FELLOWS AND PROJECTS

2009-2010

Rebecca Frye
Public Health
Braddock Elementary School: Increasing availability to fresh and locally grown organic foods for elementary school children by working with Grow Pittsburgh.

Umar Salimi
Medicine
Eight ONTRACK: (Open New Treatment Referrals Care and Knowledge) clinics within Allegheny County.
Identifying barriers & creating a peer support program for homeless people re. drug abuse and mental health issues.

Ximena Marinero
Law
Site: Neighborhood Legal Services Association
Providing referrals to and conducting training sessions for the Hispanic community with a focus on overcoming language and cultural barriers to access legal services.

Mirat Shah and Benjamin Meza
Medicine
Catholic Charities and Jewish Family and Children‘s Services (Bhutanese Refugees living in Pittsburgh)
Conducting workshops to address health issues for Bhutanese Refugees with a focus on interactive and community produced educational material.

Penelope Morrison
Anthropology
Brazilians living in Pittsburgh
Including but not limited to the Squirrel Hill Health Center: Focusing on mental health issues relating to cultural displacement via interviews, while increasing visibility of the Brazilian immigrant population.

Deeba Mahmood and Dionne Okafor
Medicine
Chronic Disease Prevention Program at the Allegheny County Health Department
Outreach to elderly and those at high risk for chronic disease. Providing colon cancer screenings & education to promote bone and heart health.

Chinyere Ogbonna
Medicine
Jubilee Association’s Health Clinic & Operation Safety Net
Setting up permanent TB and Hep B screening program for homeless and jobless adults who visit soup kitchen.

Brodie Parent and Megan Quimper
Medicine
Allegheny County Jail
Working with inmates and jail staff, to coordinate care and after incarceration care for mental health and substance abuse inmates

Claudia Ramirez
Medicine
Birmingham Free Clinic
Working with the Latino population to address musculoskeletal issues, particularly chronic pain. Recruiting PT/OT students and professionals to donate time and access to equipment.

Sarah Krahe and Melissa Ruminksi
Pharmacy
Bright Heights Center, Northview Heights Senior Community Center and Swissvale Senior Center
Working with the Appraise of Family Services of  W.PA to develop solutions for noncompliant elderly patients; providing empowerment and education   re. Medicare.

Swati Shroff
Medicine
Birmingham Free Clinic
Helping to start OB/GYN clinic to provide both preventative and acute reproductive care services & educate women re. health and child development

Lynette Staplefoote
Public Health
Hosanna House, Kingsley Association, Hill House, Hillcrest Church, Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh
Working with African American high schoolers, offering afterschool weekend and summer workshops re. healthy lifestyles

Wazo Myint and Mamie Thant
Biochemistry and Physics
Catholic Charities and Jewish Family and Children’s Services
Discovering barriers to access to mental healthcare for Burmese refugees. Leading training to create network of community "health liasons".

Semara Thomas
Medical
Healthy Start sites in Oakland and The Hill District
Providing education for mothers re. healthy child development

Addie Weaver
Social Work
Family Services of Western Pennsylvania & community mental health clinic in New Kensington
Identifying barriers to accessing mental healthcare for rural populations and assessing viability of new integrated model of care.

Alexandra Jensen and Jennifer Senge
Dental Medicine
Dental Clinic for Disabled: Educating parents & caregivers of special needs children on oral health and preventative measures

2008-2009

Christopher Berger, Vanessa Thomas & Niketa Williams University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Chris, Vanessa and Niketa will bring health and literacy education for Burmese refugees who have relocated to Pittsburgh. They will work through the Jewish Family and Children’s Services. Stemming from suggestions from the Director of Refugee Services, Leslie Aizenman they propose the development of a series of workshops and outreach programs intended to educate and demonstrate basic principles related to the following topics: nutrition, women’s health, personal hygiene, patient right in health care, lifestyle habits (exercise, smoking, alcohol), first aid, children’s health, and an introduction to the various clinical settings. All workshops will follow the core format of Example (demonstration of health concept), Explanation (discussion of health concept), and Exercise (role-playing to demonstrate comprehension of the health concept). These workshops will be targeted and adapted for both children and adults.

Elizabeth Cole, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine
Elizabeth will design and develop an educational program for parents of young children on the etiology and risk factors of early childhood caries and will then implement this program in the Head Start programs and other pre-schools in Pittsburgh.

Laura Drewencki, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Part of Laura’s project will center on an assessment of the needs of seniors in Pittsburgh. In an attempt to pinpoint what their most crucial needs are, and what is preventing them from being met she will survey patients who seek care at the Squirrel Hill Health Center. Her project would entail identifying local seniors who would be interested in and benefit from regular, in-home visits to address whatever that particular senior most needed, without him or her having to travel. This will entail one or more of the following: weekly blood pressure and blood glucose readings, education on a pertinent health topic, screening for signs of depression and other diseases, providing information on local social services and community opportunities, and counseling on medications, health insurance, and nutrition.

