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

Abstract #65626

Margaret A. Fournier, RN, MS, College of Nursing, University of Southern Maine, 96 Falmouth St., P.O.Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104-9300, 207-780-4146, maggief@usm.maine.edu and Janet Z. Burson, EdD, RD, FADA, College of Nursing and Health Professions, University of Southern Maine, 96 Falmouth St., P.O.Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104-9300.

The Casco Bay Fishing and Island Community Partnership is primarily focused on individuals and families who make their living in the commercial fishing industry off the George’s Bank in the North Atlantic, and international seafarers entering Casco Bay aboard tankers and cargo ships. Commercial fishing is one of the most hazardous occupations one can be engaged in. Data gathered by the partnership demonstrates that fishing families are frequently uninsured and often deal with emotional and financial hardships, which greatly affect their health status. Seafarers, often at sea for long periods of time, are denied access to health care providers aboard ship and, as foreign nationals, may be unable to leave ship in port due to increased security. Most individuals in both aggregates do not seek routine, preventive health screening. Skin cancers, prostate cancer, alcoholism, heart disease and other ailments often go undetected and untreated. In the third year of the partnership, baccalaureate nursing students have initiated a model for mobile health screening which is currently being implemented over a calendar year. The presentation will explain the model; how it is implemented on the waterfront and aboard seafaring vessels. It will highlight the mutual collaboration with state and local public health nursing, private physicians, fishing related businesses and religious leaders. Embedded in this community partnership is the overarching concept of mutual collaboration with the goal of working with the commercial fishing and seafaring community in exploring and learning about their unmet health needs and developing collaborative community-driven solutions.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to:
• Identify the unmet health care needs of commercial fishermen and seafarers.
• Describe a mobile model for health screening specifically designed to meet the health preventive needs of fishermen and seafarers.
• Discuss the mutual benefits of a community partnership for baccalaureate nursing students and fishermen and seafarers.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Screening

Related Web page: www.usm.maine.edu/con/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employment