Students, staff and faculty from across the various University of South Florida and USF Health colleges gathered at the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) for the USF Health 6th Annual Interprofessional Education Day. 

In the wake of a global pandemic, burnout and a variety of other mental health problems are contributing factors to hospitals being understaffed. This year’s theme “Caring for Caregivers: Fostering Mental Health and Wellness in Interprofessional Teams” focused on solutions to help combat those issues and improve the quality of patient care across the profession.   

“Our USF IPE Day working group felt it was critical to focus on this topic given the current challenges that our health care system is facing with health care professionals leaving their professions, increased provider burnout and high rates of mental health issues, including depression and suicide,” said Haru Okuda, MD, FACEP, FSSH, executive director of CAMLS and associate vice president of the USF Health Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice.

Approximately 700 people (500 virtually, 200 in person) attended the morning presentations by industry experts.  Jennifer Bickel, MD, FAAN, FAHS, chief wellness officer at Moffitt Cancer Center and professor of oncologic sciences in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, was the first featured speaker of the morning. Her presentation “Organizational Wellness: Expanding the Horizon of Well-being” highlighted key statistical data on the volume of patients seen by a provider experiencing burnout and steps the National Academy of Medicine is taking to increase wellness across the workforce.  

Richard Westphal, PhD, RN, FAAN, PMHCNS/NP-BC, followed Dr. Bickel.  Dr. Westphal is a professor at the University of Virginia School of Nursing and co-director of the Wisdom and Wellbeing Program at UVA Health.  His presentation “Stress First Aid: Nurturing Resilience in Health Care Professionals” focused on sources of mental stress, how the mind reacts to the stress and team-based solutions centered around well-being. 

Judy Davidson, DNP, RN, MCCM, a nurse scientist at the University of California-San Diego, was the final featured speaker of the morning. Her presentation “Saving Lives: Suicide Prevention and Health Care Interventions” focused on the suicide rates of health care professionals, re-imagining some of the available interventional tools and changing the mental health-related questions on licensing boards. 
 
The morning sessions ended after Donna Petersen, ScD, MHS, CPH, dean of the USF Health College of Public Health, senior associate vice president of USF Health and chief health officer of USF, led an interprofessional panel discussion themed “Unlocking Wellness: Exploring a Toolkit for Inner Balance and Resilience.”  Panelists gave their perspectives on the importance of health care professionals working with a healthy work-life balance and how a better work-life balance will lead to better work environments and more positive patient outcomes. 
 
Panelists: 
–        Kelly Allegro, PT, DPT, board-certified clinical specialist in neurologic physical therapy, co-director of clinical education at the USF Health School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences
–        Kristin Kosyluk, PhD, assistant professor of Mental Health Law and Policy in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy at the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, director of the STigma Action Research (STAR) Lab
–        Abraham A. Salinas-Miranda, MD, PhD, MACE, CDVS, assistant professor, director of the Harrell Center for the Study of Family Violence, associate director of the USF Health College of Public Health Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education Science and Practice
–        Chris Simmons, PhD, LCSW, associate director and associate professor, USF College of Behavioral and Community Sciences School of Social Work

Anthony Masys, CD, PhD, associate professor at the USF Health College of Public Health.

Kicking off the afternoon was Anthony Masys, CD, PhD, associate professor at the USF Health College of Public Health and an international expert in applied systems thinking, design thinking and futures thinking. He gave his presentation titled “Strength-Based Approach: Appreciative Inquiry.” Appreciative inquiry is more commonly known as a strength-based approach to systems change as it emphasizes generating positive ideas instead of identifying negative problems.  

Part of the appreciative inquiry model is using rich pictures to help diagram a way of relating personal experiences and perceptions to situations by linking a series of concepts.  
 
Dr. Masys’ presentation provided the foundation of the group activity and team competition for the event. 

Students split into interprofessional teams of nine to put the concept of appreciative inquiry into practice. Students shared good and bad examples of well-being in their workspaces and colleges and offered solutions on how to enhance the good examples and improve the bad examples.  
 
With the guidance of their faculty preceptors, teams used rich pictures to generate mind maps that illustrated how they plan to improve the overall provider well-being of an organization. Using a “Shark Tank” format, the teams presented their concepts to the sharks in hopes they will buy their concept. 

