra Allen, ANP/GNP

Debra Allen, ANP/GNP, is the nurse practitioner for the Rockingham County Health Department located in Wentworth, North Carolina. One of the specialty clinics offered to patients of Rockingham County is the Asthma Clinic where Peter Gal, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FASHP, director of pharmacy research and education services for Greensboro AHEC, collaborates with Allen and other practitioners to provide care to asthma patients. For the past eleven years, Gal has provided his clinical services to the Asthma Clinic.
 
“Since starting the Asthma Clinic, Peter has provided expert one-on-one care to asthma patients in need of a comprehensive care plan,” said Allen. “Before Peter began providing his clinical services, patients did not have access to such expertise or they had to travel out of town to receive such care. All referred patients have access to this clinic regardless of their ability to pay. The Asthma Clinic continues to grow with increased referrals from myself and the other practitioners due to its positive outcomes. Peter is able to diagnose quickly and pinpoint treatments specific for each patient. Also, patients are comfortable in sharing important information, such as smoking habits, with Peter because he is approachable and non-judgmental.”

Peter Gal, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FASHP

Allen added, “Peter is often able to provide patients with samples of medications which is very helpful to our uninsured patients. He also helps patients utilize the Prescription Assistance Program when needed. These actions have had a positive impact on the health care costs for our community by helping patients manage their disease better and avoid visits to the local Emergency Department. Peter always encourages patients to take control of their disease. He has positively influenced each of the practitioners at the Rockingham County Health Department by improving our practice with asthma patients. He is a wonderful resource to the practitioners and to all of the clinical staff. Peter is a phenomenal clinician and his expertise is priceless. Peter, along with Greensboro AHEC, has touched the lives of many in Rockingham County.”

Peter Gal continues to provide his clinical services to the Asthma Clinic on a monthly basis. He follows 50-60 cases per year.


Participants Make Health Careers a Family Affair – Durham County (Wake AHEC)
Published June 2008

A vital part of Wake AHEC’s Health Careers program’s success comes not from only our staff and mentors but from the students and families who participate in these activities. Wake AHEC has been privileged to play a role in the lives of three children in the Peres-da-Silva family.

The eldest son, Prateek, began participating in Wake AHEC programs in 2003 and attended more than 200 hours of programming. He is currently a senior resident student at the NC School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, and is applying to some of the most prestigious colleges in the country, including Harvard and Yale and has noted his participation in Wake AHEC programs on his application.

The two younger Peres-da-Silva children are currently involved with Health Careers programs at Wake AHEC. Ashwin, the younger son and a junior resident student at the NC School of Science and Mathematics, participated in the first Mini-Medical School series offered by Wake AHEC in 2007. He also completed the Clinical Learning Experience in 2006 and was paired up with a pediatric orthopedist for three weeks. He described the experience as the most exciting experience of his life.

The daughter, Nalini, is old enough now to attend Health Career programs and spent the last two summers at a Health Careers Day Camp and most of the Saturday Academy Workshops. She has already become a staple at all of the Health Career events just like her two older brothers.
“Wake AHEC has been (and continues to be) one of the most defining experiences for our children,” said Anil Peres-da-Silva. “It has exposed them to new careers and concepts at an early age…and our children have a greater chance for success as adults if they start young and stay interested and motivated.”

Being part of any student’s life is indeed special but having the privilege to play a role in three students’ lives from one family is a true testament of how getting students interested in health careers at an early age can lead to a bright future and encourage other studen
 

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NORTH DAKOTA

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NEBRASKA

Give Kids A Smile - Grand Island Children Selected to Participate in University of Nebraska’s College of Dentistry Dental Day
By Cindy Paustian

On February 3rd, 2006, forty-six Grand Island children otherwise unlikely to receive dental care, participated in the Nebraska College of Dentistry’s “Give Kids A Smile” Dental Day. Children ranging in age from kindergarten through high school from low income, uninsured and underinsured families along with their sponsors boarded a bus at 6:00am and traveled 90 miles to Lincoln, Nebraska. While visiting the University of Nebraska School of Medicine College of Dentistry, children received cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, cavity fillings, education and emergency dental care as needed. In addition, “Give Kids A Smile” Dental Day provided an opportunity for children to learn the importance of good dental habits while engaging in entertaining activities. This project is a collaborative effort between Central District Health Department and Central Nebraska Area Health Education Center, both located in Grand Island.

Central District Health Department Community Health Nurse Dee Brabander explained, “These children have been screened for family income and level of insurance. The initial dental screenings have been generously provided at no cost by several Grand Island area dentists.” Regular trips to the dentist prevent infections and other dental problems that negatively impact a child’s health. The University of Nebraska School of Medicine College of Dentistry recognizes this and seeks to reach underserved children. Dental care plays an important role in a child’s overall health. For families who have no means of paying for dental care, this Dental Day provides access to dental screenings and treatment for their children.

During “Give Kids A Smile” Dental Day, students from the College of Dentistry learned that there are many needy children in Nebraska who have serious dental problems but don’t have the means to get the care they need. They also learn that throughout their dental careers, there is a need to give back to those less fortunate.

Contact Cindy Paustian at cindy@cn-ahec.org for additional information.

Nebraska SEARCH Program Partners with AHECs for Clinical and Community Service Program
By Robyn Henderson, MHS, Rural Health Education Network/Nebraska AHEC Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.

The Nebraska SEARCH program (Student/resident Experiences And Rotations in Community Health), sponsored by the National Health Service Corps/HRSA, is partnering with the Nebraska AHECs to provide clinical and community service opportunities for a wide-variety of health profession students. The SEARCH program works with the AHECs to identify practice locations for health profession students focusing on primary care. Rotation lengths vary from a couple of weeks to a month or more. Students gain valuable clinical experience as well as experience in working with the community on a variety of projects, such as lunch and learn sessions with seniors, talking with students about health professions, assisting with health fairs, or developing patient education materials. The SEARCH program provides limited financial assistance to SEARCH participants.

