The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #63788

Jacuelyn D. Gilbert, MPH, PT, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Arkansas State University, P.O.Box 910, State University, AR 72467, 870-972-3591, jgilbert@astate.edu, Adedeji Sikiru Adefuye, MBBS, MPH, OCGA, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, 1603 W. Taylor, Suite 152, Chicago, IL 60612, and Terri I. Williams, IMPACT-UAMS, Crittenden Memorial Hospital, 200 Tyler, West Memphis, AR 72301.

The Arkansas Mississippi Delta, specifically Crittenden County has been designated as a Health Professions Shortage and Medically Underserved Area. This rural community of 1,000 residents does not have a primary health care provider within a 20 mile radius. Poverty, illiteracy, and inadequate health care contribute to the poor health indicators in the County. School attendance, math and science grades are also poor.

The Delta College Bound Leaders Achieving Success in the Sciences (CLASS) program of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro is designed to expose students from Turrell High School to career opportunities in the health sciences. Through a cooperative partnership between Crittenden Memorial Hospital and Impact Center of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 5 students ages 14-17 took part in the pilot of the program during the summer of 2002 designed as service learning project.

With encouragement by mentors, the students chose specific areas of concentration. Measures of students’ interest and progress were taken at the beginning and end of program through self-administered questionnaires and interviews conducted by teachers and project director. Each participant completed 20 hours of service learning and received CPR certification.

The program has increased the students’ awareness of health career options and staff continue to follow the students logitudinally. An offshoot of the program, Teen Outreach Program (TOP), has been initiated at the high school level. Twenty-five students have signed up to take part in 2003. Our long-term goal is to facilitate the academic enhancement and mentoring in health careers and continue life long learning and service to the local community.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the presentation particpants will;
• Recognize the health indicators which contribute to Crittenden County's designation as HPSA and MUA.
• Appreciate that projects with minimal funding can be an asset in a County low in resources.
• Recognize service learning as an incentive can be used to expose otherwise unmotivated students to health career options.
• Recognize the effect of a program's suceess in generating interest and engendering sustenance with little or no resources

Keywords: Service Learning, Partnerships

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.