Congratulations Graduates

Spring 2013

.

HS-MACA Linkage

HS-MACA 2013 Graduation Awardees

Robert Cervantes is the School of Medicine 2013 underrepresented student who best promoted the mentoring and tutoring activities for the Post Baccalaureate program of HS-MACA.

Sahar Al Baroudi is the School of Medicine 2013 underrepresented stu-dent who best promoted the mission of HS-MACA through service and com-munity outreach

Adetowun Alimi is the School of Dentistry 2013 underrepresented student who best promoted the mission of HS-MACA through service and community outreach

Ryan Inouye is the School of Dentistry 2013 underrepresented students who best promoted tutoring activities for the Post Baccalaureate program of HS-MACA

Natasha Pyfrom is the School of Medicine 2013 underrepresented student who best promoted the mission of HS-MACA throughout service and community outreach and for leadership in the Student National Medical Association.

Chloe Liu for leadership in the Student National Medical Association - Minority Associa-tion for Pre-health Students. (SNMA-MAPS)

Dreylana Taylor for leadership in the Multicultural Health Science Students Association. (MHSSA)

Xuchyll Roman for leadership in the Students National –Medical Association Minority Association for Pre-heath Students (SNMA-MAPS)

Teresa Arriola is the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions 2013 underrepre-sented physical therapy student who best promoted the mission of HS-MACA through service and community outreach

Guillermo Salinas is the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions 2013 underrepresented pharmacy student who best promoted the mission of HS-MACA through service and community outreach

Editors: Jennifer Klimowicz , BS, Channing Bunch, MBA, Sade Kosoko-Lasaki, MD

2

As Spring 2013 rolls in so does graduation. This is a bitter sweet time when we have to say “good-bye” to our graduating diversity students and “Yes, you are welcome” even as they thank us for our services . HS-MACA is proud to have contributed to your success at Creighton University. I want to remind you of the words of The Desiderata as you graduate:

The Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy

Max Ehrmann (1927)

God bless you!

Sade-Kosoko-Lasaki, MD, MSPH,MBA

Associated Vice President

Health Sciences

Welcome

3

School of Dentistry Adetowun Alimi Tracy Charging Crow Brian Gosnell Ryan Inouye Lindsey Kawahakui Long Nguyen Jeremy Pham Tra My Phung, Shradha Rajbhandari Zachary Ramberg Chelsea Wiggins Matthew Yip Lindsey Zeboski

School of Nursing BSN Jurry Batangan Andrew Blair Kathleen Bui Mariah Collins Melissa Galvan Antwonette Hobbs Jaryn Lau Phuong Le Emily Nguyen Amy Oum Daryn Shoji DNP Lisa Tieu

Occupational Therapy Danielle Arroy Kimberly Grant Physical Therapy Teresa Arriola Nicholas Cortes Maria Sanchez School of Medicine Sarah Al Baroudi Roberto Cervantes Kelly DeMeyere-Coursey Nathan Droz Mark Ettel Kevin Gysling Dreylana Hill-Taylor Gina Huss Tochi Ibekwe Brian McKinney Callie Montez Zachary Pena Michal Pham Natasha Pyfrom India Robinson Mark Tran Lan Uyen Tran Andrew Vu

School of Pharmacy and Health Profession Jessica Alonso Chester Ashong Lory Dodoo John Etaka Matthew Godwin William Gundrum Nichole Heil Samantha Odem Richelle Ramirez Veronica Ramirez Guillermo Salinas Maria Sanchez Jeremy Wells Ryan Wong

Graduating Class of 2013

Health Science Diversity Students

Save the date for the Post-Baccalaureate and Pre-Matric

Alumni Reunion

September 19th—September 22nd 2013

For more information on the Alumni Homecoming Weekend visit

http://alumni.creighton.edu/ or email cbunch@creighton.edu

SAVE THE DATE

4

Sahar Al Baroudi NYMC-Westchester Med Center, Valhalla, NY- Pediatrics

Christopher Behrens Creighton University Affiliated Hospital , Omaha, NE University,

