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 Gibson
worked with Lovelace Family Medicine and Newberry County Memorial Hospital to
generate and publish resources for maternal health. As part of her activities, Ms. Gibson created
a website entitled “Carrying to Cradle:
Resources for Healthy Pregnancies and Healthy Babies.” She also looked
at infant mortality rates and primary C-section rates, comparing those of Dr.
Oscar Lovelace’s office in Prosperity, South Carolina to those in the rest of
the state and in other parts of the country.
Her research has shown that rural medical practices can provide good
quality of care, as shown by Newberry having one of the lowest infant mortality
rates in South Carolina. Mid-Carolina
AHEC Health Professions Student Coordinators Julie Ghent and Jeff Cauthen are
pleased to have been a part of connecting Ms. Gibson with a community that can benefit
from her skills and interests.
For more information, contact Mid-Carolina HPS
Coordinators Julie Ghent (jughent@comporium.net) or Jeff Cauthen (jcauthen@comporium.net).
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