Students eligible for participation in this program must be in at least the first year of their health professions study in family medicine or general internal medicine; advance practice nursing in family medicine or psychiatry; physicians assistant in family medicine; pharmacy; dentistry; social work; or clinical psychology.

For more information, please contact Robyn Henderson, 402-559-1979 or rhenderson@unmc.edu.

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NEW HAMPSHIRE

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NEW JERSEY

Camden AHEC in the News
By Lois Teer Seeligsohn

An ABC camerawoman films Prime Time host Diane Sawyer, as she confers with a client and Camden AHEC Nurse Practitioner Mary Kay Dollard (facing front). Sawyer and a Prime Time crew spent several days with Camden AHEC’s mobile community health services team on the AHEC van. Watch for it soon.

In other national media coverage: CNN Television and National Public Radio’s The Nation featured Camden AHEC’s fight for clean needle exchanges to reduce rampant HIV/AIDS infections resulting from contaminated needles.

Other AHEC stories appeared on NJN Television, Life-Net Radio and WTMR Radio, and in the Baltimore Sun, as well as tri-state publications, including the Philadelphia Inquirer and Courier Post. The latter published a front page photo-feature on AHEC’s work with commercial sex workers, many of whom are homeless, HIV-infected or both.

For information, contact Camden AHEC at 856-854-3182.

Seeing is Believing: Teaching Environmental Education to Middle School Students
By Shelley Cohen, Garden AHEC, Bridgeton, NJ

Cumberland County, NJ straddles the Delaware River with picturesque fishing villages, historic lighthouses, and rivers and creeks flowing amidst the marshlands. Because of the region’s rich heritage and scenic beauty, local residents have organized to promote the area as an eco-tourism site. It is also the poorest county in NJ and its low literacy rates and high unemployment figures helped it secure federal Empowerment Zone funding. Pre-doctoral students placed in community agencies by Garden AHEC facilitators are told to expect inner city problems in a rural setting.

A Memorial Middle School, Millville, NJ student tries her hand at oyster shucking

In 2004, the Cumberland Empowerment Zone (CEZ) received a NJ Department of Education grant to initiate the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program. The CEZ funded Garden AHEC, based in Cumberland County, to provide after-school science enrichment courses and Careers in Healthcare programming to underserved and minority students in four middle schools throughout the county. For the FY 2005/06 grant, Garden AHEC was asked to expand the scope of its activities to include summer program offerings. Garden AHEC staff immediately thought of offering programs that would increase student knowledge of the local ecosystem and identify pollutants posing threats to the natural habitats of birds, fish, and other animals. These outdoor activities would be designed to focus on the underlying message of social responsibility, how each person can prevent pollution, leading to improved community health.

Garden AHEC contacted The Bayshore Discovery Project to arrange a two-hour walk in the Bivalve, NJ wetlands where students fished from the dock of the bay, learned the characteristics of different shellfish, and tried their hands at shucking oysters. Through hands-on activities, they explored aspects of the Delaware Estuary, its main pollutants, invasive and non-invasive plants, and how the destruction of natural habitats affects the annual migration of birds. Despite the fact that all of the students are residents of Cumberland County, most of them had never been to this pristine bay area located right in their own county. Students and their site coordinators left the wetlands with a better appreciation of the effects of water and soil pollution and the fragility of the saltwater marshes. Student comments on their Garden AHEC evaluation forms included: “I learned that if a plastic bag is in the ocean, floating turtles think it is a jellyfish, eat it, and die.”

Other activities, facilitated by the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, included building watersheds and exploring the water cycle. This was followed by a mapping tour where students compiled lists of non-point pollutants on the ground and in nearby ditches and creeks. Students were amazed to learn how much water the average family consumes daily and one stated that he “learned that trash can go underground and can affect our underground wells…how we reuse it is important.” A related activity focused on the three R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. Students learned how much trash is thrown away each day by the average American. They worked in groups to separate materials that could be reused or recycled. Each of these programs had the students focus on how their behaviors impact the environment. One student commented, “The Trash Bash project was very interesting. I learned that most of the trash you throw away can still be recycled and the quantity of paper trash in the U.S. is the highest amount in the world.”

Students at Cherry Street School in Bridgeton, NJ get ready to become plant caretakers under the assistance of Sue Slotterback from the Nature Center of Cape May/NJ Audubon Society.

The third set of programs, facilitated by the NJ Audubon Society, Nature Center of Cape May, focused on collecting soil samples outside of each school and studying the differences in composition. Students learned the uses of common plants indigenous to the region and how to grow and cultivate them. They had the opportunity to pot their own plants and learned how to take care of them at home. Another activity involved creating bird feeding stations out of recycled materials like plastic soda bottles. Students learned to identify local birds by sight and by sound. They then went outside with binoculars to see how many species they could find in the school environment. It was interesting to observe how many of the students, identified as very high risk, participated in and enjoyed these activities

Garden AHEC had students evaluate each program using a Likert scale to indicate what they liked best about the program and specifically what they learned. Their comments indicated that they understand the interrelationship between pollution prevention practices, protecting local ecosystems and community health. Garden AHEC plans to reinforce and incorporate what was learned in the summer session into its fall programming. For example, during science enrichment programming, one session will focus on sources of lead in the environment and how it affects the brain.

Camden AHEC Offers Free HIV/AIDS Rapid Testing
By Lois Teer Seeligsohn

A senior medical student checks a client on the AHEC Community Mobile Health Van.

Camden AHEC is southern New Jersey’s first non-profit to offer HIV/AIDS rapid testing. No needles are used – just a gentle cotton mouth swab. Results are ready in 20 minutes, instead of the usual two to three weeks wait.