Utah Affiliated Hospital, Salt Lake City, UT Medicine - Prelim

Anesthesiology

Roberto Cervantes Creighton University Affiliated Hospital, Omaha, NE - Psychiatry

Katie Halvorson University Nebraska Affiliated Hospital, Omaha NE - Pediatrics

Tochi Ibekwe Hershey Med Center/Penn State, Hershey, PA - Obstetrics

Gynecology

Fahad Khan St Mary’s Medical Centre, San Francisco, CA University of

Missouri—Kansas City MO Medicine—Prelim Ophthalmology

Pegah Mirhosseini White Memorial Med Center, Los Angeles, CA - Obstetrics

Gynecology

Natasha Pyfrom University Minnesota Med School, Minneapolis, MN - Family

Medicine

India Robinson Greenville Hospital Sys/University of S. Carolina, Greenville, SC

Family Medicine

Dreylana Taylor University of Oklahoma COM, Tulsa, OK - Psychiatry

School of Medicine Residency Match

Class of 2013

5

Post-Baccalaureate and Pre-Matriculation

Class of 2013

Premedical

Sameera Alocozy, California

Raul Canchari-Ames, Nebraska

Shradha Samuel. Missouri

Mugeta Mugeta, Alabama

Matthew Ogbeide, Oklahoma

Lich Pham, Washington

Sarah Nguyen, California

Predental

Oluwadamilola Ajagbe, Minnesota

Jonathan Aragon, New Mexico

Cecilia Miyares, Illinois

Nicole Nelson, Arizona

Robert Robinson, Louisanna

Pre-matric SPAHP

Rosemary Juarez

Rocio Calderon

Muhomed Elhaj

Congratulations to the Post Baccalaureate class of 2013 on a wonderful school year

6

Reflections

My Experience as Pre-Medical Post-Baccalaureate Program

Lich Pham HS-MACA Post-Baccalaureate Student Class Leader Pre-Medical 2012-2013

From the land of ocean and mountains in Seattle, Omaha is a place that I have never thought to set foot on.

Omaha was a place of unknown, uncertainty, and full of hesitations for me. A year ago before coming to Omaha, I

imagined the area to be inhabited by famers, ranchers, cowboys, the Wild West, and behind the times of urban

American life. Pertaining to Creighton’s Pre-Medical Post-Baccalaureate Program, my research and interactions

gave me an understanding that the program pointed to promise and success; that those who have gone before me

were given a second chance at fulfilling their dreams in healthcare. The program is rigorous: days are layered with

classes and nights are full of studies. It is a comprehensive accelerated program of all the sciences topped with

English and Humanities. While this article is about the Post-Baccalaureate Program and not about life in Omaha, I must say that

Omaha has defied and exceeded all my expectations and has more to offer than my original knowledge and assumptions.

As a married person, I write this portion of the reflection for those incoming with a similar situation. I experienced apprehension

regarding how I would perform academically while keeping my family a strong priority. Contrary to my assumptions, being

married and going through the program has been significantly advantageous. I have learned how to prioritize academics with

family, social life, and extracurricular activities. My wife, Susie, helped me in various ways. Academically, I am much more efficient

than my college years. I get the work done so that playing is not a compromise but a must. Instead of having the whole day to

study, I condense the studying down to a few hours so that the rest of the day is open for fun. In addition, Suzie is a delight to

come home to. She helps me stay emotionally stable by her availability to debrief and decompress with me. Suzie keeps me on

track when I feel like procrastinating and keeps me accountable when I haven’t prioritized life well. My hesitations about marriage

were well overcome by its benefits and made me realize that Medical school will be much easier to handle with my wife around.