Sharks (judges):
–        Karen Aul, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE, USF Health College of Nursing
–        Jennifer Bickel, MD, FAAN, FAHS, Moffitt Cancer Center
–        Somer Burke, EdD, MPH, CPH, USF Health College of Public Health
–        Joe Ford, JD, USF Health Shared Student Services
–        Vickie Lynn, PhD, MSW, MPH, USF College of Behavioral and Community Sciences
 
The IPE Day group activity was designed to encourage interprofessional collaboration among learners through hands-on activity. Teams worked together to conceptualize a strategic vision for how wellness can be operationalized to support organizational and personal wellness. The goals of the activity were to:
–        Understand the application of appreciative inquiry as a strength-based approach to navigating various solutions in the health care domain.
–        Apply a system-thinking approach via rich pictures to support ideation in exploring the problem space from an interdisciplinary perspective.
–        Translate insights from the rich pictures into a mind map to develop a strategic implementation strategy supporting wellness. 
 
One by one, teams presented their concept to the sharks. Teams had three minutes to make compelling arguments about why their concept is the best. 

The sharks narrowed down the field to three teams who then had to prepare a one-minute elevator pitch of their concept to give to the audience. Audience members voted for the winner electronically at the end of the pitches. When the votes were counted, Team Five emerged as the winner. The team’s approach focused on a solution that centered around employees finding balance within their work environment. 

Winning team:
Erini Serag-Bolos, PharmD, associate professor at the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy (Preceptor)
Camilla Cardona, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
Hayden Euper, USF Health School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences
Christopher Guskie, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine
Rebekah Minter, USF Health Athletic Training Program
Madison Moua, USF Health College of Public Health
Paul Munoz, School of Social Work, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences
Amiah Price, USF Health College of Nursing
Jenna Sabbagh, USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy

The names of the winning team will the engraved on the IPE Day trophy.  As the team preceptor, Dr. Serag-Bolos will keep the trophy in her office until the USF Health 7th Annual IPE Day. 

Story reposted from USF Health

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When Chedeline Dorelus decided to enroll at USF for the fall 2016 semester, she had nearly 30 college credits from high school and a plan to earn an English degree on a pre-law track.

Late that summer, Dorelus experienced doubts. She began feeling uncertain about whether she should attend law school or pursue something in the health field—perhaps a medical degree. She went online, changed her major to undeclared and entered USF’s Exploratory Curriculum (ECM) program. The program offers students the option to complete general education requirements while exploring unfamiliar academic disciplines and career fields.

At the suggestion of an ECM counselor, she took an elective course in public health, sparking an interest that ultimately guided her college and professional path.

“That class really cemented my decision as a major, and from then on I’ve been involved in public health,” said Dorelus, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public health from USF and became a senior human services program specialist for Florida Health.

She is now program director with Champions for Children at Layla’s House, a community-based learning and resource center that supports expectant parents and parents and caregivers of young children.

Exploratory programs, such as ECM, provide students more time and information to make what’s often a crucial decision while staying on track for a timely graduation. Although national data for such programs can be difficult to find due to inconsistencies in the way individual schools report on undeclared majors, USF data show that students who enrolled in ECM have experienced, on average, higher graduation rates than those who previously began their college careers as undeclared majors.

Shane Combs, an ECM advisor and an instructor in the Office of Undergraduate Studies, said the program’s success in improving outcomes for undeclared students helps to combat the myth that they are somehow less academically skilled, less passionate about college or less dedicated to graduating from USF.

For Dorelus, ECM provided the resources and environment to help her find the right fit for a major and a career. Her program counselor worked with her to create a document that helped her identify an academic program “that would be the intersection of my passion and skills,” she said.

Like Dorelus, students who enroll in ECM arrive directly from high school. Many share the same uncertainties about how to make seemingly monumental decisions about their futures amid an evolving employment landscape.

“For me, what’s even more important, is not just teaching them how to choose a major, but how to make a choice,” Combs said. “On the surface level, we know that who we are at 18 years old will not be the person we are at 40 years old. So how do I choose a major now when I can’t predict the future?”

Combs says that’s more true now than ever, with some students likely to land jobs in industries or with companies that don’t exist today, and much more likely than their parents or grandparents to have multiple, distinct careers during their lifetimes.

Students who enroll in ECM are required to select a major after 36 credits, which usually means they are in the program for a full academic year—one fall, spring and summer semester.

They choose from one of five pathways—art and humanities; business; global and social sciences; health and natural sciences; and math and technology—but remain free to register for classes outside of their pathway or, ultimately, select an unrelated major.

