Fall 2015 Perspectives

COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES • 11 The College of Health Care Sciences also hosts the Multicultural Affairs Committee, which consists of students and faculty and staff members who design experiences to engage peers around diversity issues. One annual event is the Intercultural Marketplace— an event in which students and faculty and staff members bring dishes that are traditional in their home culture or heritage. Other events hosted by the committee are Women’s History Month, Men’s History Month, SafeZone training on LGBT issues, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Black History Month events. COMMUNITY Students at the College of Health Care Sciences con- tributed thousands of hours of community service through events planned by student leaders, in addition to the many hours of service offered through their clinical rotations and participation in community health fairs. One shining example of how NSU students and faculty members are leveraging their skills and resources to serve the community occurs annually in Immokalee, Florida. Project SEED (Serving Everyone, Embracing Diversity) is a student-led initiative in which students in the NSU Physician Assistant (PA) program—Fort Myers develop, coordinate, sponsor, and host a health fair in Immoka- lee. Over the past two years, the Fort Myers nursing students have served alongside the PA students. “Hun- dreds of residents in this migrant farming community are served through health screening events, nutritional counseling, HIV and STD testing by the local public health department, pediatric dental screening by local pediatric dentists, and insurance counseling by Afford- able Care Act specialists,” said Kyrus Patch, PA-C, PA program chair. “Additionally, students collect new and used bicycles, clothing, and computers for a popular giveaway drawing. These students give hope and service to an underserved community.” Another community service is the NSU Fall Clinic at the main campus, where students and faculty members from seven professions come together with the single goal of helping patients decrease their likelihood of falling. This clinic provides students with the opportunity to work alongside faculty members while addressing myriad issues and treatments involved with fall prevention. It also offers faculty members an opportunity to share their expertise and cross the professional boundaries that inhibit collaborative learning, reflection, and practice. The College of Health Care Sciences is breaking the barriers that impede excellence, stall progress, and inhibit innovation. By spanning professional, geo- graphic, cultural, hierarchical, and institutional boundaries, the college has grown to become the most expansive within NSU’s Health Professions Division. As faculty and staff members and students strive to adhere to NSU’s Core Values, the College of Health Care Sciences serves as a model of collaborative learning, teaching, research, and service. n REFERENCES: 1 Ernst C., Yip J. (2009). Boundary spanning leadership: tactics for bridging social boundaries in organization. In T. Pittinsky (Ed.) Crossing the Divide: Intergroup Leadership in a World of Difference . Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press. 2 Yip J., Ernst C., and Campbell M. (2009). “Boundary spanning leadership: mission critical perspectives from the executive suite.” Center for Creative Leadership Organizational Leadership White Paper.