Honoring Julie Ghent’s Legacy

Julie's family and team members from Mid-Carolina pose for a photo next to the plaque

The Mid-Carolina AHEC team and members of Julie Ghent’s family were extremely touched when the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine--Carolinas Campus (VCOM) recently honored the late Mid-Carolina AHEC Health Professions Student Coordinator during their annual awards ceremony for third and fourth year medical students and preceptors. Julie passed away due to complications from COVID-19 in January.

Dr. Matthew Cannon, Dean for the VCOM Carolinas Campus, and other faculty members recognized Julie’s tremendous contributions to the training of medical students in our state. They dedicated a bridge on campus in her honor, with a plaque that reads:

"Julie was a “bridge” for many students who navigated from the classroom to clinical rotations in Lancaster, South Carolina. This bridge was not made of wood, but love and compassion for each student that crossed her path. Julie, a selfless student advocate, represented all that is great about our mission and the care we will give to our patients."

Julie’s husband, Joe Ghent, also presented scholarship gifts to two VCOM students who Julie had supported on rotations and who happened to care for Julie while she was fighting COVID in the hospital.

VCOM also hung a plaque in Clinical Affairs “in loving memory of a devoted leader in medical education, who touched the lives of countless 3rd & 4th year students. She made everlasting memories through her admirable character, her impeccable integrity, and her love for all those around her. Her servant’s heart and empathetic care exemplifies her compassion that others strive to emulate.”

The entire South Carolina AHEC System would like to thank VCOM for their remembrance of Julie and their recognition of her steadfast dedication to her students. She is greatly missed in the South Carolina AHEC family and beyond.

Mid-Carolina AHEC and Joe Ghent are working with VCOM to establish the Rural Matters Julie W. Ghent Scholarship fund. If you are interested in participating in this legacy honoring Julie’s memory and work, please contact Mid-Carolina AHEC Center Director Cheri Plyler at cplyler@comporium.net.

Like so many others in our families, communities, and across the nation, this pandemic has been a time of separation and loss. Today we share sad news of a loss within our AHEC family: Julie Ghent, Health Professions Student Coordinator at Mid-Carolina AHEC. Julie passed away at the end of January due to complications from COVID-19. Her obituary details a life lived in service to others and love for those around her. While soft spoken, Julie carried a fierce heart for the mission of AHEC and a dedication to the experiences and support of her students. She was loved by her family, community, and all of those who she worked with across the state. The loss of Julie is felt by many and she will be in our hearts and memories. Please join us as we honor Julie as well as the many others who have been lost during this pandemic.

Comments

SC AHEC Scholars: Preparing the Next Generation of Primary Care Providers

Hannah Robinson, MD knew she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare from a young age. “I’ve always wanted to be a doctor since about the sixth grade,” said Dr. Robinson. “I remember being in health class and watching the Miracle of Life video and just being fascinated with women and their ability to create and bear life.” Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Robinson spent time working on the obstetrics unit at her local hospital in Rock Hill and observed a trend with their patients. “What I noticed was a lot of the families that we serviced actually weren’t from Rock Hill. We also served surrounding counties that were really rural and seeing how these families were traveling to Rock Hill to deliver their babies was really shocking to me,” said Robinson. Due to a maldistribution of OB/GYNs in the state of South Carolina, individuals may have to travel great distances just to receive the care they need. In its most recent South Carolina Health Professions Data Book published in 20

Lowcountry AHEC’s Strong Partnerships Serve School Nurses Statewide

For over three decades, Lowcountry AHEC has been proud to support school nurses across South Carolina in their professional development through statewide conferences and meetings. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and in-person events came to a halt, Lowcountry AHEC along with their partners, were able to pivot to alternate methods to continue providing training opportunities for school nurses. One such way Lowcountry AHEC was able to adapt was implementing online modules so that school nurses could continue to receive the same professional development and learning opportunities in a virtual setting. The first course, Foundations of School Nursing , included nine modules and was uploaded to the South Carolina AHEC Learning Portal (ALP) by August 2020 . With over 1,600 registrations to this day, Foundations of School Nursing is the most popular course currently on ALP. “We began to do some work with them on online modules,” said Lowcountry AHEC Center Director Diane Mathews. “All new schoo

Medical Mentors: Pee Dee AHEC Connects Students to Clinical Experiences

Pee Dee AHEC has partnered with Francis Marion University to collaborate on a Medical Mentors program, connecting undergraduate biology students with practicing medical professionals to gain real-life experiences in the field. Health Careers Program Coordinator Subira Smalls serves as the Pee Dee AHEC point of contact for the program and has been involved since its inception. “The goal is to introduce undergraduate college students to clinical experiences,” said Smalls. “We want them to step into the world of healthcare, by shadowing physicians, nurses and other professionals, and give them a firsthand look at the day-to-day realities of medicine.” Students in the program are given the opportunity to shadow a variety of healthcare professionals at McLeod Health Regional Medical Center, including physicians, physician assistants (PAs), nurses and other disciplines. Experiences students have been able to witness include surgical procedures like hip replacements, the insertion of vascular

South Carolina AHEC News & Updates

Search This Blog