Andrea Goldin, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine
Andrea plans to work with a pediatric dentist at the School of Dental Medicine to develop a program to teach parents and their children how to establish and maintain optimal dental health with a focus on early childhood carries. In addition to the educational aspect of this program Andrea will assist her patients in finding local affordable dental care.

Anya Gushchin, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Anya’s project will identify the population of patients currently with no access to regular eye care in Allegheny County and create a mechanism to connect patients to ophthalmologists/eye care providers. She will focus especially on patients in the community who cannot afford to come to an academic center for regular eye exams. Her goals are to continue to utilize portable equipment to examine patients in their home/nursing home/assisted living facilities as part of Guerilla Eye Service (GES); create a manual from the existing GES model that will continue to train groups of students and residents to  triage eye symptoms based on level of care needed; establish a community relationship with primary care offices where eye care services could be added or expanded; create an accessible web address and phone directory that patients and care providers can access when they have  eye care needs; and provide appropriate referrals for further care, specifically connect patients to UPMC Mercy and discount retailers for glasses and eye medications.

Kimberly Henderson, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
Kim would like to work with the Adult African American underserved population, within community and health care clinic settings to provide a focus on cardiovascular disease prevention. She will provide group and individual counseling regarding risk factor reduction, medication management and recognition of the early signs of myocardial infarction and stroke.

Christine Leeper & Jaime Moore, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Jaime and Christine will work with the patients and staff of the Birmingham Free Clinic in the South Side of Pittsburgh. Within this population, they will focus on those patients who come to the Birmingham Clinic after having been discharged from the hospital, either after a visit to the Emergency Department or as an inpatient. The project aims to assist patients in navigating the convoluted process of identifying, understanding, and applying for critical health services available to them. By talking both with patients about their experiences and with hospital staff about the procedure they follow for uninsured patients, they hope to gain some insight as to what major barriers exist and, ultimately, hope to be able to lower or remove these barriers.

Charlie Miller & Jonathan Misner, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine
Charlie and Jonathan will design a presentation that is targeted for a high school level audience, that will discuss the reasons why people start using spit tobacco and ways to quit. Their hope is to adapt the presentation to fit different age groups and to then present it to specific groups where spit tobacco use is most prevalent such as rural communities and athletic teams, especially baseball.

Denis Nnadi, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Denis will focus on bringing smoking cessation programs closer to the African American community in Pittsburgh. Through a program he’s designed and previously implemented he will encourage those who wish to quit, to use the resources available. He hopes to tap into the existing relationship forged by the Centre for Minority Health and the Hosanna House.

Oluseyi Ojeifo, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Oluseyi will work with children who participate in the Hill House’s after school program and summer camps to help them learn how to lead healthy lifestyles. The children in these programs are in grades K-12, with group divisions based on age.  For each group, she will create a curriculum that will highlight nutrition and fitness. Educational sessions will cover the food pyramid, fitness, adequate television and computer time, family history, physician and dentist checkups, immunizations, resources for the uninsured, sleep hygiene, and other pertinent topics. She will also include subjects that constitute health concerns specific to each age group. For example, with the elementary school children she will emphasize safety, with middle school children, self-esteem and mental health, and high school children, healthy romantic relationships and substance abuse. Activities that will reinforce these points include cooking lessons, trips to the grocery store, aerobic/dancing/sports sessions, creating a family health tree, making pamphlets for their families, movies, skits, and more.  Overall, Oluseyi hopes to positively impact the short- and long-term health of children who may not learn how to lead healthy lifestyles otherwise.

Maria Amalia Pesantes, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Amalia’s project will aim to contribute to the existing effort of  informing the Pittsburgh Latino population about existing services available for them and providing culturally sensitive health education. She plans to do this by helping with designing and implementing creative ways of distributing and sharing health services information with the Latino community. Her project will organize health talks and conduct outreach activities at events with high participation of Latinos (Religious Festivities, Cinco de Mayo and Feria de Salud). Amalia plans on establishing a group of bilingual students to participate in these outreach activities. In this way, the activities will serve a double purpose: to inform the Latino population about health services and health promotion and; raise awareness among the student population of the needs of Latinos in Pittsburgh and the ways they can help. In Pittsburgh, there are highly qualified health educators but most of them do not speak Spanish, Amalia plans to contact some of these professionals and invite them to give talks where she and other bilingual students will serve as translators.

Nicole Shirilla, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Nicole will work through a program in Oakland’s Roselia Center that allows students to reach out to teens provide meaningful health and wellness education. Workshop topics include: healthy relationships, stress management, alcohol, drugs, and tobacco, nutrition for mother and child, money management, safety and first aid, infant CPR, infant massage, and benefits of physical activity.