At any given time, there are usually 250 or more students enrolled, most of whom have met Combs or another ECM advisor before they visited campus for the first time. Early contact is particularly helpful for students interested in STEM fields, helping to ensure they earn the necessary prerequisites while continuing to explore options.

An important part of their ECM experience is connecting with university resources, such as the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, Education Abroad and the Center for Career & Professional Development, along with research opportunities through USF’s Office of High Impact Practices and Undergraduate Research and learning about student clubs and organizations.

“Students now enrolling in college are starting internships much earlier than before,” Combs said. “They’re interested in networking and shadowing, and also in volunteer work. They come to campus ready to get engaged and make a difference immediately. They feel they can’t afford to wait four years to get a piece of paper before they start making a change in the world around them.”

Combs points out that while some students might arrive on campus uncertain about a major, they are already determined to find ways to affect change in their local and global communities.

“They are ready to learn and ready to make a difference, and now we want to teach them research and critical thinking skills,” Combs said. “That’s the secret sauce of college.”

Allison Crume, USF’s dean of Undergraduate Studies and associate vice president of Student Success, said the ECM program is another example of how forward-thinking institutions can meet the needs of students whose lives have been shaped by their experiences during the pandemic and will enter a rapidly evolving workforce upon graduation.

“We are proud to collaborate with academic programs across USF to offer Exploratory Curriculum Major pathways,” Crume said. “Students have the opportunity to engage in focused areas of interest as well as gain interdisciplinary skills. ECM gives students space to explore courses and careers to help them identify a successful academic plan.”

Story reposted from USF Newsroom

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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and about one in four people in the United States has some type of disability according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As many as 80% of disabled individuals have invisible disabilities that can include ADHD, learning disabilities, psychological conditions or mental health concerns.

These statistics also apply across college campuses, where students are preparing to enter the workforce amid learning environments where accessibility has become a more routine aspect of the classroom.

“Students arriving at college campuses now have grown up with the idea of inclusion,” said Deborah McCarthy, director of USF’s Office of Student Accessibility Services (SAS). “They’re used to the reality that someone in a wheelchair was in their kindergarten class, or that someone with autism was in their math class. They view accessibility as a communal responsibility and are eager to be proactive. This new viewpoint creates an exciting opportunity.”

And yet, many students with disabilities still do not seek help for various reasons, including stigma. That represents a complex challenge for student accessibility leaders like McCarthy.

Below are some ways USF works to support student accessibility, reduce stigma, raise awareness of available resources and empower individuals with disabilities to share their experiences and concerns.

Student Accessibility Services

McCarthy’s office serves approximately 3,100 students across the three USF campuses—around five times the number it served in 2009—and provides them with services and support from enrollment through graduation.

SAS works with faculty to accommodate students through Universal Design for Learning, a framework meant to ensure that course materials and activities are accessible and inclusive for all students, regardless of their abilities, backgrounds or preferred learning styles.

This can include providing accessible textbooks, Braille, American Sign Language interpreters, extended time testing, note-taking technologies and transcription services.

When the COVID-19 pandemic sent colleges online in 2020, the shift to platforms like Microsoft Teams to connect faculty, staff and students brought unexpected benefits, such as improved captioning for students with hearing impairments.

McCarthy said the pandemic sped up efforts at USF and across the nation to increase the use of technology that supports accessibility and helped people think about what an in-person university means and what accommodations still need to be made.

SAS also serves as a resource for the broader campus community with a goal of promoting an environment where accessibility and Universal Design are central to the USF experience.

“Disability advocate Alice Wong points out that accessibility is really about hospitality,” McCarthy said. “You don’t invite someone into your home for dinner if you’re not sure they can get into your house. It’s not just ramps and curb cuts. It’s about what it means to be hospitable.”

SAS encourages all students, faculty and staff to participate in AccessiBull, a series of disability awareness events to help educate the USF community and reduce stigma. The office also annually administers the Johnson Scholarship for Students with Disabilities to provide financial support.

Presidential Advisory Committee on Accessibility

Formed in 2021, the USF Presidential Advisory Committee on Accessibility is chaired by McCarthy and advises President Rhea Law on matters pertaining to ability, accessibility and disability for faculty, staff and students.

The advisory committee also evaluates and monitors the university environment for related problems and issues, and it’s a way for multiple areas of USF to come together to embrace accessibility.

