NEPA AHEC NewsSpring 2003

Annual Meeting Set for July Chairman's Message Education Program Started Students Speak Out ATV Safety Tips Dental Program in Sept Summer Program to Begin Beck Library Develops CD-ROM ESU Graduates 125th MPH Trends in Rural Health

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One of Only Four in the Country
NEPA AHEC Part of National Health Partnership Network

The NEPA AHEC, the Healthy Northeast Pennsylvania Initiative, and the University of Scranton were chosen as one of only four inaugural Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) Regional Networks. Since its inception in 1996, CCPH's programs, products and activities have primarily been aimed at the national level. Sarena D. Seifer, CCPH's Executive Director states, "Yet, to fully involve and respond to all of the key stakeholders in community campus partnerships, we must also be able to work at a regional level, closer to where the action is. The development of CCPH Regional Networks will expand our reach and elevate the role of students and community leaders in this vital work. -

The CCPH Regional Networks are intended to support and invigorate local community-campus partnerships through such activities as convening meetings, facilitating information exchange, providing opportunities for campus partnerships at all levels, assuring that key national information is disseminated at the local level and that local concerns are raised to the national level.

The inaugural CCPH Regional Networks are: - Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex CCPH Regional Network - Metro DC CCPH Regional Network - New England CCPH Regional Network - Northeast Pennsylvania CCPH Regional Network

The leadership team members are: Steve Szydowski, MBA, MHA, Healthy Northeast Pennsylvania Initiative; Peter Olden, Ph.D., University of Scranton Department of Health Administration and Human Resources; and Pat Lawless, NEPA AHEC. Joseph Fruhman, a University of Scranton graduate student in the Health Administration Department, is the Project Coordinator. The initial project will be the establishment of a web site and regional list serve.

If you are interested in joining the Northeast Pennsylvania CCPH Regional Network contact Joseph Fruhman at fruhmanj2@uofs.edu

The CCPH Regional Networks are funded by a grant from the Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS).

Mark Your Calendars:
NEPA AHEC Fourth Annual Meeting July 22, 2003

The NEPA AHEC annual meeting will be held Tuesday, July 22, 2003 in the Evans Dining Hall, Keystone College, La Plume. This dinner will mark the fourth anniversary of the NEPA AHEC and honor the work and commitment of outgoing board chair Michael Stershic. Michael Stershic was involved in the planning committee that established the NEPA AHEC in 1999 and became the first elected board chair. Under his two terms of office, the NEPA AHEC has grown to be a vital partner in the recruitment and retention of primary health care providers for this corner of the state. The Keystone College culinary department will be showcasing its culinary skills, and the campus will be decked out for summer. Look for your invitation in the mail or call the office to be on the mailing list.

Message from the Board Chair Michael Stershic
NEPA AHEC Looking Ahead

As I'm writing this, we are sitting under a blanket of snow that seems to have been here forever. This relentless winter has tested our resolve in many ways. Some have chosen to escape south, vowing to return only when the warmth returns. It hasn't been quiet or easy for NEPA AHEC these cold months. The staff is working very hard planning our spring and summer activities. We are looking forward to a full slate of activities, including our summer camp and our annual dinner. There's more about these and other warmer season activities elsewhere in this newsletter.

The board has also been hard at work in preparing for our organizational future. In January, we extended our Board meeting to include a brainstorming session that addressed the issue of how we will remain financially viable once we are completely independent of federal funding in September 2004. Yes, we're thinking ahead!

My expectations were that we would develop a listing of ideas that was equally mission-related and non-mission related. I was proven wrong. The board and staff present were powerfully focused. All of the ideas presented and discussed were mission-related and very good ones. The focus of both the board and the staff on our health access mission is exemplary. With this starting point, many ideas are already targeted for further development, and you will be seeing the fruits of our labors soon.

But, the board and staff don't have the monopoly on good ideas. You can help as well. If you have ideas that you think would be helpful in producing positive cash flow for NEPA AHEC, please feel free to e-mail me at stershic@yahoo.com or give Pat a call at the office.

Applications for the first annual NEPA AHEC Collaborative Education Project have been disseminated to all educators in Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. Educators are challenged to create a project that will increase health career awareness within a structured educational setting. Science, math and/or healthy behaviors should be a component of the project. The "winning" project will receive $500.00 to support supplies and implementation. Entries are due July 30, 2003, and the winner will be announced August 25, 2003. The "winning" project must be implemented. If you are interested and did not receive an application, contact Kate Germershausen at kate.germershausen@keystone.edu or Mary Casey at mary.casey@keystone.edu

are coordinating the first annual NEPA AHEC Collaborative Education Project. The competition is open to educators in nine counties and is designed to increase health career awareness within a structure educational setting.

The NEPA AHEC region has hosted over a hundred students of medicine and other health professions. As often as possible, we solicit comments from the students to better understand their perspective on their career choices and our region. Not surprisingly, these students come from diverse backgrounds and have diverse perspectives, Some are here by choice, others because of school policies. We find that students who request this region do so with a variety of motives - to get out of the city, to be near family, because of the availability of outdoor sports (fishing, kayaking, hiking, skiing), because we're near New York City, or just to try out a totally new experience.

Once here, nearly every student has commented on how nice the people are. Particularly if we are working to resolve some glitch, they are quick to comment about how helpful and friendly the people are. Students do tend to be a little surprised at how busy the practices are, and what interesting patients they meet. Patients are very willing to be seen by our students; most enjoy the extra time and attention, and they are pleased to see their physician in a teaching role. Students, on their part, regularly mention the resiliency and uncomplaining behavior of patients. As one commented, "Everybody's tough. They don't come in for just any small thing."

