South Carolina AHEC News & Updates

Based upon nominations from the students, faculty, and AHEC partners, the MUSC College of Health Professions Physician Assistant Program is pleased to recognize Julie Bowers, FNP, as the 2015 Preceptor of the Year. She was recognized during the graduation ceremony on August 15. Students, colleagues and partners recognize Ms. Bower’s excellence in teaching: “Julie is the epitome of a healthcare professional. She is dedicated to her patients and their care foremost, but also harbors a love for teaching. She is dedicated to her students receiving a quality educational experience and spends much time educating and teaching. She quickly assesses where the student is in his/her learning process and is able to develop a plan to fit his/her needs and the objectives of the program. Most of her students stay in contact with her after they complete their rotation and many would love to have the opportunity to work with her after graduation. When her schedule has openings and we have a need,

Funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Rural Interprofessional Student Experience (RISE) is a partnership between the South Carolina AHEC and MUSC College of Health Professions Physician Assistant Program. The RISE program provides PA students with an intensive two-week opportunity to transition from the classroom to clinical phase of their education by providing introductions to the healthcare delivery system, exposure to rural and medically underserved communities, and interprofessional experiences across the state. While at the hospitals, the students observed interactions among numerous units in the healthcare system as it dealt with challenges of providing healthcare to the rural population of South Carolina.  This educational experience was provided through observational learning, discussions with clinicians, staff, technicians, and patients involved in the system of care within rural and medically underserved areas.   All four South Carolina AHEC r

B2B students visit a simulation lab Calling all pre-health students at Claflin University,  Coastal Carolina University, Clemson University, College of Charleston, Francis  Marion University, South Carolina State University, Winthrop University and  surrounding colleges and universities: The South Carolina AHEC Bench to Bedside  (B2B) Fall 2015 Student Success Seminar Series kicks off on Wednesday, September 16. The fall series includes three seminars: A  Day in the Life :  September 16, 2015, 5:00 – 6:30 pm Personal  Branding & Marketing Yourself :  October 21, 2015, 5:00 – 6:30 pm  Careers in Surgery :  November 4, 2015, 5:00 – 6:30 pm  Navigating the pipeline for entry into health professions  training programs can be challenging for undergraduates. With decisions ranging  from undergraduate course selection, identifying opportunities to enhance the  admissions application and securing networking prospects, pre-health careers  education and preparation is riddle

Denise D. Corriher, Residency Coordinator, McLeod Family Medicine Residency Program, Florence, South Carolina, recounts this year’s Kansas City Conference     The annual American Academy of Family Physicians’ National Conference for students and residents was held on July 30-August 1, in Kansas City, Missouri. Residents, faculty and staff from each of the eight South Carolina family medicine residency training programs attended. The conference affords medical students an opportunity to learn more about family medicine residency programs, attend educational sessions, and participate in several hands-on learning opportunities. Areas of focus included transitioning into practice, musculoskeletal clinics, and procedural skills courses.    Throughout the conference, all eight of South Carolina’s family medicine residency programs stayed busy at the recruiting booth, meeting medical students and explaining the benefits of completing residency training in South Carolina. This year

Mid-Carolina AHEC had the opportunity this summer, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region IV Public Health Training Center located at the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, to offer the “Pathways to Practice Scholars” program in the Midlands region.    This program provides an opportunity for public health students to gain practical experience working with seasoned public health practitioners serving or working on behalf of underserved communities or populations. All field placements are intended to enhance students’ professional skills and knowledge while giving them the opportunity to use skills learned in the classroom.   Broad areas that can be addressed during a field placement experience are epidemiology or biostatistics, health policy, health management, health promotion and education, global health, health communications, environmental health, and refugee health. University of South Carolina MPH candidate Andrea Gibso

Eighty-one medical students from nine medical schools attended the 26th Annual Rebecca S. Seignious Family Medicine Interest Day that was held on August 22 at the Embassy Suites in Columbia. The event, which seeks to encourage students’ interest in the field of family medicine, is sponsored by the Statewide Family Practice Residency Directors, the South Carolina AHEC, and the South Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (SCAFP).  The students began the day with a luncheon where they were able to network with members of the SCAFP and faculty and residents from South Carolina’s Family Medicine Residency Programs. Mark Jordan, Director of South Carolina DHEC’s Office of Primary Care, also presented a brief overview of the National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program. After lunch each student selected four hands-on workshops conducted by South Carolina AHEC’s Family Medicine Residency Training Programs’ faculty and residents.   The hands-on workshops inc

Lowcountry AHEC is offering continuing education programs statewide via the SCHOOLS videoconference network to meet the needs of local healthcare providers. An upcoming program entitled “Legal Aspects of Documentation in Nursing” will take place on October 20. This statewide program was planned at the request of four hospitals. Lowcountry AHEC is coordinating with Upstate AHEC, who will host the program’s presenter, Pam Collins, MSN, CMSRN, RN, from their location in Greenville. The legal aspects program will comprehensively examine the legal considerations of patient documentation. This course will provide insight on how to chart in a manner that is effective and legally defensible. The course content includes key sources of litigation for healthcare professionals, how medical records (electronic and traditional) are interpreted/analyzed, and effective use of flowsheets and charting by exception. Actual cases will be reviewed as part of an eye-opening mock deposition. Licensed

Anderson native Lauren Taylor has joined the staff of Upstate AHEC in the newly created position of database manager and student services associate. In this role, Ms. Taylor will be in charge of Upstate AHEC’s database operations and maintenance.   In addition, she will spend half her time working directly with the Health Careers Program and Health Professions Student program coordinators focusing on marketing strategies and program development.   She looks forward to working with a range of students in the Upstate area. Ms. Taylor holds a bachelor’s in communication and a MBA from Anderson University. Her work experience includes database management, professional marketing and public relations, project management and strategic planning. A self-described “nerd” when it comes to data and research, she also possesses a creative side reflected by her entrepreneurial success as owner of an artist’s paint shop, where she creates a variety of hand painted gifts and wall hangings.

The Ninth Annual National Conference on Health Disparities will be held in collaboration with the 2016 National Environmental Justice Conference & Training Program, with the theme of  “A National Dialogue for Building Healthy Communities.” The mission of the conference is to focus on policies, research interventions, and programs that address prevention, social determinants, and personal responsibility in reducing health disparities and promoting health equity and environmental justice. The Conference invites student submissions for a poster session. The session will be included in a Student Research Forum that will also include student roundtable discussions, a keynote address, and dynamic interactive workshops. Preferred abstracts will relate to the full range of health disparities and environmental health in the basic sciences, clinical sciences, population/behavioral/social sciences and environmental sciences.  Students are strongly encouraged to focus on one or more