Greer Tiver, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Greer will design and implement a light fitness and relaxation program for Family House guests. Family House is a Pittsburgh organization committed to providing a “home away from home” for patients and families of those receiving serious treatment in Pittsburgh medical facilities who travel a significant distance. As they come from all 50 United States, as well as countries all over the world Greer thinks that a structured, social environment in with emphasis on relaxation and care for one’s body could be beneficial for all guests. She will begin with walking groups, providing good, low-impact cardiovascular activity, as well as a chance to become familiar with the local parks and neighborhood in which guests are staying. Another relaxation tool will be basic yoga, including stretching and especially relaxation breathing exercises. For parents with children, walks will be directed toward local playgrounds. Greer will tailor all sessions to the participants’ interests and needs. On some of the meeting days, there will be on meal planning, as good nutrition is another area that is surely disrupted by living and cooking in a new setting.

Jillian R. Wein, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Jillian’s project will educate Somali refugees in the Pittsburgh area about their healthcare and welfare opportunities and rights. By interviewing the families with whom she has an existing relationship, Jillian will assess the communities gaps in knowledge and better tailor her goals to their specific needs. She envisions one on one sessions with refugees, group meetings, and ultimately a written protocol or guide to be widely distributed throughout the Somali community. Jillian hopes to collaborate with the Pittsburgh Refugee Center which has worked closely with the Somali community in the past.

Rami Zanoun, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine & the Graduate School of Public Health
Rami’s project will involve working with the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh to identify health issues of concern to the Muslim community.  He intends to work with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine to identify faculty interested in giving talks in those areas of interest.

Steven Zona, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
Steven is working with Students And Latinos United Against Disparities (SALUD) at the Birmingham Free Clinic to focus on the treatment provided to Latino patients there. His project will provide increased medication access along with an educational program designed to inform them on taking the next steps regarding their prescribed medication after they leave the clinic. This project will emphasize culturally competent care to empower these patients to take control of a part of their own health care.

2007-2008

Valarie Blake, University of Pittsburgh, School of Law
Valarie’s project was an educational program in Pittsburgh public schools that informs both elementary aged children and their parents about childhood mental illness. The project taught children the basic signs and symptoms of varying mental illnesses and also encouraged kids to seek help from an adult if they are experiencing these symptoms. Also, the project educated the parents on mental illnesses that may occur in childhood, types of mental health treatment, accessibility to mental health treatment, and the consequences of not seeking treatment for their children’s mental health needs.

Rachelle Busby, University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy
Rachelle worked at an underserved clinic in McKeesport, PA serving uninsured and homeless populations. This community is in need of free health care due to many individuals and families living below the poverty line and/or uninsured. For her project, Rachelle assisted in providing free or low cost medications to patients in the clinic. In addition, she counseled each patient on how and when to take medications, and other medication specific precautions and side effects.  A volunteer program for student pharmacists was implemented in the fall to increase student participation and continue providing patient care in underserved clinics.

Alejandra Camacho-Soto, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
Alejandra worked with a large population of Latinos from a small area in Mexico who are living in Pittsburgh.  Alejandra created culturally sensitive links to the medical community with this population and to more broadly improve health care conditions of Hispanics in Pittsburgh. 

Vanessa Chan, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
Vanessa created a running and fitness program for kids with ADHD and anxiety disorders.  The children were recruited form a local University pediatric psychiatry outpatient clinic. Each week, the children in the group met with Vanessa and ran specific workouts.  The children also received logs so they could do exercises throughout the week on their own, encouraging them to incorporate exercise into their daily lives.  The goal of this program was to expose children with anxiety and ADHD to healthy methods of coping with their high levels of stress and anxiety.  

Ana Devlin and Stacey Edick, Chatham University Physician Assistant Program
Ana and Stacey developed an outreach project aimed at increasing knowledge and acceptance of hospice and palliative care in a medically underserved community in the Pittsburgh area. The goal of the project ws to help expand access to hospice and palliative care by addressing barriers of awareness and perception.  Culturally sensitive informational materials about end-of-life care were developed in conjunction with a local hospice organization.  Ana and Stacey then identified community and church groups who were receptive to brief presentations about these issues. They provided education and facilitated discussions on issues surrounding end-of-life care. 

Sachin Kale and Matthew Taylor, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
Matthew and Sachin designed and implemented a project looking at the homeless population of Pittsburgh and their access to follow-up health care following inpatient care.  The project worked through Operation Safety Net, a program that provides free health care to the homeless population of Pittsburgh by going to them in the streets.  The project began initially with a survey conducted through Operation Safety Net, interviewing the homeless about what they have done following hospital stays, including their access to adequate shelter and food and to follow-up care and medication.  Once an adequate number of surveys were conducted to achieve a picture of the true access to healthcare follow-up among the homeless, Matthew and Sachin attempted to implement a proper intervention to address what they learned from their survey.

