interdisciplinary student community-oriented prevention enhancement service

Give, Get Help, Get InvolvedTODAY

2010 – 2011

- COMMITTED PARTNERS - YEARS OF PROGRESS - PURPOSEFUL TEAMS -

ISCOPES ANNUAL OVERVIEWCOMPLIMENTS OF: THE ISCOPES LEADERSHIP TEAM

10th Anniversary

Susan LeLacheur, DrPH, PA-C

Paul Tschudi, EdS, MA, LPC

15th Anniversary

Sandy Hoar, PA-C

Isabel van Isschot, MSW

To the many people who have coordinated and/or championed the efforts of ISCOPES throughout its 15 year history: you have our deepest gratitude!!

Special thanks to the following preceptors and advisors for their enduring

commitment to ISCOPES and the community

advisors, staff, and students – past and present –who give all they can and then some…

ISCOPES would not be possible without community preceptors and their organizations,

our year in pictures…

Appreciating the past with an eye on the future…15 years ago, seven people worked as an interdisciplinary team to submit a proposal to PEW Health Professions Schools in Service to the Nation (HPSISN) that would serve as seed money for what would become the Interdisciplinary Student Community-Oriented Prevention Enhancement Service (ISCOPES). Since then, this service-learning program has left its fingerprint on the DC Metro Area, and will continue to do so.

What an exciting first year on the job as the director of ISCOPES! Joining this multidisciplinary family has been both an honor and a pleasure – as well as appropriately challenging! Throughout the year, our teams have been hard at work planning, implementing, and evaluating their projects for our 15 community partner organizations all the while facing some of the challenges that make community health service simultaneously difficult and rewarding. Even in the face of what sometimes seemed to be impossible circumstances, students, advisors, preceptors, and staff prevailed, coming to terms with the extraordinary level of persistence that is required to effectively serve. Meanwhile, many of these folks took their service one step further by stepping up as team facilitators, program representatives, and/or strategic planning team members. The combined efforts of these groups and the lessons learned during ISCOPES’ rich history will shape all the great things to come in 2011 –2012! Many thanks to those of you who have been a part of and supportive of our work this year and for so long – and a warm welcome to those who are just getting to know what we are all about. In either case, I’m glad you are a part of our pursuit to bring practitioners and clients, non-profits and the University closer together, improving trust, access to care, and health outcomes over time – it goes without saying that we can achieve more together! ---Angie

Thank you to all ISCOPES participants for a memorable year! We’ve taught workshops on healthy diet and physical activity; we’ve given individual attention to clients learning how to use a computer for the first time; we’ve promoted health, wellness, and disease prevention in the District; we’ve advocated for those whose voices are often unheard; and we’ve developed resource guides that will help DC residents find essential health services. These are just some examples of our accomplishments and we should be proud of our hard work! Moreover, please know that we inspire others through our willingness to work together, brainstorm ideas, circumvent challenges, and serve others despite other projects, responsibilities, and priorities on our respective plates. My hope is that we have all learned something from this experience – either from working in interdisciplinary teams, collaborating with each other, listening to valuable feedback from our target audiences, or by challenging ourselves mentally, physically, and/or emotionally to grow as health professionals. I know I’ve learned from all of you and for that I am truly thankful. Lastly, I would like to leave you with one of my favorite quotes: ‘Success and happiness cannot be pursued – they must ensue as unintended side effects of one’s personal dedication to a course greater than oneself.’ -Viktor Frankl. I hope this and our ISCOPES experiences, will serve us well in the future as we continue down the path to improving health for all! ---Donna

Mission: In it for the long termThe mission of ISCOPES is to provide students with a service-learning experience while addressing community-identified health needs in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Interdisciplinary teamwork and community interaction make ISCOPES a unique approach to promoting health in DC and reducing barriers to accessing health information and care.

Committed to Outcomes: Our Goals

1. GW students effectively engage in intensive, health promotion experiences.

2. GW faculty/staff effectively serve as community health promotion coaches.

3. Community leaders facilitate capacity building through university-community

health promotion partnerships.

4. High priority target populations in the DC Metro area participate in health

promotion experiences.

5. University-community partnerships are strengthened through health

communication and marketing.