Camden AHEC has provided free HIV/AIDS tests for more than 20 years but, because results were not available for weeks, nearly 60 percent of clients failed to return for test results.

“Now we can test clients, get their results, counsel them, help them access treatment, and they can be on their way in less than an hour,” says Jose Quann, AHEC mobile team leader.

Camden AHEC’s fully-equipped Mobile Community Health Van team includes a physician, phlebotomist and nurse practitioner who give free check-ups and tests for HIV, hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), as well as pregnancy, diabetes, hypertension, and other routine health screenings. Outreach workers scour the streets, inviting passersby into the van for confidential risk-assessment and testing. Counselors and health educators help HIV-positive clients cope with their diagnoses and access free or affordable treatment. Healthy clients are counseled on protecting themselves and others against the HIV virus and other disorders that are common among low-income residents, including diabetes and hypertension.

Persons who live and work in the Camden area also can take advantage of free and confidential tests at AHEC’s downtown headquarters, 514 Cooper Street, between 11 AM and 6 PM weekdays. No identification is required.

“Free condoms and education on STDs are provided to all,” says Quann. “Clients are recorded only by the initials they give us and they are given secret I.D. numbers; these are stored in a restricted database that is not accessible to the Internet.”

Camden AHEC is a non-profit agency, providing access to free and affordable medical, dental and psychosocial care for low-income and uninsured residents of Camden, Burlington and Gloucester Counties. For further information, call 856-963-2432.

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NEW MEXICO

Do you know a “Best Practice” in your state? Please email us at info@nationalahec.org . Please check back for frequent updates.

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NEVADA

Do you know a “Best Practice” in your state? Please email us at info@nationalahec.org . Please check back for frequent updates.

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NEW YORK

Summer Scholar to a Career in Health Care: A Success Story
By Jill Walls, Hudson Mohawk AHEC Program Director, Glens Falls, NY
Published February 2007

Dressed in green scrubs with a stethoscope around his neck, Michael Whalen looks like one of the many dedicated health care staff at Inter Lakes Health Center. What one doesn’t see is the story behind the scrubs and the stethoscope.

Michael Whalen was chosen three years ago to be a Summer Scholar through the Hudson Mohawk Area Health Education Center’s pipeline program. Michael was placed at Inter Lakes Health Center in Ticonderoga, New York. The Summer Scholar experience has led to Michael becoming an employee at Inter Lakes, where he has not only worked every summer since but throughout the school year as well.

“Over the past three years Michael has come out of his shell and flourished here, his family has seen the difference as well,” stated Director of Nursing, Pat Chamberlain, RN. Ms. Chamberlain noted that at first the staff was skeptical about the Summer Scholar program but they were quickly impressed with Michael’s eagerness to learn. Tamara Chagnon, Human Resources Director noted, “The first couple of weeks Michael was here he walked around with a notepad stopping people and asking questions.” His commitment paid off, “Nurses began to nurture him and took a vested interest in his success, he stuck with the Physician’s Assistants to learn as much as he could,” explained Ms. Chamberlain.

Through the Summer Scholar program and continued employment, Ms. Chamberlain has observed a developed focus from Michael. “He now can see his future and it lies in the health care industry. Michael has even joined the local EMT where he is a respected for not only his eagerness to learn but also his abilities,” added Ms. Chamberlain.

Michael explained that he thought he might be interested in health care but he didn’t know exactly where that could take him until the Summer Scholars program. Michael’s Summer Scholar experience began in the Emergency Room and that is where he has been ever since. Michael graduated from high school this spring and enrolled in the Registered Nursing program at Clinton County Community College with classes beginning this fall. Michael’s ultimate goal is to become a physician, specializing in either ER/Trauma or Pediatrics. His eagerness to become an RN was evident and he believes that the “hands-on” experience he will get from being an RN will only help him in medical school.

When asked what his favorite part of being an ER Technician is, he paused for a moment and stated, “bringing the patients in, taking their vitals, there is always something different going on.” Michael noted, “When I come in everyday, I plan to learn one new thing and everyday I learn five new things.”

With Michael’s life about to take a different course; becoming a college student, becoming an RN and eventually becoming a physician the question begs to be asked, will he come back to Inter Lakes Health Center? Michael thought about it and said, “I will always keep in touch with the hospital and see if they need help and even if I am working elsewhere- I will stay connected to Inter Lakes Health Center.” Michael paused and slowly smiled, “Going back to Inter Lakes is like going back home.”

For more information about HM AHEC, please visit www.gohealthcareer.org.
 

NAHEC Workforce Development System Adopted by Maine State AHEC Network – My Health Career® Chosen to Address Shortage of Health Professionals
By Richard K. Merchant, Executive Director, Northern Area Health Education Center, Inc. (NAHEC), Canton, New York

The Northern Area Health Education Center, Inc. (NAHEC), has licensed its My Health Career® Workforce Development System to the Maine State AHEC. “The My Health Career® System has proven to be a very successful, long term method for addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly on a regional basis”, said Richard K. Merchant, Executive Director of NAHEC. Twenty percent of high school students in the NAHEC region have registered in the system to explore a career in health care. From that initial contact, students are recruited to work with NAHEC and progress through a series of experiential community programs. “The students who make it to our capstone Scholars Program have nearly a 100 percent placement record for pursuing a career in healthcare”, said Merchant.

This success has made the My Health Career® Workforce Development System a popular solution for Area Health Education Centers, community development, and other agencies interested in addressing healthcare workforce shortages. Currently, four Area Health Education Centers in New York State have licensed the My Health Career® System through NAHEC and adapted it to offer regional information and programming that meets regional needs.