Julie Lauffenburger, University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy
Julie provided pharmaceutical services at the Squirrel Hill Health Center, a primary care center directly serving immigrant and other underserved populations through culturally-responsive care.  The main goal of her project was to improve patients' overall medication knowledge in medication instructions and usage—improving overall health literacy.  However, she also helped to improve the patients' access to medications, finding ways to make them more affordable.  In individual appointments with patients, Julie provided additional community resources to aid them in obtaining the medications they need and answer appropriate pharmacy questions.  She also developed educational programs at the center to educate larger groups of patients in specific health topics, such as pharmacy medication directions, disease states, and Over-the-Counter medications. 

Alissa Mittereder, University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy
Alissa designed an asthma education program for adults and children at the Alma Illery Medical Center.  She worked with patients on a weekly basis to help educate them about their condition, demonstrate how to use their medication devices, reduce the number of asthma exacerbations and complications, and to help patients to be more in control of their disease.  Alissa worked closely with the physicians at the clinic to refer asthmatic patients and to provide information to patients about their prescribed asthma regimens.  Topics including asthma triggers, exercise with asthma, and asthma as a disease were also addressed. Additionally, she held weekly smoking cessation classes in the spring for patients at the clinic.

Ross Petrini, University of Pittsburgh, School of Law
Ross created a stem of educating middle aged elderly on the decisions that face them in their elder years. Ross provided individuals with the knowledge to plan for their future and make informed decisions in the areas of Medicare, Medicaid, as well as any other long-term care options that may be present. 

Andrew Thompson, University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine
Andrew worked on a community project aimed at spit tobacco cessation with local high school student athletes.  After identifying teams or groups of athletes at risk, Andrew gave cessation presentations and counseling to individuals. Andrew visited the teams at practice and at games to give the presentations and support them.

Renee Walker, University of Pittsburgh, Public Health
Renee addressed the decline in participant involvement in a community-based intervention.  She provided outreach to the participants of the Healthy Black Family Project at Hosanna House, Inc., sponsored by the Center for Minority Health at the University of Pittsburgh.  In this capacity, Renee helped identify barriers to participation in the health education and health promotion activities of the Healthy Black Family Project.  These activities were geared towards reducing the burden associated with type 2 diabetes and hypertension among the African American residents of the East End neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, PA.  Additionally, Renee worked with participants to identify culturally appropriate and culturally relevant topics for monthly workshops.

Theresa Wiehagen, University of Pittsburgh, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Theresa designed and implemented a curriculum to address the issue of healthy lifestyle choices for single mothers who are living in poverty.  She worked with women who were residents at Sisters Place in Clairton, PA, which provides safe and affordable housing and supportive services to help families move toward self-sufficiency.  Theresa worked on a six-week curriculum for the women that tackled topics such as domestic violence and creating a healthy environment for themselves and their children. 

Chi Zheng, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
Chi's project included assisting the staff of the newly-founded 9th Street Clinic in McKeesport to provide services for patients in the Monongahela Valley.  He also worked to involve his fellow students in this service-and-learning opportunity in incorporating it as a part of their medical education.  The second aspect of Chi's project dealt with helping patients at the well-established Birmingham Clinic to gain access to medication and specialty care through hospital charity-care programs, state-subsidized low-premium insurance plans, and medical assistance and disability. 

2006-2007

Rebecca Altman, University of Pittsburgh, Public Health 
Rebecca designed and implemented a women's health curriculum for inmates at the Allegheny County Jail.  Topics for the class included Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, Safer sex/Sexually transmitted infections, Healthy Pregnancy/Reproductive Anatomy, Family Planning, and Diet/Nutrition.  Classes took place two to four times a month at the jail, with 20-30 women at a time.  Community practitioners frequently co-taught with Rebecca, in an effort to provide some kind of continuity of care for women, post-release.  Rebecca also developed a resource guide for newly-released women and a peer education program.    

Glaivy Batsuli and Jean Lin, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine 
Glaivy and Jean worked with the Sarah Heinz House on the Northside to implement creative ways for a group of middle school aged children to learn to enjoy walking.

Jessica Buck and Erin McDermott, Chatham College, PA Program 
Jessica and Erin worked with the East Liberty Family Health Care Center in providing self-management training for the clinic’s type II diabetic patients.     

Meredith Dixon and Brandi Swanier, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
Meredith and Brandi worked with the Shuman Juvenile Detention to initiate a project that brought these youth into contact with positive, diverse, and creative examples of personal expression and reflection through literature, film, music, art, and community role models.