Since its inception, the committee has partnered with USF’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning to enhance accessibility and training for online courses and faculty trainings.

The committee co-sponsored USF’s second annual production of “This is My Brave,” a student performance about mental health and disability, and is focusing on updates to USF’s Americans with Disabilities Act policies.

Employment Support

SAS and partners like USF’s Center for Career & Professional Development offer a variety of resources to assist students with employment opportunities.

Information about the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Recruitment Program is available through the SAS website. The program, managed by the Labor Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and the U.S. Department of Defense, connects employers with postsecondary students and recent graduates with disabilities. The apply date is Oct. 12.

The USF Center for Career & Professional Development offers articles and videos sharing tips and advice for students with disabilities who are entering the workforce, as well as resources such as career coaching and, on USF’s Tampa campus, 15-minute drop-in visits for students to answer basic career-related questions.

Recent campus career fairs offered a half-hour exclusive time slot with access limited to students needing accommodation so they could navigate the fair without crowds and with minimal sensory overload.

Student Government Accessibility Task Force

Last year, USF students Simone Till and Kevin Moore urged student government leaders to create a Campus Accessibility Task Force. Their intent was to enhance the disability culture at USF by raising awareness and empowering students.

Till and Moore spearheaded the creation of a survey last fall asking students to share their experiences and concerns and received 182 responses. The findings will help student government look for ways to guide more students toward resources available through SAS and advocate for increased support for disabled individuals.

Till arrived at USF three years ago with an acute understanding of the challenges facing students with disabilities. She experienced hearing loss during her childhood that eventually led to her use of hearing aids.

Because of her long hair, Till’s hearing aids aren’t readily visible. Her sister, however, has cerebral palsy, causing speech and mobility challenges that make her disability more apparent.

“Growing up helped me understand that when you approach disabilities, it’s really a huge umbrella,” Till said. “You have to think about it from a very holistic standpoint.”

Jillian Heilman, the task force’s faculty advisor at the time, credited Till, Moore and other student government leaders for responding to what they saw and heard from peers and pushing to make the task force a reality.

“Students started to reach out to us,” said Heilman, an adjunct professor in the USF Rehabilitation Counseling and Disability Sciences Program who researches disability impact, advocacy and awareness. “It was a grassroots effort that solidified students’ need to be heard.”

Till and Moore graduated in May, and one of the students taking over leadership of the task force is Chrissy Zimmer, a College of Public Health graduate student who has utilized accessibility services because of a spinal condition.

Zimmer calls Heilman “a remarkable advocate,” and says McCarthy’s team at SAS has made “phenomenal improvements to its website,” including the addition of webinars and other resources.

She said the task force is planning another survey this fall. There are also plans to create a peer-to-peer mentoring platform and promote a greater student body presence at events focused on access and raising awareness.

“The task force would love to get students more involved and make them aware of services available to them, and to help able-bodied students learn how they can become allies,” Zimmer said. “These are small ways that we can ignite change.”

Story reposted from USF Newsroom

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November is International Education Month

How does health care differ in industrial versus nonindustrial countries? In socialist versus capitalist societies? In rural versus urban settings? What health inequities do different populations in different parts of the world face?

USF College of Public Health (COPH) students can get answers to those questions by participating in a study abroad program.

In 2024, the COPH will be offering international study programs to Panama, Canada, London and Japan. These for-credit programs are open to both undergraduate and master’s students and generally last about a week. They give students the opportunity to study public health with a cultural context, examining how different countries handle things such as disaster preparedness, preventative health measures and public health policy. Students are also given time to tour and engage in community service projects and research.

Students who have been on the programs say the experience has been eye-opening.

“Personally, I plan to pursue a career in global health and program management, so gaining experience traveling with a public health mindset and learning about different sites that are conducting public health work, such as the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), was super important for me,” said Nupur Kothari, a BSPH student who traveled to Panama. “Being able to participate in research and data collection in Panama helped translate the education I have gained in the COPH to actual practice.”

Hannah Harburg, an MPH student concentrating in epidemiology, said her experience in Japan was “transformative.”

“Exploring Japan for the first time altered my outlook on life,” Harburg said. “Gujo Hachiman is an area I found so beautiful, I cried. As I explored the quiet river town, I knew this was going to be a moment I would cherish for the rest of my life. The storm drain water was so clean you could feed the carp that swam in it. This trip reaffirmed my commitment to researching public health. I gathered ideas and learned problem-solving skills through active information synthesis, diversified group work and insightful debates.”