Grounded in Our Values

We Value:

Universal healthcare access

Authentic collaboration between university and community

Service Learning as a core strategy

Evidence-based, research-informed, and/or science-based resources enhanced with culturally appropriate adaptation options

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Culturally competent health services

Sustainable, outcomes driven project development, implementation, and evaluation

2010-2011 Strategic Planning

Team:Chidimma Acholonu

Lisa AlexanderAmy Cohen

Alison DeLeoAngie Hinzey

Donna JavellanaKaryn Pomeranz

Josef ReumCheryl Robertson

Steve RobieScott Schroth

Alex Stagnaro-GreenHoward Straker

Paul TschudiSharon Watkins

Meaningful collaboration requires teamwork

Fifteen interdisciplinary teams each made up of 7-12 health professional students, 1-2 faculty advisors, and 1-3 community preceptors came

together in September 2010 to identify and target community health needs. Without knowing exactly what was to come, they committed themselves to each other and the clients they would serve. Hear what they have to say about their experiences…

[My faculty advisor] taught me that no matter how much you as an individual want

to work towards a goal, everyone in your group has to be onboard or it will never get

there…students have identified areas of bias/assumptions about the homeless that will

inform their practice in the future. I grew in how I help guide students through this process and helped develop how

they view people from different backgrounds. excellent opportunity to get to know students from

other programs and experience the challenges of providing service in DC. My faculty advisor is one of the most inspiring people I have ever met …she has not only a

compassion, but also a passion, for human beings, especially the underserved…I will always remember and attempt to

incorporate her commitment in my own practice. I believe this program gave me a dose of reality, which was

very much needed. I learned so much and will take this experience as a very positive one where I learned and grew tremendously as a person.

Coalition for the Homeless –Emery HouseThe Emery House team made visits every other week to talk with the residents and offer preventive screenings. A needs survey prompted discussions pertaining to diabetes, nutrition, sexually transmitted diseases, prostate health, and health insurance. The team implemented an incentive program to encourage attendance. Additionally, each man was given a notebook to record his blood pressure and weight, taken at each visit. The experience gave the team members and men ongoing opportunities to work one-on-one while learning about each other and various perspectives in health care. The success of the project was measured by attendance and self-reported impact as summarized in a series of videotaped interviews.

Community of Hope – Marie Reed (COH-MR)The COH-MR team helped begin a school basketball team, developed and delivered health-related workshops, and collected recipes for a future community cookbook. During the basketball season, team members supported school coaching staff and demonstrated how fun exercise could be. Post season, the team developed, implemented, and evaluated two workshops: the first was a healthy heart workshop for parents that included a presentation and cooking demonstration of a meal based on local recipes while the second was a kid-friendly workshop on exercise and healthy eating that included exercise practice and preparing healthy pizzas.

Community of Hope – Transitional Housing (COH-TH)The COH-TH team started the semester by evaluating the needs of COH clients. After conducting literature reviews and shadowing their community preceptor, they chose to integrate into the established LifeSkills program at Girard Street. Topics were selected and prioritized based on client polls. Classes focused on hand washing for flu prevention, exercise, and the epidemiology and prevention of HIV.

Department of Health – DC Healthy StartThis team focused on DC Healthy Start’s mission by tapping into a newly developing best practice: expectant father education. With the help of their community preceptor, they determined that there was an unmet need among these men for widely disseminated, comprehensive, user-friendly, medically accurate, health education print materials as last year’s team focused only on expectant mothers in their own materials development. Following in similar footsteps to last year’s team, this team first created and implemented a needs and assets survey to determine what resources would be most valuable for their target audience. Subsequently, they created a guide that helps direct fathers to these local, often untapped resources.

Department of Mental Health – Primary ProjectThe Primary Project team spent their first semester training in this early mental health intervention program for elementary

aged children. Circumstances warranted a switch in project focus at midyear toward project implementation advocacy. The team promoted coordination and cooperation between the DC

Department of Mental Health and DC Public Schools. Their efforts included emails, letters, and phone calls to council

members as well as leaders in the school system. Their efforts were successful and rewarded by a two year implementation agreement. They finished their year by hosting an orientation lunch with the team that will implement Primary Project next

year with the help of future ISCOPES participants.