The My Health Career® Workforce Development System consists primarily of a software system accessed through the website www.myhealthcareer.org. The System offers: career information and exploration; assessment of foundational skills; on-line curricula for skill gap training; information on scholarships and tuition assistance; and individual portfolio development. The System also offers continuing education and professional development in the form of direct access to programs and announcements on local offerings.

The System is designed to provide both information and direct connections for people who are planning a career or seeking employment with the educational institutions who offer training and the employers who are seeking to fill vacancies in health care. In addition, the website collects data, which can be used to track and project ongoing trends in the supply and demand of the local healthcare workforce. “The result is a system that offers coordinated planning for healthcare workforce development using the direct connections, meaningful data, and a common language between educational institutions, employers, incumbent workers, and students”, said Merchant.

The Maine Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Network, headquartered at the University of New England, and the Maine State Office of Rural Health and Primary Care have partnered to bring the My Health Career® Workforce Development System to Maine. “The My Health Career® System offers a solution, at multiple levels, to the significant challenges our entire state faces with regard to healthcare access, as it pertains to the workforce”, said Marjorie Love, Associate Director of the Maine AHEC Network.

The My Health Career® Workforce Development System has generated significant interest over the past year. In addition to securing five licensing agreements in the northeast, Northern AHEC also responded to a request from the Federal Labor Department in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. “With a number of displaced workers, the Federal government was interested in how the System might be modified to identify and assess the skill of workers who were affected by Katrina, as well as how those workers might be matched with available employment”, stated Merchant. Upon request, Merchant and several NAHEC Board members traveled to Washington, D.C. to discuss the merits of the System with the United States Undersecretary of Labor, Emily Stover DeRocco and her staff.

To learn more about My Health Career®, contact Northern AHEC at 315-379-7701.

For further information, contact: Richard K. Merchant, Executive Director, NAHEC at rkm@nahecnet.org

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OHIO

Northeast Ohio Future Nurses Get National Honors

Robin Mermer, school nurse for the Maplewood School District in Cortland, Ohio, attended a ceremony in September at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. that honored five high school students who were runners-up in a national contest recognizing creativity in promoting good hygiene. The students are members of the school’s Future Nurses Club, one of five such clubs developed and funded by the Eastern Ohio Area Health Education Center (AHEC) in partnership with the Youngstown State University Nursing Department. This is the second year in a row the club has received runner-up status.

Both years’ projects were campaigns designed to remind elementary students to wash their hands frequently to reduce disease transmission. In the first year, the students hung posters over the sinks reminding pupils to wash their hands, and gave classroom presentations and distributed age-appropriate activity sheets on the subject. This year, the students designed an activity handbook, and recorded a song and a skit on a DVD.

The national recognition is for a Healthy Schools, Healthy People campaign to reduce school absenteeism as cold and flu season approaches. The contest is sponsored by the School Network for Absenteeism Prevention – a joint effort of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Soap and Detergent Association. Maplewood’s Future Nurses Club received a $250 cash prize for each year, which was used to buy food for the school’s healthy breakfast program.

For more information, please contact Sue Leffard, sleffard@cc.ysu.edu, at Eastern Ohio AHEC.

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OKLAHOMA

Rural Health Projects/NwAHEC to host Summit

Northwest AHEC, Enid, OK

Published March 2008

The 4^th National Summit on Spit and Smokeless Tobacco will be held on March 4-6, 2008 in Oklahoma City at the Renaissance Hotel/Cox Convention Center, located near Bricktown, the newly renovated business district.  The event is sponsored by Rural Health Projects, Inc./Northwest Area Health Education Center (NwAHEC) in Enid, Okla. and its partners, The American Legacy Foundation, Buck Tobacco, Oklahoma Area Health Education Centers, Oklahoma State Department of Health, Wyoming Thru With Chew, Center for Disease Control, National American Cancer Society, Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, Oklahoma Department of Health, The Spit Summit Advisory Board, Oklahoma State University, American Dental Association, University of Oklahoma and others. 

     The Planning Committee for the National Summit on Spit and Smokeless Tobacco, made up of representatives from each of the organizations, expect 500 healthcare professionals, public health and policy professionals, tobacco treatment specialists, basic scientists, population researchers, physicians, dentists, dental hygienists, state and federal tobacco prevention and control administrators, tobacco program staff and advocates who have an interest in smokeless and spit tobacco to attend.

     “We’re really excited about having The American Legacy Foundation as the principle sponsor of the National Summit on Spit and Smokeless Tobacco,” said Andy Fosmire, Executive Director of Rural Health Projects, Inc./NwAHEC and Chair of the Planning Committee for the National Summit on Spit and Smokeless Tobacco.  “We’re also looking forward to having Dr. Cheryl Heaton, President and CEO of The American Legacy Foundation as the keynote speaker.”

     “One of the great things about holding the National Summit on Spit and Smokeless Tobacco in Oklahoma City is that it is in the center of the country and is easy for people to get to,” said Fosmire.  “The Renaissance Hotel and Cox Convention Center are great venues, and with Bricktown only a short walk away, not only will attendees get to see the cutting edge research on spit and smokeless tobacco, but they will also have an opportunity to see what a wonderful city Oklahoma City is a and experience Oklahoma hospitality first hand.”

     According to Fosmire, Oklahoma has one of the highest percentages of smokeless tobacco use, especially by high school age males, in the country.  The national average is nine percent and Oklahoma’s is 23 percent.  “Spit and smokeless tobacco usage is not only a national issue, but one that is pertinent to the state of Oklahoma,” he said.

     Rural Health Projects, Inc./NwAHEC was approached with the idea of sponsoring a national conference on spit and smokeless tobacco because of their experience with conference planning.  “The National Summit on Spit and Smokeless Tobacco ties in very easily with our Spit It Out Project as well,” said Fosmire.