Erin Millsapps, a Coverdell Fellow who served in the Peace Corps in South Africa as a community HIV/AIDS outreach coordinator, recently returned from a summer international field experience (IFE) in Gqueberha, South Africa.

The Peace Corps Coverdell Fellowship program at the COPH is a graduate fellowship program awarding financial assistance to selected returning Peace Corps volunteers who are pursuing an MPH or MSPH.

“During my IFE, my peers and I focused on addressing health disparities in ENT [ear, nose and throat] health through community engagement,” said Millsapps, who is an MPH student concentrating in epidemiology and global health. “These endeavors, emphasizing interdisciplinary teams and cultural competency, not only achieved project goals but also strengthened my ability to meet COPH competencies. Grateful for the opportunities provided by the Coverdell Fellowship and USF/COPH, I am empowered to make a meaningful impact in the field of public health.”

For more information about COPH international study programs and Peace Corps requirements, click here.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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Three USF College of Public Health (COPH) students presented research abstracts at the Delta-Omega-sponsored Student Poster Session at the annual American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Meeting and Expo held in Atlanta in November.

Delta Omega is a national honorary society for public health students with more than 20,000 members. Each year, 29 students are selected to present their research during the Delta Omega Student Poster Session at the APHA’s annual meeting. While students do not need to be members of Delta Omega to compete, they must attend schools and programs with active chapters and be approved by the respective chapter to compete.

Doctoral student Rafaella Stein Elger presented research titled “Examining the sources, utilization and needs of support among caregivers of children with special health care needs in Florida.”

“This study showed that the main barriers to accessing services and resources are geography, families’ eligibility and the type of insurance families have,” Stein Elger said. “Our study also showed that caregivers need more support, and many times they’re navigating health care and education systems that are not collaborating. I think this study gives us an overview of what it means to be a caregiver for a child with special health care needs in Florida.”

Isabella Abbondanza, a senior BSPH student, presented her research titled “Experiences of Spanish-speaking participants in the Positive Parenting & Partnership (P3) Program.”

“Understanding if there are cultural differences between parenting styles can lead to more culturally appropriate material offered to parents who want to learn better parenting techniques,” Abbondanza explained. “Parents can have a huge impact on a child’s health outcomes in adulthood, and if we are able to understand cultural differences within parenting, we can better prepare parents of all backgrounds.”

Paula Hernandez, the third COPH Delta Omega presenter, shared her research on parental attitudes toward HPV vaccinations for adolescents.

“There are still many negative stigmas and misconceptions around sexual health that can impact health care decision-making and one’s health in general,” Hernandez, an MPH student, said. “Additionally, reproductive health is an integral part of women’s health and well-being, which makes it important to work toward creating equitable and effective care for all individuals.”

In addition to receiving a $500 monetary award, all the students said one of the most rewarding things about presenting was engaging with session participants.

“I was able to work on my public speaking skills while also being given a great platform to advocate for the HPV vaccine,” Hernandez said.

“My favorite part of presenting was engaging in meaningful conversations with people who also found this research important,” Abbondanza added. “Some people were interested because the research was related to their career field, and some people were interested because they come from different cultural backgrounds and felt like they could relate to the topic. I loved that I was able to practice my networking skills because good networking skills are valuable in any career field.” 

Story by Donna Campisano for USF College of Public Health

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USF College of Public Health (COPH) alum Marie Denis-Luque, who was born and raised in Haiti, came to the U.S. with her family just before she turned 17, settling in Tallahassee, Fla., where she resides today.

“I learned English in high school and was the first in my family to even entertain the idea of going to a university,” she recalled. “It was because of a teacher in high school who wanted me to go to college. I didn’t know what college was, but she helped me to get into a university.”

Denis-Luque visited other campuses, but felt they weren’t her place. When she got to USF’s campus,  she fell in love with it. “USF felt like home.” she said. “I felt comfortable being in the company of other Haitian students.”

Initially inclined toward medical school, Denis-Luque soon discovered her true passion was public health. Her involvement in the Haitian Club Creole on USF’s campus and learning about public health from a fellow club member played a significant role in this shift.

Denis-Luque realized that public health was aligned with her aspirations and what she wanted to achieve in her life.

“I did not have a perfect GPA, but the COPH made room for me, and in return I was able to help others through the work I’ve ultimately been able to accomplish.”