Narges Farahi, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine     
Erin Imler, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
Erin’s project was centered on a HRSA grant for diabetes self-management at Matilda Theiss, a federally qualified health center in the Hill District of Pittsburgh.  Erin did group visits for patients with diabetes centered on topics such as:  understanding the disease and its complications, what tests should be checked and why, nutrition, and physical activity.  Erin also arranged ophthalmology care through the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s Ophthalmology Interest Group, who will be doing eye exams and glaucoma screening in patients with diabetes. 

Sarah Krier, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health
Sarah conducted an ethnographic study of Health Advocates in Reach (HAIR), a lay health advocate project run by the Center for Minority Health at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health which is based on the premise that barbershops and salons exist as social foci in many African American communities. The Center for Minority Health trains barbers, salon operators and staff at nine establishments to serve as lay health mentors or guides by answering health-related questions, distributing literature, advising people where to seek answers, and encouraging customers to take preventive steps such as scheduling regular appointments and screenings with doctors. This public health initiative is part of a multiyear effort to improve diet, increase physical activity, and reduce stress among Pittsburgh’s African American community, a community which confronts racial disparities for diabetes and heart disease. Through using medical anthropology techniques, Sarah’s project examined the “cultures” of the different barbershops in hopes of facilitating the creation of even more culturally compatible initiatives in the African American communities of Pittsburgh.  By matching the cultural characteristics of minority populations with public health interventions designed to affect individuals within the group, receptivity to and acceptance of health information and programs will be enhanced.     

Azadeh (Azi) Masalehdan, University of Pittsburgh, Social Work
Azadeh worked with Family Services of Western Pennsylvania, a community mental health agency. This project investigated barriers to treatment and methods of treatment engagement with adolescents who have been identified as needing mental health services. Azadeh interviewed 30 adolescents in the Highlands School District who are evaluated as a part of the government sponsored Student Assistance Program (SAP).       

2005-2006

Megan Benedict, Megan Bergseth, Heather Misja, Chatham College Physician Assistant Program
East Liberty Family Health Care Center: Health care education with homebound elderly.

Jeanne Cooper, University of Pittsburgh BSN Program
Education of social and health related issues for Somali Bantu women.

Sidney Coupet, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
McKeesport Hospital: Outreach program to educate about preventive medicine and public health practices.

Tressa Esty, Natalie Larkin, Adam Yesenosky, Chatham College Physician Assistant Program
Auberle: Developing positive self image, communication skills in at-risk youth.

Lauren Fields, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
Birmingham Clinic: Improving pharmaceutical care delivery to homeless and underserved.

Anna Binney McCague, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
HIV education and testing for adolescents.

Barbara Nightingale, Duquesne University/Biology
Hilltop Community Healthcare Center: Community outreach for new health center in urban underserved community

Kia-Jacquelyn Omotalade, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health
Prevention Point Pittsburgh: Health and well being of Afrian-American Intravenous Drug Users in Pittsburgh.

Sarah Pope, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Create an educational program for the parents of children with special healthcare needs.

2004-2005

Shelley Bhattacharya, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Shelley worked with the elderly to create an integrated model to address health and social needs.

Sarah Eli, Chatham College PA Program
Sarah worked towards overcoming the barriers to health care and patient education in an urban health center.

Elizabeth Hillier, Chatham College PA Program
Elizabeth worked towards overcoming the barriers to health care and patient education in an urban health center.

Tonilee Lucchino, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Social Work
Tonilee’s project included education of pregnant teens on parenting and life skills.

Brian Miller, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Brian’s project consisted of a healthy lifestyles program for school-age children.

Ginger Moyer, Chatham College PA Program
Ginger worked towards overcoming the barriers to health care and patient education in an urban health center.

Ijeoma Muo, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Ijeoma’s project included nutrition education among low income, overweight mothers and children in underserved communities.

Robert Reynolds, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
Robert worked on the identification and management of patient pharmaceutical needs in the Program for Health Care to underserved populations.

Sara Sakamoto, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Sara’s project consisted of a healthy lifestyles program for school-age children.

Shirlee Hopper-Scherch, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Shirlee’s project involved childhood obesity prevention in low-income neighborhoods.

Aaron Skolnik, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Aaron’s project consisted of utilizing the emergency room setting to assess and address health needs that might better be met through prevention, education and routine primary care.

2003-2004

Vincent C. Hsieh & Young-Sin Kim, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Hill District Community Collaborative: Planned to develop community service project on nutrition for senior citizens at local center and to work on the culturing relationships between the young and the old.  The project was never developed due to lack of interest among older adults.  However the fellows discovered the senior citizens interest in computer technology and it will be the basis for the development of a new project.

Christina Stuber, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work
Early Head Start: Worked directly with the children enrolled in Early Head Start Program with hopes to increase pre-literacy among children ages 0-3 in order to better prepare them for school.  Christina created pre-literacy packets with age appropriate books and activities, reading milestones to measure skills, fact sheets for parents, and information on local library’s children’s programs.