     Rural Health Projects, Inc./NwAHEC (RHP/NwAHEC) received a grant in 2006 from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) to work with a specific population.  RHP/NwAHEC, calling their endeavor the Spit It Out Project, chose to target middle school/junior high and high school students to fight against the prevalence of use of spit and smokeless tobacco in rural, northwest Oklahoma.

     Kim Schneider, Spit It Out Project Coordinator and Chair of the Marketing Sub-Committee for the conference, said “with the percentage of use of spit tobacco here [in Oklahoma], as well as the social acceptance of its use, holding the National Summit on Spit and Smokeless Tobacco in Oklahoma is like stabbing the big monster in the heart.”

     The mission of the Summit is to “raise awareness of smokeless and spit tobacco issues and to provide solutions to the serious health and economic effects for society.” Keynote, Plenary Sessions and Panel Discussions will bring internationally acclaimed speakers together intent on combating smokeless and spit tobacco.   The theme of the National Summit on Spit and Smokeless Tobacco is “Building a Firm Foundation.”  Fosmire said the goal of the Summit is to build a firm foundation of combating smokeless and spit tobacco use using the building blocks that are the breakout sessions and group sessions that span the three days.  The breakout sessions will include concurrent sessions for:  Youth Advocacy; Cultural Competency; Communication and Counter-Marketing; Advocacy; Cessation and Clinical Systems, and Policy Development and Program Planning.

     Fosmire said this is the only conference that is focused solely on smokeless and spit tobacco.  The three day conference will center each day around a specific goal.  Day one will include identifying issues around smokeless and spit tobacco; day two will focus on interventions, and day three will focus on implementation. 

     “I’m looking forward to getting the word out that this [spit and smokeless tobacco] is a serious problem, as serious as smoking, as well as seeing how others have found success in making strides towards fixing that problem,” said Schneider.

     “I want people to walk away from the Summit saying, ‘wow,’ about the information they received as well as about their visit to Oklahoma” said Fosmire.

For information on being an exhibitor or sponsor please contact us at 580-213-3172.

Look for complete conference information including program agenda on the website www.okcspitsummit.org.

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OREGON

AHEC Students Return to Their Roots

AHEC of Southwest Oregon
Published December 2008

Area Health Education Center of Southwest Oregon, AHEC-SW, is responsible for a number of exciting programs that promote health careers and services to rural and underserved populations. One of the longest running programs is coordinating and funding rural rotations of third and fourth year medical students from OHSU in SW Oregon communities. Two physicians currently practicing in Roseburg are AHEC Rotation Alumni Dr. Jason Gray (anesthesiologist) and Dr. Andrea Gray (ophthalmologist.)

Jason is a Portland native who was not at all interested in practicing medicine in a rural community. When Jason had his first medical experience outside of Portland in Coos Bay on an AHEC-SW rotation, his mind became open to the idea of serving in rural Oregon. Andrea is a Roseburg native, so rural Oregon was a place she always wanted to work as a physician. Her father was an orthodontist in Roseburg and she saw how meaningful his work was to him as well as how meaningful he was to the community of Roseburg. She knew that she wanted a similar experience. Andrea also did her rural AHEC-SW rotation in Coos Bay.

Jason and Andrea cite several things as positives when it comes to rural medicine: the opportunity to be valued within the community as a doctor and community member beyond the job, the ease of connecting with the community, the ease of transportation-commuting, and many more opportunities to practice a breadth of medicine that an urban environment does not allow. There are, of course, difficulties as well. Things like limited shopping and professional resources (backup, sub specialists, payer mix) are regular hurdles. Most troublesome was the sentiment felt by both Jason and Andrea of patient perception that “city docs” are better than rural docs.

Jason and Andrea would advise current medical students considering where they want to practice to think about their overall life goals, not just the quickest way to pay off loans. For example, they should consider where they want to raise their children, take a close look at what a small town offers, and know their inherent likes so they can pursue a community that matches those qualities. Jason and Andrea emphasize this next point as their primary reason to practice in a rural setting: as part of the decision-making process, know that you actually get to solve problems in rural medicine and see patient progress.

I asked them what they appreciated most about practicing medicine in Roseburg. Andrea’s response was, “I get to take care of people I grew up with. I’ve done cataract surgery for former teachers and people I went to church with.” Jason replied, “The opportunity for involvement at an early stage to actually make a difference.”

Doctors Jason and Andrea Gray are extremely valuable and appreciated healthcare resources in SW Oregon. Thank you for being here and serving this community.

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PENNSYLVANIA

Do you know a “Best Practice” in your state? Please email us at info@nationalahec.org . Please check back for frequent updates.

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RHODE ISLAND

National Primary Care Week in Rhode Island a Big Success!
AHEC of Rhode Island Program Office
Published February 2007

This year’s National Primary Care Week, held from October 15-21st, 2006, proved to be a resounding success here in Rhode Island. Working in partnership with Rhode Island Department of Health Office of Primary Care, the Rhode Island Free Clinic, the University of Rhode Island College of Nursing, the American Medical Student Association and the Rhode Island Area Health Education Center Network, a series of evocative and informative events were held throughout the week highlighting the various aspects, issues, and crises currently facing primary care, both here in Rhode Island and throughout the United States.

This year’s theme for National Primary Care Week was “Addressing Health Disparities: Healing the Nation”, and, as such, each of the six events held throughout the week, in some measure, addressed the issues of racial, ethnic, economic, and health care quality injustices within the United States’ health care system.

The kick-off to National Primary Care Week was a banquet and keynote address by Dr. Gloria WilderBrathwaite, on Sunday October 15th at the Brown University Faculty Club attended by many health professions students, clinical faculty, community leaders, and members of various Rhode Island health care organizations. Dr. Gloria, as she is known, is a pediatrician and President and CEO of Core Health, and the founder of Justice Speaks, and has dedicated her career to reducing health disparities and working towards the development of a health care system that provides equal, high quality health care to all individuals.