Despite facing challenges, including the responsibility of caring for her sister and the need to work multiple jobs, Denis-Luque’s enthusiasm for public health never waned.

“When I found public health, it was exciting. I think some of my classmates thought I was a total nerd because every semester I was in awe of everything I learned. I took my first course, then I took another, then I applied to the college,” she said.

Denis-Luque credited her mentors and the welcoming nature of the college as invaluable in her educational and career path.

”When I see Dean Petersen, I still say, ‘Oh, that’s my dean.’ When I see Natalie Preston, director of the Office of Engagement and Constituent Relations, I say, ‘Those are my people.’ “

Denis-Luque’s journey wasn’t confined to the classroom. Her commitment to public health extended to her homeland, Haiti.

Her perspective on Haiti was transformed during a health education trip with USF. She was challenged by her mentor to view Haiti through the eyes of a public health official, prompting her to see her home country in a new light. She said this experience fundamentally changed the way she approached her work in Haiti, making her more attuned to public health hazards and necessary interventions.

“I viewed everything through that lens,” commented Denis-Luque. “As I got off the plane, I noticed several unworking planes on the runway, some rusted. Getting off the plane was borderline dangerous for those not strong enough. As we headed to our hotel from the airport, there was garbage on almost every street corner. Of course, watching the dangers of public transportation, people hanging from bus doors, and sitting on top of vehicles drove me crazy, too.”

Now Denis-Luque said she wants to be someone who helps challenge students’ thinking, just like her mentor challenged her to think through that lens.

Denis-Luque said it was during her visit to Haiti as a graduate student when she met a little girl with HIV that led her to become the founder of the nonprofit organization Caring for Haitian Orphans with AIDS .

“The little girl was living in the hospital courtyard with no one caring for or loving her,” she said.” I decided I could do something to express love for her. Though acting on this feeling to help this child was more significant than anything I had ever done, I had no idea what I was signing up for. Engaging in this work has been more fulfilling than anything I have ever done.”

She said the work of the organization has touched the lives of nearly 70 children, providing them with opportunities and support they might not have otherwise had.

“My nonprofit assumes the role of parents for these children,” Denis-Luque said. “We provide food and shelter, cover the cost of hospital care, recreation, and education, including vocational training. At this time, close to 50% of our staff were once our residents. Since unemployment is very high in Haiti (estimates ranging from 50-80%), locating employment for our young adults is unattainable. Once they get to a certain age, we make sure they receive the education needed to work for us for them to be able to sustain themselves. Then we hire the women to play the role of mothers to the children.”

“December will be 20 years since we started,” she said. “Many lives have been impacted. Children who would otherwise not be here. Women who are positive who work for us, whose life–God knows what it would be today–if it were not for being in the program.”

Denis-Luque graduated in 2005 from the COPH with a MSPH with a concentration in epidemiology and an MPH in community and family health.

Now Denis-Luque is working on her PhD from Florida State University Askew School of Public Administration and Policy. “I’m in the dissertation phase at the moment, and I am looking at how to improve non- governmental organizations that work in Haiti,” she said.

Looking ahead, Denis-Luque envisions staying in academia and said she is hopeful to eventually return to the COPH. “That would be a dream come true. A professor. I want to put it out into the universe,” she said.

In the future, Denis-Luque aspires to work on grant-funded projects and to involve students in her work. She said she believes in challenging students to step out of their comfort zone and discover their passions.

Fast Five

What did you dream of becoming when you were young?
Working as a medical doctor in a small hospital in a little province in France where I’d be the only doctor in town and everybody would come to me.

Where would we find you on the weekend?
Probably at Costco.

What’s the last book that you read?

“Just Another Emperor? The Myth and Realities of Philanthrocapitalism,” by Michael Edwards.

What superpower would you like to have?
Invisibility.

What’s your all-time favorite movie?
“Dirty Dancing.” I love Patrick Swayze.

Story by: Liz Bannon, USF College of Public Health

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The USF College of Public Health (COPH) Activist Lab recently received an American Public Health Association (APHA) Student Champions Climate Justice Award.

The APHA’s Center for Climate, Health and Equity presents the Student Champions for Climate Justice Awards each year to student groups across the country. Students receiving the award are tasked with creating an academic community experience on their campuses to raise awareness about climate justice.

According to Rolando Trejos, a COPH PhD student who also serves as the project lead for the grant, climate justice recognizes the unfair, unequal and disproportionate effects of changes in the climate among communities of color, older adults, children and people with lower incomes and encourages the input of the uplifting community when attempting to tackle its effects.