GW Veterans CollaborativeThroughout the year, this team was able to work with the Student Veterans Organization at GW. They planned and

conducted focus groups with these student veterans, and their findings resulted in a list of recommendations for the University.

Additionally, this team found little to no information about the military and current issues facing service members available for

the greater university population. They decided to educate students, faculty, and staff by showing a screening of the movie

Alive Day and hosting military-associated guest lecturers.

Health Information Partners(HIPS) – Academy of HopeThe HIPS team targeted adult students at Academy of Hope

with curricula that would boost GED prep, health knowledge, and understanding of health resources. Sub-teams of 2-3

students developed class objectives, lessons, and evaluations, and presented them at team meetings. Adjustments were

made through team input and then sub-teams presented the lessons to AOH students at weekly classes. Team members

reported on and evaluated lessons at the next team meetings. AOH student learning was evaluated through pre- and post-tests

and games. AOH students also filled out evaluations to provide feedback for next year. Student feedback from the first term

was also implemented in the second term.

St. Mary’s CourtThis team addressed this senior community’s need for health

education and companionship. They visited with the residents during meals and distributed a survey to determine their health

education needs. Subsequent classes on hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, and osteoporosis were prioritized, prepared, and

presented. The year culminated with a health fair that featured information and activities centered on the aforementioned plus

skin care, sleep, sex, arthritis, blood pressure checks, and personal well-being.

Bridging the Gap: Research To PracticeServing as the ‘To’ was the focus of many ISCOPES teams this year. Students and faculty brought their understanding of latest best practices and classroom knowledge to the table while community preceptors and clients offered up their experience and real world circumstances. Both camps taught and both camps learned, creating a middle ground of reciprocity and reflection.

Academies of AnacostiaThe Academies of Anacostia team first identified the priority needs of senior students attending this high school as building college/job/life readiness and increasing general health knowledge. Several workshops addressing nutrition, sexual health, and mental health were planned, but implementation was inhibited by many unfortunate environmental circumstances, including the heartbreaking death of one of the high school students. Instead of walking away, the team and this new partnership not only survived, but managed to thrive through an arrangement that brought these high school students to GW to learn about health professional education and career paths as well as about the multi-cultural environment at the university. This team has paved the way for many more good things to come!

Lederer Environmental and Education Center(LEEC)/DeanwoodAs a means of building a new collaborative partnership between the LEEC and the Deanwood Recreation Center (DRC), this team focused on educating young people at DRC about healthy food, including how it’s grown in nearby community gardens like the LEEC. Through interactive, fun, bi-weekly lessons, these children prepared and sampled a variety of healthy foods. Future ISCOPES teams can nurture this partnership so community members can utilize the LEEC to its full potential, particularly important given the food desert design of this community.

Bread for the City (BFC)BFC recently completed an expansion of their medical clinic.

The new clinic includes a Health Resource Room (HRR), a designated area in which clients can use the Internet to access

high quality websites with answers to their health questions with the help of a trained volunteer. The HRR is intended to

empower patients to explore more detailed information about topics including management of diabetes, hypertension, and

other chronic diseases. This team worked first to identify, vet, and finalize a database of these resources in the variety of

languages spoken by BFC clients. Subsequently, they helped with staffing the HRR. Moreover, they helped develop and test

an encounter form to track patient satisfaction with and utilization of the HRR. Finally, they developed and pilot tested a presentation and orientation packet based on their experiences

to use for training future HRR volunteers who will be recruited by BFC. The intense and intentional involvement of this team’s

community partner throughout the aforementioned ensures that these substantial efforts will be sustained and improved

over time.

La Clínica del PuebloThe La Clínica team created and administered a survey addressing language access resources and barriers in primary care clinics in the DC metro area as a follow-up to last year’s project, which surveyed hospitals in the same region. The analyzed results will be sent to La Clínica to identify and implement strategies that will help community health centers in D.C. expand their capacity to provide language services. The team also hosted a lunch for health professional students in an effort to raise awareness of language access barriers, patient rights, and the responsibilities of health care providers.