As for the program itself, no program is without glitches and unexpected inconveniences. Yet, the Post-Baccalaureate Program

and staff of HS-MACA receive my highest appreciation. I have come to realize that life offers us no difference in variety of the

things we face. Learning how to handle these inconveniences now prepares me for the profession that lies ahead. Out of the few

inconveniences of the program, it does measure up to how helpful, dedicated, caring, supportive, and how much the staff and

faculty of HS-MACA have the best interest for each person within the program. There are twelve students within my immediate

class, and all of us take our turn throughout the year to be an inconvenience to the staff.

I am so grateful for the program. The program has given me structure, guidance, direction, and knowledge to hone my existing

skills and abilities into effective, efficient, and productive time management and study habits. The skills I received were tailored to

my personality so that I can be successful for the next level of my education. The program taught me how to study for

standardized tests like the MCAT through the Kosoko-Lasaki method. I learned the SOAR method to prepare and study for classes

that are disorganized, overwhelming, or unfit for my style of learning. I grew in prioritizing my time and energy in proportion to

each class as I reflect on its significance at the next level of my education. The program taught me how to respect classmates,

professors, and staff that I might not naturally get along or agree with while maintaining my sanity in dealing with conflicts.

The reason this program is so beneficial to me is because it harbors an element of strictness with independence and automaticity.

The setup of the program allows the student to be in the driver seat and choose how successful they want to be while providing

necessary recourses for them to succeed. In addition, students are compelled out of necessity to resolve conflicts and mature.

Students learn how to handle working in close proximity to each other while maintaining peace ; they learn applicable and

valuable lessons that will benefit both their colleagues and patients in the future.

7

Reflections

My Experience as a Pre Dental Post Baccalaureate Student

By Cecilia I. Miyares

HS-MACA Post-Baccalaureate Student Class Leader Pre-Dental 2012– 2013

As I am currently two months away from completing the Post-Baccalaureate Dental Program, I can say that my

experience with HS-MACA has been very rewarding. Initially, I was very thankful for being admitted into the

program because it gave me the opportunity to attain my ultimate aspiration of gaining admittance into dental

school. What I received was far more than this opportunity. I was given the chance to grow in confidence

personally, academically, and professionally. Thanks to the constant encouragement and mentoring I received

from the staff at HS-MACA, I am happy to begin my first year of dental school with much newfound strength.

One of the factors that appealed most to me from the time I visited Omaha to interview for the program was the welcoming

family-away-from-home environment at HS-MACA. This program is designed to encourage collaborative learning in a team

based atmosphere. From start to finish, my classmates and I were encouraged to join together during our MCAT and DAT

preparation. We were also given continual mentoring opportunities from staff and upper level students to make sure we were

getting all that we wanted out of our experience. It just so happened that all of my classmates and I traveled into Omaha from

different cities and states. Therefore, many of our initial experiences in Omaha were together which allowed us to eventually get

to know each other very well and ease our transition.

The year-long curriculum was refreshingly well rounded. In addition to taking my academic courses alongside pre-medical and

pre-pharmacy students, I attended health disparity seminars and shadowed at the student dental clinic on a weekly basis. These

experiences greatly motivated me to see the big picture and the kind of service I would be able to lend to the community in the

future. I was even given the opportunity to utilize my Spanish speaking background to interpret for patients at outreach

examinations given this year at One World during breast cancer awareness month as well as encourage local Hispanic middle

school students in Omaha to pursue careers in the sciences.

Some of the most valuable skills that will benefit me in dental school I learned in my academic success class. We focused on

learning how to manage our time in and out of classes while taking heavy course loads alongside preparing for the DAT. Even

after four years of college, I didn’t feel that I was being as effective with my time as I could. Also, I found that my study strategies

upon entering the program were not as efficient as they could be. The study tools I gained in this program have reshaped the way

I approach learning and enhanced my lifestyle for better management for when I am faced with periods of high stress in the

professional school setting. If I had the opportunity to have started dental school right out of my undergraduate studies without

having attended this program I would have been significantly less prepared. I look forward to serving as a mentor for future Post-

Baccalaureate dental scholars and am very blessed to be a member of the 2017 dental class here at Creighton University.