“As an international student from Panamá, I have observed firsthand the catastrophic role of human-made emissions and contamination in accelerating the rate of climate change in the region I am originally from, called Azuero,” Trejos said. “In this region, pesticide exposure and atrazine contamination of one of the main rivers are hypothesized to play a role in the steep increase in the number of new cancer cases, with little to no attention to this issue. It is hoped that programs such as ours will enhance advocacy.”

The months-long project has been performed in several stages.

In September, Activist Lab members visited Liberty Middle School in Tampa and provided an interactive presentation on climate justice for 22 students.

In October, they released a podcast on climate justice and Latino health that featured COPH professors and Salud Latina members Drs. Arlene Calvo and Ricardo Izurieta and Dr. Joseph Grzywacz, associate dean for research and faculty, from San Jose State University. The third and main event was a climate justice workshop for undergraduate and graduate students held at the COPH at the end of October.

The final events, said Trejos, will be an oral presentation given at the APHA 2023 Annual Meeting and Expo within the APHA Emerging Scholars program and an “Instagram takeover” of the official Instagram of the American Public Health Association.

“Bringing awareness to the importance of climate justice and promoting health equity among Latinos has been exciting,” Trejos said. “On a personal note, as a Latino public health professional and cancer researcher, I aspire to continue to work toward envisioning equity in cancer among Latinos, which will necessitate an understanding of the roles of both the social and built environments.”

Trejos said he and the other Activist Lab members feel “honored” to have received the APHA award.

“It is an honor to collaborate with our Activist Lab director and principal investigator of the grant Dr. Karen Liller and student advisory board members Jenny Ho, Amadeo Brandon, Hannah Harburg and Farshid Faizee in the planning and implementation of this project,” Trejos noted.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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USF College of Public Health (COPH) master’s students concentrating in either healthcare administration or health care organizations and management recently had the opportunity to participate in an interprofessional education (IPE) event held in conjunction with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM).

The session was organized in November by the MCOM SELECT MD Program to teach medical students about the business of medicine. The SELECT MD Program prepares students to become physician leaders who accelerate change in health care.

After listening to remarks about the business of health care from COPH professor Dr. Zachary Pruitt, who is also an alum of the college, and Dr. Mark G. Mosely, president of USF Tampa General Physicians, attendees broke into groups to analyze a case study of a fictitious medical group considering adopting a value-based payment model for health care services. The COPH students guided the medical students on how the payment structure would impact their medical specialties and why. The case study was published by Drs. Pruitt and Moseley in the Journal of Health Administration Education.

The group-based IPE event enabled the COPH students to demonstrate the value of the health administration profession while also learning how to build collaborative relationships with health care providers.

“These discussions are relevant to the healthcare field today, and conversations are being had about applying these [payment] models in various measures,” Kathryn Sherman, a second-year Master of Health Administration (MHA) student who attended the event, said. “This event will help advance both careers in that it allows each student the opportunity to learn the priorities, goals and objectives of each profession. It also helps limit the negative light that is shed on the administrative profession as the medical community learns just how important it is to have someone there who can explain the inner workings of the organization.”

Sherman said participating in the event gave her real-world experience she can take with her in her career.

“Having participated in this event both as a first- and second-year MHA student, I can honestly say I have evolved as a leader, speaker and educator on all things related to healthcare management,” she said. “I was able to better inform my group of the advantages and disadvantages of each model while allowing them the autonomy of choosing what they believed would work best for their specialty. I would absolutely recommend this event for anyone in either program who wants to see how a health care management degree can be utilized in a real-world simulation, as this is a very real topic that is currently being discussed in the community today.”

Dr. Victor Weeden, the USF MHA Program Director, also helped to facilitate group discussions.

According to Weeden, the IPE event provides valuable experience for health administration students seeking to become healthcare leaders. More importantly, he said, interprofessional collaborations help benefit not just the participants, but health care as a whole.

“Even though the management and medical students’ educational backgrounds and goals are so different, the IPE event helps them understand that, in reality, their aim is the same—to improve health care value for patients,” Weeden said.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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All five students in the USF College of Public Health (COPH) integrated MPH/dietetics internship program recently attended the Food and Nutrition Conference Expo (FNCE) in Denver in October.