Margie Snyder, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
DREAM (The Diabetes Risk Assessment, Education and Management Program): Margie educated newly diagnosed and/or poorly controlled patients at a local health care center.  She trained patients on the use of their blood glucose meters, arranged for patients to receive services at no cost, taught healthy eating skills, checked patients’ blood pressure and performed foot exams.  In addition, her project also included advising patients on self-management skills and the importance of keep a personal log of their glucose numbers.

Lestina Price, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Westinghouse High School: Lestina conducted a series of workshops called “Sisters can we talk?” where she encouraged adolescent girls to realize and achieve what they want out of life.  She also educated them on certain topics ranging from defining dreams, self-esteem, STD’s, contraception, time management, and delayed gratification.

Michelle Katz, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Women’s Center and Shelter: Michelle’s project focused on creating a sustainable and responsible HIV testing program for women who had suffered from domestic abuse.  She conducted HIV testing and counseling with twenty-five woman from the shelter.

Tia Chirico, Anissa Boyle & Shalee Johnson, Chatham College PA
Home Safety and Disaster Preparedness in the Elderly Population: Project included identifying the need for home safety modifications, the extent of elderly people’s knowledge and awareness of home safety and disaster preparedness issues.  They developed a study on subjects recruited from a local senior citizen center and held informative sessions on disaster preparedness in the home.

2002-2003

Lauren Jane-Clare Alder, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Site: Carrick High School
Project: Build community service awareness and opportunities with high school students by involving them in mentoring middle school students to perform a community service at local elementary schools.  The students will be fundraising and then using the money to provide KidCare Kits-photographing and fingerprinting each elementary school student for identification purposes for authorities to utilize in case of an emergency.

Susan Bellack, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
Site: Rx Council
Project: Assist in the work of the Rx Council of Pittsburgh, which provides emergency prescription assistance to the indigent.  Help assess existing formats of communication and delivery of services.

Julian Escobar & Melisha Krejci, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Site: Latin American Cultural Union (LACU), Birmingham Clinic
Project: Help Hispanics in Pittsburgh reduce the language barrier with health care professionals through education outreach programs.

Lara Hall Blosser, Chatham College, Physician Assistant Studies
Site: Cornerstone Project of Fayette County
Project: Help develop and deliver breast cancer awareness education and treatment in a low-income community.

Shavonne T.D. Ramsey, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine & the Graduate School of Public Health
Site: Family Health Council
Project: Develop and facilitate a program for teens on self development, decision making, planning for the future, obesity, radical weight changes, exercise and nutrition, and responsible behavior.  

Jessica Lynn Smith & Katherine Kerry Sutherland, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Site: Operation Safety Net
Project: Create a “buddy” system between medical students and the homeless who are clients of Operation Safety Net, a walkabout/treatment program.

Laura Warren, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Site: POWER House (PA Organization for Women in Recovery)
Project: Develop a weekly program for older women with alcohol or substance abuse problems.

Genevieve Williamson, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Site: PACT (Pittsburgh AIDS Center for Treatment)
Project: Create a Wellness through Art and Expression group. The group will provide a stipend to several women (identified by their physicians and ancillary staff as women who miss many but not all of their visits) who participate in monthly free dinner meetings and bring with them art 'journal' entries about their experience with HIV and AIDS and their struggle to remain adherent.

2001-2002

Shelly Abramowicz, University of Pittsburgh School of Dentistry
Allegheny County Health Dept: Serve elementary schools in oral health education and promotion program.

Robyn Bates, University of Pittsburgh School of Bioengineering
Create an interactive computer-based data system for area agencies and health care providers serving the homeless.

Lara Lyn Bryan, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Womansplace of McKeesport:  Develop bimonthly clinic and resource center for women victims of violence.

Misty Carlson and Kimberly Chu, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
McGee Hospital: Develop a program to promote breastfeeding to pregnant teens.

Sherri Chong and Mohammed Ganni, University of Pittsburgh School of Dentistry
Area High Schools: Bring the American Lung Association's Not On Tobacco program to area high schools, working with school nurse practitioners.

Stephanie Fantauzzo, Chatham College Occupational Therapy Program
Womansplace of McKeesport: Promote wellness programs for the children of women victims of violence.

Refaat Hegazi, University of Pittsburgh Nutritional Epidemiology Program
Neighborhood Living Project: Develop a program to address obesity for people with
mental illness.

Jereme Mellenthin, Chatham College Physician Assistant Program
Jewish Community Center: Link Russian-speaking immigrants with available health care and other social services.