Dr. Gloria spoke passionately and evocatively regarding the impact health disparities have on both individuals, through a summation of the experience of one of her current patients, as well as on United States society as whole. Dr. Gloria’s compelling keynote address visibly touched everyone in attendance, and served as a call to service to those working in any capacity within the health care system.

In addition to a thought-provoking keynote speech, a number of other exciting initiatives occurred during the week to highlight many of the elements that encompass primary care and its successes and challenges.

On Tuesday October 17th, the Brown Medical School student-organized Family Medicine Interest Group supported a well attended panel discussion of family physicians who provided an overview of how they have taken their specialty to a new level of caring for the underserved. Physicians from academia, a homeless health care facility, and a progressive family practice, and a second year medical resident discussed what brought them to primary care, how it has impacted their practice and their lives, and the value to society that they believe primary care offers.

On Wednesday October 18th, six medical students who participated in community-based projects which promoted an increase in access to quality care for underserved populations, and who were funded and supported by the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) of Rhode Island, presented their initiatives and findings to community members, Brown Medical School staff and faculty, other interested medical students, and community-based preceptors. Additionally, a number of awards were given to community-based preceptors who have demonstrated a strong commitment to teaching and to providing care to the underserved. Also, three student leaders were recognized for their work in advancing primary care, social justice in medicine, and leadership among Brown Medical School students.

Also at Brown Medical School on Thursday, October 19th, another well-attended lunchtime lecture was offered, this one by Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island which discussed contraception, medical abortion and women’s reproductive health and was sponsored by Medical Students for Choice, MOMs, the Family Medicine Interest Group, the Emergency Medicine Interest Group and AMSA. This thought provoking and lively lecture reinforced the view that reproductive care isn’t specialty care, it is actually primary care.

To conclude a highly participative and engaging week celebrating National Primary Care Week, a round table discussion and tour was held at Progreso Latino in Central Falls on Friday, October 20th. Progreso Latino is Rhode Island’s largest non-profit organizations serving the needs of the Latino community, and is a partner with the AHEC of RI and the Department of Family Medicine at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island in establishing learning opportunities for Family Medicine Clerkship students and Family Medicine residents. Students, clinical faculty, AHEC staff and community members had an opportunity to reflect on past successes of the partnership as well as consider ways in which to enhance it.

This year’s National Primary Care Week was a remarkable success, with many of the most pressing issues facing primary care being explored and discussed. Students from a variety of health professions’ training programs were exposed to what ails primary care and what can be done to repair it, as well as exposed to advocacy efforts and the politics of the health care system and how care, and access to care, is apportioned inequitably in the United States.

“Addressing Health Disparities: Healing the Nation” was a most apt theme for this year’s National Primary Care Week, as each of the key partners; the Rhode Island Department of Health Office of Primary Care, the AHEC of RI, AMSA, the Rhode Island Free Clinic, the URI College of Nursing, and the Department of Family Medicine at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island all, through their core missions and operating principles, are dedicated to creating a health care system that provides equal, high quality health care to all, regardless of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
 

Central Rhode Island AHEC
Published February 2007

In June of 2006, Central RI AHEC launched a summer youth program called REACT RI, which is a Youth Health Service Corps project, modeled after the CT AHEC curriculum. REACT RI had its kickoff at the state’s only children’s hospital, with 47 attendees. The students came from 22 different high schools in the central area of the state, with one common goal: they wanted to learn more about health careers and the opportunities available to them. The interested students learned about the program at school, and applied online to attend the kickoff training. At that training, the students learned about some basic principles of health care, such as cultural competency and hand washing technique. At the end of the day, which was both educational and fun, the students took a post-test to see how much they learned.

The highest scoring test-takers were selected to participate in the full summer program, which included more training, and the students’ favorite part: a hands-on learning experience of fifteen hours per week at a local health care facility, which was rewarded with a stipend. The students were placed in many types of settings, from various locations in a few hospitals, and even in a community health center.

The REACT RI program lasted for seven weeks, and the students learned more in those weeks than they even expected. Some students reported that the program strengthened their interests in health careers, and others learned about more and different choices they could make in the field. All the students reported enjoying the program, and all are eagerly awaiting the start of the program for 2007.
 

Brown Medical School & Rhode Island AHEC

The Rhode Island AHEC Program at Brown Medical School is pleased to announce the opening of its newest AHEC center: the Northern RI AHEC Program, located in Woonsocket, RI. While a search is presently underway for an executive director, Robert Trachtenberg, associate director for the RI statewide AHEC program, has been acting executive director, and, working with Dr. Arthur Frazzano, Associate Dean of Medicine for Clinical Faculty and Principal Investigator and Director of the Statewide RI AHEC program, and the staff at the Central RI AHEC program, many initiatives have already begun that complement the work of the statewide RI AHEC network.

Chief among the new initiatives is a unique multi-school interdisciplinary project that focuses on collaboration. Brown Medical School, the Department of Nursing at Rhode Island College, and the Area Health Education Centers of RI have come together to develop a program focused on the fostering of collaboration between health care professionals. As a mechanism to launch this program, AHEC and the academic centers will fund at least two Brown medical students and two RIC nursing students to undertake a collaborative curriculum development project this coming summer. Students will be supported with a stipend for $3500 for a period of 10 weeks. The goal of the project will be to develop common curriculum content for both institutions. A topical proposal is envisioned focused on one of three areas: patient safety, end of life care or community health education. It is expected that development of the proposal will involve a research component, probably in the form of interviews of health care professionals aimed at identifying problems and solutions to those problems that involve collaboration.

For more information, contact Robert M. Trachtenberg, 401-528-3261, robert_trachtenberg@brown.edu.