8

Hispanic Health Disparities

Culturally-tailoring prevention and treatment strategies for childhood obesity

Hispanic health disparities: culturally-tailoring prevention and treatment strategies for childhood obesity

Childhood obesity has escalated to a pandemic proportions. The highest rates of overweight and obesity are in

children of North America. Over sixty percent of adults and thirty percent of children in the United States (US)

are classified as either overweight or obese. Additionally, rapid BMI gain in early childhood contributes to

adulthood mortality and morbidity. In South Omaha in particular, where the Latino population is 55.8 percent,

Latino adults have a higher prevalence of obesity than their white peers. Since parents are often the "agents of

change" for their children, these increasing adult disparities will be mirrored in the community's children if no

successful intervention is made. Pediatricians, community advocates, and parents must be called to action in

order to stop the current obesigenic trajectory.

After review of the current literature, several issues related to childhood obesity, and childhood obesity in Latinos in

general, were identified. Most studies looked at five major areas including sedentary behaviors, diet, behavior, acculturation,

and policy/macro-environmental factors. While broad community-sweeping interventions were found to be necessary in terms

of access to nutritious diet and activities, they often proved unsuccessful unless implemented in some sort of mandatory form.

The more successful interventions, however, revolved around the family and facilitating proper parenting techniques and

lifestyle changes. The Latino population in general was found to be family-centered, and thus making changes at the whole

family level proved to be the most successful approach.

In the Omaha community specifically, one study assessed the community as a low "readiness to change." This was echoed

in discussion with nursing staff at One World community health center, which sees a lot of patients in the Latino-predominant

south Omaha. The hope is that this will change with more publicity, the initiation of youth peer advocates, and an increasing

knowledge base. Given the information from the nationwide studies above, this integrated, family-centered approach will

hopefully increase the chances of success.

The issues surrounding the childhood obesity epidemic in the Latino population are multi-faceted and complex. Successful

interventions must consistently model parents as agents of change and incorporate the whole family into the behavioral change

worldview. Adjuncts to success include curriculum on successful parenting to promote good behavior on healthy diet and

activity choices. This curriculum must be not only culturally-appropriate, but accessible in terms of the community's

acculturation status. In addition, community-wide interventions that increase access to healthy restaurant menus, activities,

and green space need to be a part of the public advocacy campaign, but they will remain underutilized and make little

difference unless the community's curriculum emphasizes family behavioral adaptation. Intervention will be most successful if

it comes from the home and encompasses the cultural ideal of familismo. The role of the community's advocates and

healthcare workers is to become facilitators for families that have committed to combatting obesity, and policy change should

thus follow accordingly.

Katie Halvorson

9

A Spotlight on Indian Health Services; Urban Indian Health

Programs and Indigenous Women’s Dialogue

Roberto F. Cervantes

Native Americans are a diverse group and they

are comprised of hundreds of federally

recognized tribes as well as unrecognized tribes

across the United States. Although each tribe

has its own culture, beliefs, practices and

language; they all seem to share common

massive health disparity issues.

A Brief History

From a historical perspective, health disparity issues can be

traced back to the arrival of the first settlers. Native Americans

were immunological defenseless against new diseases and

forced to acculturate and expulsed from their ancestral lands.

Today, every indicator of Native American health demonstrates

continued health disparities in many major categories despite

the fact that health care was guaranteed in perpetuity in

exchange for the millions of acres of land used to make up the

United States today. The IHS currently has a $450 million

backlog for health facilities construction alone leaving many of

the IHS facilities in poor condition and badly in need of

renovation or repairs. Eliminating health disparities and

improving the lives of Native American communities must take a

multi-faceted approach but it is evident that a spotlight is needed

on the Indian Health Service.

Spotlight on IHS – An Urban Indian Health Program

Perspective

Urban Indian is the term used to describe Indians or descendants

of Indians who have moved to the cities and urban areas. Many

of today’s Urban Indians are in cities because of the

government’s Relocation program in the 1950s and 60s.

