Student Spotlights April 2022

UMass students present Island youths’ problems - The Martha's Vineyard Times: A group of UMass Chan Medical School students, known as Rural Health Scholars, studied ways to support the Island’s young people in overall well-being and in educational and occupational endeavors. https://www.mvtimes.com/2021/11/03/umass-students-present-island-youths-problems/

Romain, S. (2021) presented “Leaders at the bedside– What it takes to be an Ethics Champion in the U.S.” as a   podium presentation at the Virtual Open Forum Day, European Clinical Ethics Network, September 8, 2021.

Cintron, S., Kennedy, H. M., Toohey, L.,  Mar, W., Latter, A., L’Esperance, S., & Perry, D. (2021) presented “Linking Nature Contact and Health Benefits through Artistic Expression of Nature.” An oral presentation at the Sigma Theta Tau, Sigma Region 15 Annual Symposium: Nursing Between the Lines, October 1, 2021.

Hannah Boorstein RN, MS, FNP-C, DNP class of 2022 and SOM student Kaan Apaydin received the William Thomas O’Byrne Scholarship from the office of diversity and inclusion for being an active and productive member of the QMass group. This scholarship fund was established by anonymous donors in honor of William Thomas O’Byrne, MD, a physician and faculty member at the University of Alabama School of Medicine and LGBTQ advocate who died in 2018.

Students from the Oral Health PHC wrote an opinion piece that was published in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, “Oral Health in Worcester: Why it’s important and how we can improve it”. Isabella DiMare – DNP 1 student in the AGPCNP track – was one of the   authors along with 5 SOM 2^nd year students! Read more here: https://bit.ly/3ComH7p

The PhD program is this hidden gem.” Learn about Zareen Barry's journey to becoming a nurse & why she wants to become nursing faculty, helping English language learner students succeed: https://bit.ly/2Zh9bV5

Amanda Hazeltine, DNP Acute Care Track student at the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing presented a poster at the ASCO Quality Care Symposium, entitled “Enhancing Palliative Care Consultation Workflow on an Inpatient Oncology Unit”

Amanda Hazeltine and Kathryn Liziewski presented their ITQC project at the    International Conference on Communication in Healthcare.

Congratulate Dr. Thin (Aung) Malatesta on the successful defense of her dissertation, “ Moral challenges, moral distress, and moral   resilience in critical care nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic” 9/24/21. Thin’s inquiry into the experience of critical care nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic gave voice to those who experiences were the first for many. The dissemination of her findings will acknowledge the challenges encountered by many nurses and provide data that may be of help in similar situations in the future. I would like to acknowledge the Chair of her Dissertation Committee, Dr. Carol Bova, and Committee members Dr. Donna Perry and Dr. Susan Sullivan-Boylai for their efforts and help in guiding Thin through the dissertation process.

Congratulations the students below who received a Mick Huppert Community Health Scholar Award.
Heidi Boland, and Grace Winship, both DNP 2 students are working with mentor Andy Lowe of Outer Cape Health Services (OCHS), an FQHC serving Cape Cod’s rural communities. Seeing the importance of the health center’s telehealth work during their PCHC, they saw an opportunity to use the Huppert award to advance OCHS’s program identifying individuals without the technology to participate in telehealth visits, potentially affecting quality of care and definitely affecting reimbursement. Grace and Heidi have supported the OCHS team by identifying patients, designing pamphlets, and providing strategic recommendations.
Working with Linda Cragin and Janet Hale as co-mentors, Samantha Creamer, DNP 2 student and Annie Thornton, MS III have used the Huppert award to advance an initiative known as Operation Conversation – Bridging the Gap between the Veteran Community and Future Health Care Providers. The aim is to enhance the knowledge of future healthcare providers regarding military culture, and unique health needs of veterans. This is particularly important as many veteran patients seek their healthcare outside the VA's health system. They are using interviews and storytelling to foster a relationship between veteran patients, increase student knowledge and comfort related to military culture and health needs, while providing an opportunity for veterans to share their experiences.

There was an article in the Telegram and Gazette entitled “UMass Road to Care meets homeless, drug-addicted where they live on Worcester's streets” highlights Dr. Erik Garcia’s work caring for the city’s homeless and the Road to Care mobile medical clinic. Along with MassAHEC Urban Health Scholar nursing student Monica Wiant, student in the GEP program at the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing. 

The students below were awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Semester of Service Student Awards to implement community service programs. The award program is an initiative that enhances health care   education for UMass Chan students as they expand the institution’s impact and reach in local neighborhoods.
Moving the Walls: Enhancing interprofessional care and patient privacy in free medical clinics
Project description: Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing students will be integrated into the Worcester Free Care Collaborative, and adjustable walls will be purchased to afford more privacy for medical evaluations and discussions between patients, volunteers, students, and medical providers.
Students: First-year nursing students Angela Patterson, David Runyan, Jillian Steacy, Kourtney Mantyla, Morgan Hill, Jacob Waldman, Casandra Gale, Emily Dillon, Joshan Niroula and Rachel Odillia.  Community partner: Worcester Free Care Collaborative

First-year nursing student aims to amplify   diversity on road to becoming nurse practitioner.  Jeannece Batista immediately felt at home in the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, so much so that this self-described introvert joined three campus organizations her first semester. Learn about how she's involved here: https://bit.ly/3eR5ABy

Congratulations to this year’s Mick Huppert Community Health Scholar Award winners. Funding has been provided by the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, the Cape and Islands AHEC via MassAHEC, and the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing.
Digital Care Navigation for People with Opioid Use Disorder – Road to Care (Maia Fefer and Rachel Odillia (Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing)) 
A Path to Pediatric Healthcare in Worcester: Assessing Enrollment Success in Massachusetts Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Primary Care Provider (PCP) Attainment after a Worcester Free Care Collaborative referral (David Runyan (Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing), Danielle Heims-Waldron, Addison Ward)

Irina Rojas, DNP 3, class of 2022 shared exciting news that she was accepted a position at Neighborhood Family Practice (Primary care community health), AND.... was also    fortunate to receive a HRSA Student to Service Scholarship to help cover all my loans over the next three years. Irina says about faculty member Gayle Gravlin “ I will be thinking of everything you've and our faculty have taught me. Thank you for all your support, mentorship, letters of recommendation, and always being there for me.”

Kianna Warner, MS, RN, AGPCNP-C, DNP-AGPCNP Student, Class of 2022
Her project titled Improving Long-acting Reversible Contraception Education at Worcester State University was accepted for presentation for the New England Regional NP Conference. Watch her IUD and Nexplanon DNP Scholarly Project Video here: https://bit.ly/36Q041Y

Francis Sabas, DNP 2 ACNP student shares his day in a life as a student in the RNFA program. https://bit.ly/3LDg0TF