Other exciting RI AHEC news:

RI AHEC is pleased to be the primary supporter of and participant in Shape Up RI, which is a health, fitness and weight loss challenge created by Adopt A Doctor Chairman and Brown Medical School student Rajiv Kumar. This annual health campaign encourages Rhode Islanders to improve their health and lifestyle by increasing their physical activity levels and developing smart eating practices. Participants will compete on teams to see which one can lose the greatest percentage of collective team weight and/or log the most hours of physical activity over the three month period from March 6 through June 12. Currently, 160 teams and 1200 Rhode Islanders have signed on as participants!

The RI AHEC program is a key partner on the development of a project seeking to determine what consumers want from primary care, as part of Governor Donald Carcieri’s desire to develop a health care system with greater emphasis on primary care and a more balanced deployment of hospital-based and specialty care resources. RI AHEC will convene a number of focus groups that seek to identify specific attributes of innovative and patient-centered primary care practices, and then share the results with decision-makers, stakeholders, and supporters. Ultimately, the “new model” of practice will be piloted, and offer the following:

1. demonstration of the clinical and economic value of a redesigned primary care practice of the future
2. a laboratory to evaluate practice design.
3. a system created and managed by the various stakeholders

Overall, the RI AHEC program is engaged and involved with many exciting programs and projects throughout Rhode Island, despite being one of the newest AHECs in the country. We are growing fast and quickly establishing the program as an integral component to the health care system in the Ocean State!

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SOUTH CAROLINA

Interprofessional Service Learning Project Draws on Success of Rural Rotations
By Beth Kennedy, MS, South Carolina AHEC and Diane Kennedy, MS, Lowcountry AHEC
Published July 2008

Carolina AHEC Health Professions Student (HPS) programs provide training opportunities for health professions students in rural and underserved communities by linking academic programs with health care practitioners. Assisting health profession students with clinical placements in communities has been part of the South Carolina AHEC’s mission since its inception, and providing medical students with off-campus learning experiences was a key factor in the creation of this AHEC. Over the years, we have expanded our HPS activities to include numerous health professions disciplines in addition to the core medicine and physician assistant students who continue to account for a large number of HPS placements.

In the 1990s, two important developments occurred in the HPS scope of activity: the South Carolina Rural Interdisciplinary Program of Training (known as SCRIPT), and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Medicine and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Deans’ Rural Clerkship. From 1993 until 2006, Lowcountry AHEC sponsored SCRIPT with funding provided by the Bureau of Health Professions’ Quentin N. Burdick Program for Rural Interdisciplinary Training with additional funding beginning in 2000 from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Southern Rural Access Program. The RWJF grant allowed the program to go beyond the lowcountry region of South Carolina by expending SCRIPT into the present statewide program. In 2006, the Burdick program was terminated by HRSA; however the SCRIPT program has continued with funding from the SC state legislature to the South Carolina AHEC.

SCRIPT has the goal of preparing health professions students to deliver culturally acceptable care in rural settings utilizing an interdisciplinary, community focused approach. Living and practicing in a rural community enables health professions students to learn that rural health care presents unique challenges as well as opportunities for a positive, fulfilling life, both personally and professionally.

The evaluation of SCRIPT includes biennial surveys of SCRIPT alumni who graduated from their health professions programs and are working in their field. Surveys of SCRIPT alumni were conducted in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007. Survey results have consistently revealed that approximately 35% of SCRIPT participants who graduated are practicing in rural communities, while another 20 to 25% who would have liked to work in a rural area reported they could not find suitable jobs in rural communities.

Alumni are also asked to respond to questions about the impact of the SCRIPT experience in their clinical practice. They are asked, “How confident are you of your ability to practice on an interdisciplinary team?” In each of the 4 biennial surveys, over 90% of respondents were moderately or very confident in their ability to practice on an interdisciplinary team, and more than 70% said they were working on an interdisciplinary team. Transcultural care is another component of the SCRIPT course. The survey asked, “How confident are you of your ability to effectively serve a population whose predominant cultural, ethnic, and/or racial characteristics are different than your own?” Results revealed that over 95% of alumni were moderately or very confident in their ability to effectively serve a population whose predominant cultural, ethnic, and/or racial characteristics were different from their own.

Survey comments illustrate that taking part in SCRIPT could have life changing results. Feedback from one individual spoke of the value of working on an interdisciplinary team, remarking: “It made me value the importance of every profession. It made me more aware of how every discipline is important to the overall health of the patient. I realized that there may be other factors outside of my expertise that may affect the patient’s condition.”

SCRIPT has shown that immersion of health professions students for a relatively brief period of time in rural, interdisciplinary, community-based health care experiences increases their likelihood of working in interdisciplinary teams and selecting rural, underserved practice.

The second HPS development in the 1990s was the collaboration that was built between the South Carolina AHEC and the Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine and their Dean’s Rural Clerkship. The participation by the four regional AHECs became critically important for the students working in the community under the auspices of this program. The AHEC HPS coordinators not only help with placements and orientation to the community and to the practice, but they also coach the students as they work on their community service-learning projects. This rotation has become the most highly rated clinical rotation by the MUSC College of Medicine students.

Building on the SCRIPT and Dean’s Clerkship experience, the HPS program introduced in 2007-2008 a major new program that may well become a model for the nation on interprofessional education and service learning. This project, known as The Interprofessional Service-Learning Project (ISLP), was designed by MUSC faculty from the disciplines of medicine, pharmacy, health administration, nursing, and physician assistant as part of the Creating Collaborative Care Initiative. The pilot program is being implemented in collaboration with the Junior Doctors of Health Program at MUSC and Lowcountry AHEC. Thus far, health profession students from medicine, pharmacy, physician assistant, and health administration have participated. As the program evolves, the plan includes adding other disciplines.

