Page 10 - COM Outlook - Spring 2013

10 COM Outlook . Spring 2013
AHEC Program
Epitomizes Longevity
Since the inception of the college’s Area Health
Education Centers (AHEC) Program in October 1985,
the program has blossomed into a comprehensive
interprofessional system of academic and community
partnerships. Involvement has been widespread and
includes a range of NSU faculty and staff members
from the Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Dental
Medicine, Nursing, Health Care Sciences, Optometry,
Pharmacy, and the Center for Psychological Studies.
Over the past 28 years, the program has successfully
developed highly effective programming in a
wide range of primary care and public health issues
such as rural and underserved health care, immigrant
and minority health, domestic violence and child
abuse, HIV/AIDS, and, most recently, tobacco treat-
ment and cessation
partnered with myriad colleges and universities,
federally qualified health centers, county health depart-
ments, hospitals, rural health networks, and numerous
other agencies throughout South and Central Florida
enhanced the training of over 2,000 medical,
dental, pharmacy, physician assistant, nursing, and
nurse practitioner graduates from AHEC-affiliated
programs who subsequently went into practice in
Florida’s many underserved communities and critical
needs sites in 65 of Florida’s 67 counties
The success of these AHEC partnerships is evi-
denced by the fact that the current 2012-13 fiscal year
marks the 20 th consecutive year in which the program
has received annual externally sponsored grant and
contract funding from state and federal sources ex-
ceeding $2 million per year.
Working Together As A
Community Reaps Rewards
On January 7, the
college’s Project HOPE
(Homelessness in Os-
teopathic Predoctoral
Education) program,
along with the NSU-
COM Public Health
Student Association
(PHSA) and the City of
Pembroke Pines, cele-
brated the success of their joint holiday donation drive. Through
this effort, 16 bags of clothing, toiletries, nonperishables, toys,
and gifts were donated to Broward Partnership for the Homeless
last December 18. During the celebration event, Pembroke Pines
Mayor Frank Ortis affirmed his commitment to Project HOPE
and the PHSA through his willingness to maintain a donation box
in City Hall throughout the year. Dozens of additional bags of
donated items continue to be collected and will be disbursed to
the local homeless community throughout the year.
NSU-COM Students Participate in
World aids day activities
At the end of 2012, NSU-COM’s Student National Medical Asso-
ciation, Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, Medical Students
for Choice, and Student Association of Obstetrics and Gyne-
cology chapters hosted an educational dinner and volunteer
outreach program. The SEEHIV program (Students Educated
and Engaged as HIV Intervention Volunteers) was designed to
educate medical students about HIV transmission, treatment,
and prevention and then allow them to use that knowledge to
educate the community. Several HIV specialists were on hand
to share their knowledge and experience with students at a
dinner event held in November. Then, on December 1, over 20
NSU-COM students participated in a World AIDS Day commu-
nity health fair at Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park in Fort Lau-
derdale, where they distributed condoms, educated the public,
and provided blood pressure screenings.