Sarah Oblender and Mark Reardon, Chatham College Physician Assistant Program and University of Pittsburgh School of Law,
Pennsylvania Bidwell Low-Income Senior High-Rise Residency: Develop programs that bring computers and internet access into the lives of elders in assisted living and retirement homes.

Aderonke Omotade, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Medical Explorers Program: Assist junior and senior high school African American students with skills building and information about the health professions.

Michael Rest, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Braddock Excellence in Asthma Therapy and Education (BREATHE): Assist in development of the in-home education component on asthma affecting children in the Monongahela Valley.

Andrew Rozmiarek, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
The Hub: Work with homeless youth to identify health and lifestyle issues that affect their health.

Robyn Slack, Chatham College Physician Assistant Program
Roselia House: Assist pregnant teens by providing prenatal classes and teaching computer education.

Sing Tsai, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Mon Valley Neighborhood Physicians Forum: Assist geriatric patients develop support systems for their health care.

Christine Volk, Chatham College Physician Assistant Program
YWCA-East Liberty: Develop patient education materials on depression for senior citizens.

Yarone Zober, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Neighborhood Legal Services: Develop a legal education program on housing issues in poor and working class neighborhoods in Pittsburgh.

2000-2001

Maria Abraham, Chatham College Physician Assistant Program
Our Lady of Loreto Parish/Ursuline Center: Conduct a nutritional needs assessment/intervention of underserved elderly.

Opeolu Adeoye, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine,
Westinghouse High School: Mentor African American high school males in math and science.

Jody Bovard, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Women's Center and Shelter: Re-structure referral system for women in sheltered living.

Lance Brunton, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Allegheny Valley School: Assist obesity reduction in adults with mental retardation.

Ronna Campbell, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Children's Hospital-Braddock: Design interventions to help children with asthma lead healthier lives.

Sharon Carmody, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Allegheny County Jail: Establish medical student clinical opportunities at county jail.

Marci Chew, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work
Whale's Tale: Conduct an intensive reading program for children.

Kimberly Dovin, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Clairton Health Center: Identify barriers to contraception and design educational interventions for teens.

L. Nadine Gracia and Aba Ewusi, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
East Liberty Family Health Center: Educate African Americans on risks/management of C/V disease.

Sarah Hardner, Chatham College Physician Assistant Program
Bethlehem Haven: Design preventive health care education for abused women in sheltered living.

Ingrid Kanics, Duquesne School of Occupational Therapy
Parent Network for Post-institutionalized Child: Provide support services for families who have adopted children from overseas.

Melissa Lewin, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Center in the Woods: Provide health care education for low income adults in rural environment.

Katina Robison, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Salvation Army Detox Center: Identify barriers to recovery for women in detox.

Meredith Rogers, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, CHIP Program: Promote access to health care for children.

Erin Shomaker, Duquesne School of Nursing
Design a support program for the extended family of pediatric oncology patients.

Nia Sipp, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine/Public Health
Shuman Center: Build on an existing STD prevention program.

Alison Slinchak, Chatham College Physician Assistant Program
Roselia Center: Provide information on pre-natal care to pregnant adolescents.

Rana Snipe, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine/Public Health
Provide STD & sex education to teen girls.

Ramona Todinca, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental
Hosanna House: Provide dental education and care to seniors.

1999-2000

Suzanne Atkinson, University of Pittsburgh, Medicine
Site: Operation Safety Net
Project: Involved staff and guest education at a number of local homeless shelters on topics including TB and HIV awareness and improving access to healthcare resources.

Alda Gonzaga, University of Pittsburgh, Medicine
Site: ARC of Allegheny County
Project: Focused on access to changing healthcare resources for children with disabilities in Pittsburgh. Specifically, she is working to develop creative and effective ways to educate families about new changes in children's healthcare coverage, namely the required switch from conventional Medicaid to Medicaid managed care

Kerri Last and Shelly Moore, Clarion/Slippery Rock Universities, Nursing
Site: Venango Area Health Awareness Coalition
Project: Healthcare education and awareness in several rural communities in Western Pennsylvania. They are conducting a survey to assess perceived healthcare barriers in these regions, educating grade-school students and teachers with the American Heart Association's Heart Power program, and compiling a pamphlet of community healthcare services.

Luke Osborne, University of Pittsburgh, Medicine
Site: Orr Compassionate Care Center
Project: The development and implementation of a guest-focused survey and database that will aid in the improvement of the Orr Center and ultimately improve quality of care for former guests.

Terry Starrett, University of Pittsburgh, Nursing
Site: Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
Project: Assess baseline literacy levels and develop educational materials at low literacy levels which involve a variety of health-related topics: healthy eating, diet, hypertension, high cholesterol.

Linda Von Bloch, Chatham Physician Assistant
Site: Bethlehem Haven
Project: Extended a previous fellow’s project, called Healthy Relationships, through which homeless women at the shelter talk and learn about fostering safe and meaningful relationships.