The FNCE is hosted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a professional organization of nutrition and dietetics practitioners headed by Dr. Lauri Wright, director of nutrition programs at the COPH and a USF alum. It is the largest meeting of food and nutrition experts and registered dietitians in the world.

The USF COPH dietetic internship program integrates an MPH degree with a concentration in nutrition and dietetics with a supervised practice element designed to help students meet the standards of education and core competencies of registered dietitians.

This is the second time Maura Fowler, one of the five interns, has attended the FNCE.

“That first FNCE motivated me to pursue my MPH over an MS (which ultimately led me to USF) because I realized how passionate I was about advocacy in the role of a dietitian and how they are an essential part of the medical and community fields of practice,” Fowler said.

Fowler said she spent her time at the conference attending lectures and networking events and volunteering as a student liaison for the organization’s Renal Practice Group (renal dietitians are experts in nutrition and diet for people with kidney diseases).

“I loved attending FNCE, and I cannot wait to attend next year in Minnesota! This is a great learning opportunity for students,” Fowler said. “Colleges promote their internships, which was very important to me last year. They also have student learning programs and offer help with resumes. Hearing the current research is also very important—it has helped me develop a deeper passion for the things I learned about in my curriculum.”

Brianna Paul, another of the interns, said she appreciated the networking opportunities the conference provided as well as the lectures shedding light on the latest advances in nutrition.

“It was eye-opening to listen to all the latest research from around the world,” she said. “I attended many different lectures on topics I was interested in, including a lecture regarding the effects of ultra-processed foods in our diets and how the research has been changing over the past few years.”

Paul said one of the highlights for her was exploring the different booths and the products they offered.

“I enjoyed the expo the most because it was interactive and many of the booths had fun little activities such as trivia, free samples, contests to win a big prize, photo ops and networking booths with some of the social media influencer dietitians,” she noted.

Paul said one of the biggest things she took away from this year’s FNCE was inspiration.

“Overall, I loved the FNCE and I’m looking forward to attending next year’s conference,” she commented. “As a soon-to-be registered dietitian, this conference exposed me to different nutrition fields. Everyone had a passion for their work, which has inspired me to want to make a difference in future years advocating for this profession.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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Nine USF College of Public Health (COPH) students—from undergraduate to master’s to doctoral students—currently serve on the USF Health Executive Student Leadership Board (ESLB).

The ELSB is comprised of students across USF Health. They act as student advisors to USF Health leadership, represent USF Health on committees, in focus groups and at special events and are invited to social and professional events throughout the year. Students apply for the position, which they hold for one academic year (although students in good standing can re-apply each year).

“Together with the other students, we give feedback for upcoming USF events and present suggestions for resources and programs that would benefit the USF Health student body,” John Whelan, an MHA student serving his second term on the ESLB, said. “I look forward to working on the Capital Improvement Project as we plan allocating funds for improving student resources.”

Chinyere Reid, a COPH doctoral candidate, has served on the board since 2019 and has taken an active role in the renovation of the WELL and planning USF Health activities such as USF Health IPE Day and Homecoming Week.

“Serving on the ESLB is important because it allows me to make a meaningful contribution to the USF Health community by providing a valuable student perspective and input,” Reid said. “I have absolutely enjoyed the experience, which is why I continue to return. It has provided me with the opportunity to network with fellow USF Health students, faculty, staff and leadership, fostering interprofessional connections and contributing to my professional development.”

Whelan credits his experience with ESLB with building his professional network.

“I have made friends and professional connections that will last a lifetime,” he said. “Notably, I met my friend Hemal Prasad, a former MHA student, through ESLB. In June, I will be joining Hemal at Cleveland Clinic. I likely would have never had that connection with Hemal or learned about the potential job opportunity if it wasn’t for our collaboration in ESLB.” 

Truc (Jenny) Ho, a BSPH student, said her experience on the board has been both “eye-opening and collaborative.”

“It has allowed me to establish valuable connections across various health care fields, providing me with diverse perspectives and insights into the needs of students,” she said. “Serving on this board enables me to contribute to the betterment of the USF Health community and advocate for the students’ interests. My aim is to foster a supportive and inclusive environment for students, as well as to facilitate their professional growth. I hope to accomplish enhanced student engagement, academic success and a sense of unity within the USF Health community during my tenure.”

Whelan had similar sentiments.

“I hope to leave USF Health even better than I found it, and I hope my involvement with ESLB will improve the experience for the next generation of Bulls,” he summed up.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

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