Mary’s CenterThis team identified three specific needs to address: Insurance education, pharmaceutical education, and patient flow analysis. The insurance education sub-team developed materials to distribute to patients with basic insurance information. The pharmaceutical education sub-team provided information on medication safety to patients and taught patients how to have an active role in their health care. The patient flow sub-team observed the check in process, interviewed staff and patients to determine key challenges in the patient flow process, and provided recommendations for improvement over time. Despite language barriers, this innovative team worked collaboratively in projects that could ultimately affect multiple locations.

N Street VillageThe N Street Village Team built on the efforts of last year’s team by testing, revising, and reflecting on appropriate and effective pedagogy for a wellness curriculum targeting the ladies of N Street Village. They also improved content specifically pertaining to stroke, menopause, smoking cessation, and sexual health based on the current women’s needs. Finally, this team helped organize a health fair around these topics that permitted collaboration with many other women-focused organizations. Their efforts will allow future teams to teach more effectively and polish the curriculum in an effort to ready this resource for utilization at other women’s homeless centers.

Whitman Walker ClinicThe Whitman Walker team identified the ongoing need for a

treatment readiness assessment tool for patients newly diagnosed with HIV as a means of improving treatment

adherence. After conducting a literature review, the team developed a Treatment Readiness Survey that was subsequently

pilot tested, edited, and finalized for use in a paper format. Future steps are projected to include transition into an online

format. Additionally, this team started drafting complementary health education modules that can be further developed by

future teams. The Treatment Readiness Survey is unique and will likely develop into a means for improving secondary HIV

prevention and quality of life for those living with HIV.

Prioritizing SustainabilityBuilding foundations for the future was also the focus of many of the ISCOPES teams this year. Projects that will better situate sites and future teams were planned, tweaked, executed, and evaluated – sometimes with a special sigh of relief that comes particularly when unknowns, roadblocks, and seemingly insurmountable odds are more often the norm than not. A few of these teams endured substantial adversity; nevertheless, they all endured and completed big picture projects that reinforce the ISCOPES commitment to making an ongoing positive impact.