Aimee Todorovich, University of Pittsburgh, Dentistry
Site: Pressley Ridge
Project: Worked closely with a small group of children with autism to address the barriers that these children face to adequate dental care. Her project involved home visits to introduce and familiarize the children with what might occur in a routine dental visit.

Darnell Ramsey, University of Pittsburgh, Social Work
Site: Hill District Youth Services
Project: Volunteered as a summer camp counselor and after-school mentor with a group of at-risk male youths in his own community. His project specifically addressed issues such as personal hygiene, literacy and creative writing education, conflict resolution, and African-American history awareness.

Karena Ribar, University of Pittsburgh, Law
Site: Southwestern PA Area Agency on Aging
Project: To improve access to medico-legal resources and advice for elderly individuals in underserved communities throughout Western Pennsylvania.

Alaine Clarke, Slippery Rock/Clarion Nurse Practitioner
Site: Home Community North of Pittsburgh
Project: domestic violence awareness and education through local religious communities.

Elizabeth Cuevas, University of Pittsburgh, Medicine
Site: Orr Compassionate Care Center
Project: Assessed the spiritual needs of the guests and forming regular group meetings to address these needs.

Breyon Justice, University of Pittsburgh, Dentistry
Site: East Liberty Community Health Care Center
Project: Assessed ways to bring dental services to the community. His project involved some surveying of the area, working on HPSA designation, and potentially dental education for the community.

Fran Krantz, University of Pittsburgh, Medicine
Site: The Women’s Center, a shelter in Pittsburgh
Project: Involved assessing the health care needs of the women, being trained to work at the site, and trying to integrate women's health with internal medicine at the site.

Sarah Parker, University of Pittsburgh, Medicine
Site: Schuman Center
Project: An educational program involving well-woman care such as gynecologic exams/Pap tests. Also, she provided educational classes on things such as STDs and testing.

Mitsu Anderson, Ankur Doshi & Matthew Suffoletto
University of Pittsburgh, Medicine
Site: Shuman Center
Project: Asthma education, screening, and monitoring

1998-1999 

Sima Bajpayee, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
Project Area: To work with youth in rural and underserved areas to strengthen their skills in science and foster interest in the health professions.
Site: Hosanna House

Rebecca Bayer, Chatham College, Physician Assistant Program
Project Area: Utilization of music as an intervention for Alzheimer's Disease.
Site: Orr Compassionate Care Center

Sarah Hamilton Boyles, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Project Area: Prenatal education and evaluation to an underserved population experiencing increased infant mortality.
Site: Healthy Start and/ Magee Satellites

Robert Denshaw, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Project Area: Establishment of increased access to necessary services and treatment protocols for patients served by an established drug detoxification center.
Site: Salvation Army Public Inebriate Program

Lisabeth Culbertson Ernharth, Chatham College, Physician Assistant Program
Project Area: Working with homeless individuals to assess their utilization of services provided by the Orr Compassionate Care Center.
Site: Orr Compassionate Care Center

Deborah Goldberg, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Project: Identification of the gaps between the deaf community and health care services as well as to establish education/intervention to address these areas.
Site: Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf

Vadim and Alla Kipiller , Chatham College Physical Therapy Program
Project: Assessment of health education needs of the poor elderly.
Site: Heritage House

Jennifer Klebes, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Project: Identification of domestic violence issues and development of information guides for abused women.
Site: Neighborhood Legal Services

Allsion Kliber, MD, Family Practice Resident, Forbes Regional Hospital
Project: Improving access and continuity of care in a clinic operated within an economically depressed community . Site: New Kensington Community Health Center

Nathan Kottkamp, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Project: Development of crisis intervention education for volunteers working with victims of domestic violence.
Site: Bethlehem Haven

Catherine Kruljac, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine
Project: Development of an intervention plan to increase primary dental care for patients with craniofacial conditions. Site: University of Pittsburgh Craniofacial Clinic

Alysia Mason, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Project: Establishment of a health promotion/disease prevention program within the auspices of an established public health ministry group.
Site: St. Paul Baptist Church

Patrick Perri, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Project: Outreach to the homeless population regarding tuberculosis/hypertension/diabetes identification and treatment.
Site: Operation Safety Net

April Rhodes, University of Pittsburgh School of Occupational Medicine
Project: Establishment of a community/academic advisory group to identify gaps in the provision of nutrition services to those in need.
Site: Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

Allison Satinsky, University of Pittsburgh School of Dentistry
Project: Identification of education needs as well as access to care issues regarding dental services provided in a clinic which serves a low socio-economic, minority population.
Site: Mathilda Theis Community Health Center

Heather Surdic, Chatham College Physical Therapy Program
Project: Injury prevention and education for the special needs school aged child.
Site: Special Olympics