Mid-Carolina AHEC Partners for Pathways to Practice Scholar Placement

Mid-Carolina AHEC is proud to announce the continuation of a partnership begun in 2015 with the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region IV Public Health Training Center. The Region IV Public Health Training Center (R-IV PHTC) aims to strengthen competence of the current and future public health workforce in HHS Region IV, expose public health students to the value of working in underserved areas and advocate for public health systems and policies. For this upcoming summer field placement, Lovelace Family Medicine in Prosperity will host Pathways to Practice Scholar award selectee Jennifer Meunier, currently a first-year Masters of Public Health student at the University of South Carolina.

Ms. Meunier will be working with Dr. Oscar Lovelace and his staff to assess the effects of physician led weight management in primary care and will conduct research on the benefit of obtaining a body composition analysis for patients attending weight management classes versus those who attend class alone. Further tasks will include attending a weekly weight management class, following up with patients and collaborating with the office’s weight management coordinator.

As part of the field placement program, students are asked to complete a pre-survey, work plan, final evaluation, brief reflection and executive summary paper, and a draft conference abstract on their experience. According to Michelle L. Carvalho, Program Manager and Coordinator at Emory University, these requirements may also meet degree requirements for the students as well.

If you are a public health student interested in helping a rural community in South Carolina while completing necessary components of your curriculum, please contact Jeff Cauthen, Health Professions Student Coordinator at Mid-Carolina AHEC, at jcauthen@comporium.net or 803-286-4121.

Comments

Kelly Jones, PharmD, Named 2016 South Carolina AHEC Educator of the Year Award

Kelly Jones, PharmD, BCPS is recognized as the 2016 South Carolina AHEC Educator of the Year. Dr. Jones is the Associate Professor of Family Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence. He was nominated by the Continuing Professional Development staff of Pee Dee AHEC in recognition for his outstanding contribution to the continuing professional development of healthcare providers across South Carolina and beyond. The South Carolina AHEC Outstanding Educator of the Year Award recognizes excellence in instructors of continuing education in the South Carolina AHEC system. The Outstanding Educator is selected based on their ability to present content in a practical, useful format that meets the needs and expectations of program participants while communicating the material enthusiastically. Educators must also successfully adapt presentations to address multiple learning styles. Dr. Jones has served the South Carolina AHEC in a myriad

Lowcountry AHEC Helps School Nurse Orientation Pivot Online during Pandemic

For many years, orientation for school nurses in South Carolina has been an in-person event; however, due to COVID-19, this orientation, like so many other in-person events, was cancelled this past year. Yet the need to orient South Carolina's school nurses remains critical. Recognizing this need, a team consisting of Lowcountry AHEC staff, South Carolina Association of School Nurse President Dawn MacAdams and South Carolina Department of Education State School Nurse Consultant Vicky Ladd developed a plan to deliver the orientation as an online, self-paced course. The instructors supported the format change, working to convert their in-person sessions to online content, and Lowcountry AHEC will provide nursing credit for the series over the next two years. The orientation went live in the fall of 2020 and is available at no cost to South Carolina school nurses on the new and improved South Carolina AHEC Learning Portal. To find out more and register, visit the Foundations of School

Mid-Carolina AHEC Simulation Activity Allows Students to Step into Nurses’ Shoes

Prior to COVID-19 Students in the Mid-Carolina AHEC Health Careers Program were able to participate in an interactive activity that allowed them to act as nurses during a simulation activity. The experience was offered through Mid-Carolina AHEC’s continued partnership with Midlands Technical College: Airport Campus. Chaunta Simmons, RN, an instructor with the college’s Health Sciences Department, developed the experience to provide a way for students to actively learn about the nursing profession. Together with Nursing Department Chair Shirley Bannister, RN, they explained the roles of nurses, provided a brief presentation, and enabled students to perform as nurses by taking care of their simulated patient. Students completed a series of tasks common to the day-to-day nursing practice such as patient assessment, foley catheter management, patient positioning, post-operative management, medication administration and safety all while adorned with personal protective equipment (PPE). &qu

South Carolina AHEC News & Updates

Search This Blog