ISCOPES 2010 – 2011 TEAMS Academies of AnacostiaChidimma Acholonu TF, MVP

Shilpa Bansal PR

Christan BartschRina DaveAnne Giles

Jeannette GreenDianne Harris CP

Yolanda Haywood FA, S1

Hillary MartinezShana McClendon MVP

Nia Nicholas CP

Ian Roberts CP

Seth RosenblattAnne Swett TF

Shyrea Thompson Robinson FA

Stephanie Waggel PR

Cristina Wright

Bread for the CityRandi Abramson CP

Shazad Ahmed TF

Rachel BarishJenna Bythrow MVP

Alison DeLeo FA

Tonya Hamilton CP, S2

Ikechi Knokwo PR

Liz Nafziger CP

Lizzy ReinboldYelda Salih

Laura SullivanTony Torres

Najla Wahid TF

Coalition for the Homeless – Emery House Herb Baylor CP

Kelly Bree TF, MVP

Renee Cordrey FA

Joey FieldingKatie KamaraMeg Knapick

Fafa Kumassah PR

Becky PetersSteve Robie

Scott Schroth FA

Jenny Smith

Community of Hope – Marie ReedSusan Blake FA

Colleen BoselliAshley Hartman CP

Laura HodgesKarishma Katti TF

Kate Kleene MVP

Alyssa KrepelaSuzanne Molloy FA, S1

Aaron RobertsAmy Shah TF

Michelle SpearsZainab Thomas

Val Vasquez

Community of Hope – Transitional HousingAshley Chadwick TF, MVP

Jesse LewisBeverly Lunsford FA

Cristin McGetrickKim Quyen Nguyen

Christine Pattison MVP

Assata Tafari CP

Kathleen ViadoLisa Walker

Ying Wang TF

Department of Health – DC Healthy StartFran Dayao

Twana Fortune JonesMellie Hock PR

Hana KeleleKimberly OgdenAishat Olatunde

Maggie Richards MVP

Cheryl Roberton FA

Kelsey Sanford TF

Eszter Varga

Department of Mental Health – Primary ProjectOlga Acosta Price FA

Maureen BaniganKelly Carter TF, MVP

Donna Coakley CP

Jenna Frkovich PR

J’wan Griffin CP

Meg HopkinsCristina Lange

Barbara Parks CP

Lalaine Ricardo TF

Rikin TankJen Treat

GW Veterans CollaborativeKelly Clark

Mary ComptonJulie CummingsHolli Finneren PR

Ashley FreseBecky Gullberg TF

Natasha Rabinowitz TF

Jackie RossChelsea Slade S1

Janice Speer MVP

Stacey StuartPaul Tschudi FA

Health Information Partners – Academy of HopeElizabeth Arnell

Praneet Boparai TF, S1

Patricia de Ferrari CP

Adele HagenNikki Hawkins CP

Elizabeth Laidlaw MVP

Tinika McIntoshOmoro Omoighe TF

Karyn Pomerantz FA

Gurvaneet SahotaElliott Stubbs

Austen Stutsman

La Clínica del PuebloNikova Bispham PR

Lauren Bruns TF

Lani GallagherLeah Gustafson PR, MVP

Jessie HallermanChristine HelouSandy Hoar FA

Iréal JohnsonElizabeth OdoomJanet Thompson

Isabel van Isschot CP

Katherine Verbyla

Lederer Environmental Education Center/DeanwoodJack Bal

Julie Barrett TF, MVP

Kimberly BrownAllison Gould

Vindya GunawardenaJean Gutierrez FA

David JustusCeleste Leong

Kelly Anne Melsted CP

Lauren O’SheaDana Rosenfarb TF

Alex Tauras PR

Anique WaltersAbbey Wawrzynek

Mary’s CenterCourtney Bartlett PR

Nivedita Betkerur TF

Toya Buchanan CP

Menolly Hart TF, MVP

Eun KimKatherine Krueger

Kara MayfieldAnnie Mooser

Elise NashGloria Rogers FA

Mary WaltersJoan Yengo CP

Chanel Zelaya

N Street VillageChristina Aplin-Kalisz FA, S1

Jacky FontanellaHirut Gebre

Lindsy Godair TF

Bethany Ignatenko MVP

Julia McPeakMariama Nixon FA, S1

Viviana ReyesLiz Stacey TF

Sharon Watkins CP

Yi Zhang

St. Mary’s CourtSarah Brady

Priya Chatterjee TF, MVP

Will Drew PR

Alex GentileJie Howe

Kate HughesTessa Johnson CP

Cathy Kopac FA

Katrina McLeanNancy NicolsonRegina Toto MVP

Diana Zaato TF, S1

Whitman WalkerChi Chi Anyanwu PR

Kristine BrookDanielle Geruso MVP

Justin Goforth CP

Li Huang TF

Andrew KerkhoffSusan LeLacheur FA

Rachel Mackessy-LloydAshley Schoenwetter

Domenic SimeoniJill Sturges

CP = Community Preceptor; FA = Faculty Advisor; MVP = Most Valuable (team) Player; PR = Program Representative; S1/S2 = Semester 1 or 2 only; TF = Team Facilitator

…ripples of hope…

Give, Get Help, Get Involved…TODAYISCOPES can only do what it does because people like you pitch in! Whether you define service as donating your skills, recruiting others, spreading the word, or something else altogether, we have an opportunity to serve that fits you! Join us and our efforts by completing and mailing us the form below or by emailing us at iscopes@gwu.edu.

Suggest a Site

Suggest a Community Preceptor

Build Readiness – Help with events/training

Volunteer as a Coach

Be a Content Expert (List expertise): ____________________________

Donate tangibles to our sites (contact us for specifics)

Make a financial contribution

Sponsor a student to present on their ISCOPES project at conferences

Sponsor a site

Help us purchase health education tools

Give in-kind services/gifts

Health Education Resources

Help with Evaluation

Lend us your Marketing Expertise

Participate in Publicity

Host a fundraising event

Help recruit students

Volunteer at one of our sites

Suggest Faculty Advisors

Suggest Coaches

Serve as a mentor

Name: ____________________Email: _____________________Phone Number: _____________

2300 Eye Street, NW. • Ross Hall Suite 316A • Washington, DC. 20037 • (202)994-3274 • iscopes@gwu.edu