Driving Healthcare to You Partnership to present at the 2012 Summit on the Science of Eliminating Health Disparities
September 28, 2012 – The “Driving Healthcare to You” partnership between Alcorn State University’s School of Nursing and Natchez Regional Medical Center has been chosen by the National Institute of Health for presentation at the 2012 Science of Eliminating Health Disparities Summit that will be held October 31 – November 3, 2012, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
The partnership was created in April of 2012 to expand and enhance the level of healthcare, personal wellness and healthcare education to the communities served by both Natchez Regional and Alcorn. “Driving Healthcare to You” utilizes the ASU’s mobile unit and travels to one of five counties (Jefferson, Franklin, Claiborne, Wilkinson or Adams) each month and works closely with existing healthcare providers in those counties to facilitate referrals and increase access to care.
“Nurse practitioner and our students work with a family practice physician and other staff from Natchez Regional Medical Center to provide screening and patient counseling,” said Dr. Linda Godley, dean of the Alcorn School of Nursing. “Some of the screenings include body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, hemoglobin A1C, fecal occult blood and bone density.”
Dr. Robin Christian, the lead ASU staff for this project, added, “Additional time is spent with patients to review their medical/family history and which tests are needed for their age group and history, such as mammogram or colonoscopy. If further evaluation or testing is needed, the patients are referred to primary care provider in their community. If they do not have a primary care provider, a medical directory of providers is supplied to them.”
Dr. Benita Cushingberry-Turner, medical director for the project, stated, “Teaching patients how to focus on health promotion and self management can reduce the burden of chronic illness, increase quality of life, and reduce health disparities. ‘Driving Healthcare to You’ empowers the participants by acknowledging their health status and providing tools to access care.”
Pictured: Alcorn student helping Jefferson County resident.
