CHCS - Perspectives - Summer/Fall 2014

PERSPECTIVES • SUMMER–FALL 2014 43 Denise Richardson, who retired from the NSU family in March 2014, joined the university in 1996 as the reception- ist in the NSU Rehabilitation Center, holding that position for two years until she found herself in the registrar’s office researching microfiche transcripts. Shortly thereafter, she was transferred to the HPD Engineer and Maintenance De- partment as the secretary for all six buildings of the HPD complex. In her tenure with this department, Richardson was promoted several times, eventually becoming an admin- istrative assistant 3. With the closure of the HPD Department of Engineering and Maintenance, she accepted a coordinator position with the Department of Nursing. During her 17 months with the department, Richardson was promoted to the position of academic support coordinator. When the NSU PA program in Jacksonville opened, however, she relocated there in 2008, holding the position of academic coordinator until her re- tirement in March 2014. As part of her retirement celebra- tion, she was presented with a pencil sketch of her staff photo drawn by Barbara Morrison, administrative assistant. Although she has retired, Richardson remains involved with the university’s main campus in Davie as a standard- ized patient for both the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Fort Lauderdale Physician Assistant program. In relation to the Nicaragua medical outreach trip that took place in August, class of 2015 students that have been on med- ical outreach trips in the past visited students at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Jacksonville to discuss the importance of what it means to give back through service. The NSU students showed photos of their trips and gave a presentation on their experiences in medical outreach work. On a second visit to the school, the students taught a mod- ified version of the Smiles for Life curriculum they learned in their Clinical Medicine and Surgery course to the kinder- garten class. Smiles for Life is a curriculum designed to en- hance the role of a primary care clinician in promoting oral health for all age groups. In appreciation for these presentations, Sacred Heart agreed to help fund-raise some of the trip expenses. The school hosted a Jeans’ Day and accepted donations for all students that wore jeans to school instead of their school uniforms, rais- ing $360 that went toward the trip to Nicaragua. The class of 2015 is planning on visiting Sacred Heart again in the fall to share their experiences and teach the rest of the school about the Smiles for Life curriculum. PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT Jacksonville PROMOTING SERVICE WITH A SMILE at Sacred Heart Catholic Church By Ashley shaneyfelt, Class of 2015 Historian DENISE RICHARDSON Announces Retirement News Briefs