Preceptors, in turn, receive high praise. Students comment that they challenge me," "ask me what I need to learn," "give special evidence-based assignments," and "ask for my opinion." Students especially appreciate preceptors' approachability and willingness to take time to help them work through difficult patient issues.

Although a few students have solid plans about where and what kind of practice they want, most are using this opportunity to see how they feel about primary care and what it is to live and work in our region. As we are finding, the decision to practice in a given area is based on a multitude of factors, including personal, family, lifestyle, career path, economics ... and now also legal, given the malpractice issues. It is gratifying to know that students think that our preceptors and communities have been doing an excellent job of providing meaningful experiences to help them make their decisions.

medical student Wally Baker is shown working with Kate Crawford of Dr. Edward Zurad's office.

The NEPA AHEC has established a regional chapter of Farm Safety 4 Just Kids. Connie Teel is the chapter leader. Farm Safety 4 Just Kids is a nonprofit organization working to promote a safe farm environment to prevent health hazards, injuries, and fatalities to children and youth.

Trends in Management of Dental Disease to be Held Sept. 26

The Northcentral PA AHEC, in collaboration with the Northeast PA AHEC, the Lycoming County Health Improvement Coalition, and The Pennsylvania College of Technology, is busily preparing for an upcoming oral health conference. Trends in Management of Dental Disease, will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Williamsport, PA on September 26, 2003 from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. The conference will explore the most recent and innovative efforts in oral health and encourage collaboration in improving the oral health of Pennsylvanians. A wide range of relevant oral health topics will generate enthusiasm, and a clinical focus on fluoride will enhance the practice of dental professionals in attendance.

All dental professionals and personnel are invited to attend. Individual didactic and interactive discussion sessions will be held for dentists, hygienists, dental administrators and dental office staff. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the newest and most innovative dental technologies, as dental supply and pharmacological organizations are being invited to showcase dental products and to provide technological demonstrations.

The conference planning committee will also be presenting awards for Dental Outreach Effort of the Year, Dental Partnership of the Year, and Dental Hero of the Year. To review the nomination criteria or submit a nomination, access www.ncpaahec.org.

If you have any questions regarding registering for or reserving exhibit space at the 2003 oral health conference, contact the conference coordinator, Kimberly Cassidy-Miller, at (814) 235-8879 or by e-mail at kimberlycm@ncpaahec.org.

East Stroudsburg University (ESU) Masters in Public Health (MPH) Program Celebrates Graduates
Submitted by NEPA AHEC board member Dr. Lynn Woodhouse

This spring the ESU MPH Program in Community Health Education, which is CEPH accredited, will be graduating our 1 251h student since our accreditation in 1990. We are very proud of our graduates because they have successfully completed a rigorous program designed to prepare them for careers in public health leadership positions.

Clearly, since our country has begun responding to the threat of bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases, the challenges for the public health workforce are complex. They are global, yet they are local. The careers of our graduates will be focused on the big picture of protecting and promoting the health of the nation and on the well being of the communities in which they work.

To ensure that they know how to work in communities, a requirement of our program is for students to conduct community-based research. They must also develop a publishable quality report about this research. Recent examples of these research projects include: a study of alcohol and the culture of Greek life at a small university by Helen Mundy, a study of health decisions made by mothers of infants by Samantha Ruschman and Melodie Schaffer, a study of dental visits to emergency rooms by Kristina Whitmire and a study of recall of HIV social marketing messages by Jayme Wentzel and Melanie Glenn.

If you would like more information about our MPH Program, please contact Dr. Lynn Woodhouse, NEPA AHEC Board member, Professor and MPH Coordinator at ESU (cwoodhouse@po-box.esu.edu).

Beck Library Develops CD-ROM to Teach Web Use; NEPA AHEC Preceptors Receive Copy

The Northeast PA AHEC has been a member of the Beck Library Circuit for sometime, and it shares this resource with the region's preceptors and their students. In an effort to increase utilization of this extensive on-line source, Brad Zehr of the Guthrie Health System has developed a CD-ROM - The Basics of Beck Library Connection Medical and General Resources. This multi-media, hands-on computer training CD-ROM takes participants through all the steps needed to be comfortable locating health care/medical information on the web using the Beck Library Circuit Connection. The CD-ROM covers browser basics, Google search, Quick Web info plus MedlinePlus, PubMed, StatRef and Ebsco. The library will also research articles for members, and there is an on-line request form. All NEPA AHEC preceptors have been given the CD-ROM. To request a copy and become a preceptor, contact Vera Walline at vera.walline@keystone.edu

Each AHEC in Pennsylvania has a sponsoring medical school. While AHECs work with all health professional schools, the sponsoring school has made a special commitment to the support of the regional A HEC.

The NEPA AHECs sponsoring medical school is Thomas Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.

Journal Watch

Highlights from the January, February issues of the American Journal of Public Health (page 138).

"Primary care providers break down barriers. Having an easily accessible and trustworthy primary care provider is one of the best ways to ensure , access to critical health services, according to a January Journal study. Researchers looked at more than 18,000 people surveyed for the 1996-1997 nationwide Community Tracking Study and found that those who believed they could trust their primary care provider and rated that provider as competent and a good communicator were most likely to receive both primary care and referrals to specialty care. While minorities and low-income populations traditionally have less access to care than the general population, such patients with a good patient/provider relationship were likely to receive essential care.