The overall goal of ISLP is to provide health professions students with collaborative, interprofessional learning experiences designed to increase their knowledge and skills in health promotion/disease prevention. The objectives of the ISLP are to teach students to recognize the value of interprofessional healthcare team and the community health approach to prevention and wellness. Students participate in an interprofessional, community health service-learning project where they learn about socio-cultural elements of community and prevailing health problems. The first community health prevention focus is on childhood obesity.

The focus for the ISLP is to equip interprofessional teams of students with the knowledge and skills they can use to work with local schools to address childhood obesity and communicate with young people about health-related topics. Health professions students serve as the mentors and instructors for these community-based projects. Elementary school students participate in activities to encourage physical activity, balanced nutrition and improved health outcomes while schools, teachers and parents are encouraged to take an active role in reducing obesity rates in their schools and communities. In addition, the young people are exposed to real-life examples of career opportunities in healthcare, and health professions students are challenged to find ways to communicate health information in an age-appropriate manner.

We expect the ISLP program to evolve and expand in the coming years, becoming a model for community-based interprofessional education in South Carolina and beyond.

For additional information, visit www.scahec.net.

 

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SOUTH DAKOTA

Do you know a “Best Practice” in your state? Please email us at info@nationalahec.org . Please check back for frequent updates.

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TENNESSEE

Do you know a “Best Practice” in your state? Please email us at info@nationalahec.org . Please check back for frequent updates.

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TEXAS

Piney Woods AHEC Supports Community Project to Save Lives
Published February 2007

On Aug. 18, 2005, the first day of football practice at McMichael Middle School in Nacogdoches, TX, an eighth grader tragically died from a heart arrhythmia. He might have lived if there had been an automatic external defibrillator device nearby. An automatic external defibrillator (AED) would have given him a better chance of survival. Following the event a concerned nurse and member of the community approached Piney Woods AHEC with a solution: placing AEDs on every campus in Nacogdoches County. Piney Woods AHEC created the Nacogdoches Community AED Taskforce to address this issue.

What is an AED? The automated external defibrillator (AED) is a computerized medical device that can check a person’s heart rhythm. It can recognize abnormal rhythms that require a shock. And, it can advise the rescuer when a shock is needed. The AED uses voice prompts, lights and text messages to tell the rescuer the steps to take.

The Nacogdoches Community AED Taskforce formed with the intent to place AEDs in every school in Nacogdoches ISD and Nacogdoches County. The Taskforce is made up of representatives from Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital, Nacogdoches County EMS, Stephen F. Austin State University, Piney Woods AHEC, Nacogdoches Police Department and other concerned members the community.

“The Nacogdoches Community AED Taskforce will collaboratively provide timely access to lifesaving interventions for the citizens of Nacogdoches County to decrease the sudden cardiac death rate” as noted in the AED Taskforce mission statement. The mission will be accomplished through the following goals and objectives:

1. Facilitate the placement of AEDS in all public schools in Nacogdoches County.
   
2. Facilitate implementation of policies and procedures to support placement and operations of AEDs in the public schools
   
3. Coordinate basic life support training (CPR and AED) of public school employees.
   
4. Provide continued annual support of quality basic life support training and AED maintenance
   
5. Expand the promotion of AED placement throughout the County in local businesses, worksites and community buildings.

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UTAH

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VIRGINIA

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VERMONT

Re: Academic detailing

• “Academic detailing provides us with comprehensive and objective information on drugs which wouldn’t be available to us otherwise.” (Robert Schwartz, MD, Family Medicine and Medical Director at Northwest medical Center in Manchester, VT
• “The Academic Detailing session with Ms. Kennedy regarding the management of heartburn was excellent. It helped separate some of the facts from the hype. It generated a good discussion among the providers at our office and we have changed our approach to management of this common problem.” (Charles D. MacLean, MD, Fletcher Allen Health Care Center in Essex Junction, VT.

Re: View from a rural primary care physician, AHEC loan repayment recipient and current AHEC Center board member

“Overall, AHEC is a wonderful organization and they’ve been so instrumental in promoting health and medicine. The way they helped get an RN program established at Lyndon State College really alleviated a nursing shortage in this area, and the continuing education they facilitate for practitioners in health fields is so important. For me, the AHEC educational loan repayment program was instrumental in my being able to afford this job. AHEC evolves to meet needs as they arise; it’s the only organization I know that’s all good….I’m fortunate in working with these people.”
(Sharon Fine, M.D., the Danville Health Center, Danville, VT)

Re: School Nurses Stay Current through Nursing Grand Rounds on Interactive Television

The Vermont AHEC Program and the Vermont Department of Health have offered five Nursing Grand Rounds programs per year for school nurses since 1999. It offers free contact hours in after school sessions delivered around the state at 14 interactive television sites. Each session provides the latest information on topics chosen by the school nurses and delivered by a subject expert, usually from the academic medical setting. Each session is attended by an average of 70 participants, who normally cannot afford the cost or hours of travel to get to continuing education in a very rural state.

Each session is facilitated at the site where the speaker is located by Kary Towne, RN, a nationally certified school nurse and district representative to the Vermont School Nurses’ Association. “I have attended all the presentations during the last four years and have been impressed with the variety of topics, and the high quality of the speakers. I come away from the programs with new information, ideas and resources that help me as I work with students, their families and other members of the school community,” she remarks.

Kathleen Keleher, CNM, MPH, Director of Public Health Nursing for the Vermont Department of Health, assists with the planning of program topics. “Certainly, it would be impossible for school nurses and nurses in Vermont Health Department district offices to have this kind of access to academic-based experts without Nursing Grand Rounds,” Keleher points out.

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WASHINGTON

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WEST VIRGINIA

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Wisconsin

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WYOMING

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