American Indians were enticed and coerced to move off the

reservation to these urbanized areas where success was hard to

achieve. However, through this entire historical trauma, Native

Americans consistently demonstrated that they would not let go

of their cultural roots. They maintained their identity in some of

the nations largest metropolitan cities, formed community

centers and worked to identify and solve the disparities. Today,

there are 36 Urban Indian Health Programs serving 21 states

across the country, providing a multitude of services, including

comprehensive primary care services, behavioral health and

social services. Policy makers are seeing this innovative approach

as the future of health care.

Spotlight on IHS – An Indigenous Women’s Dialogue

Perspective

Just as the IHS provides funding to Urban Indian Health

Programs, it too serves as a primary health care provider to

Native American Women. The problem is that personal and

societal violence against Native American women is alarming.

Statistics prove that the potential for Native American women to

need reproductive choice or emergency contraception (EC)

because of a violent incident far exceed that of the general

population. However, several investigations over recent years

have documented that the IHS has consistently denied Native

American women the same options of birth control that are

afforded to mainstream women. The Native American Women’s

Health Education Resource Center (NAWHERC) is a leader in

addressing Indigenous women’s reproductive health and rights

issues in the country. Their reports, which have been used by

Congress, the United Nations, and the World Health

Organization, have documented IHS’s violations and brought to

the forefront IHS’s treatment of rape and incest victims. They all

concluded that it is critical for Native American women to

“remember the importance of building our Women’s Society as

opposed to reacting to a male dominated political arena - ‘we

need to demand sovereignty’.

Conclusion

While Indian Health Services maybe at the center of this debate,

it will take a myriad of solutions to continue to address the

complex health disparities among Native Americans. Keys to

success include continued funding for the Urban Indian Health

Programs and holding the IHS accountable by the NAWHERC.

“Native communities continue to face unmanageable rates of health issues despite the fact that health care was guaranteed in perpetuity in exchange for the millions of acres of land

used to make up the United States today.” As a primary provider of health services, it is reasonable to understand why Indian Health Services (IHS) is at the center of this issue. The

Urban Indian Health Program and the Indigenous Women’s Dialogue provide two different perspectives spotlighting the changes needed within the IHS.

Native American Health Disparities

A Spotlight on Indian Health Services

10

Reflections on MCAT 2015

Each year our Post Baccalaureate medical students prepare for the MCAT with the knowledge

that passing it is a big step forward in claiming their medical school seat. Do well and one only

needs to focus on their coursework. Do poorly and one spends the spring semester honing their

content knowledge and study strategies. Much is made of the MCAT and for most medical

programs it is the gatekeeper. The pressure placed on students is enormous and apparently so

are the upcoming changes.

MCAT2015 is an attempt to influence the types of doctors graduating into the workplace. Darrell Kirch,

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC ) President, states “We want our doctors to have good bedside

manner, communication skills, and an ability to interact with people”. A new test section, ‘Psychological, Social

and Biological Foundations of Behavior’ has been added to improve the qualitative, bedside skills. Will the

change influence the type of doctor graduating from medical school? Only time will tell. At least AAMC is

addressing the needs of doctors to deal with diverse populations more effectively.

When I learned of the proposed changes to the MCAT, I thought it would be minor in nature. Instead, I have

realized that it has changed our program completely. We are adding courses to address basic psychology,

sociology and biological psychology for our students. Younger student will have time to address the content in

the undergraduate preparation but typical students don’t have much beyond the sciences to draw upon.

I see benefit in addressing soft skills to medical training. Involving patients in their own care, increasing

compliance, and being “in tune” can only benefit the art of medicine. The science of medicine will continue to

develop with new discoveries but for too long, that has been the sole focus. These changes from the AAMC

have great potential to enhance who is selected for medical school. I am admittedly biased but I think this may

make future medical classes look and behave more like the students in our Post Baccalaureate program. If that

is the case, everybody wins.

Jeffrey Lang, MS

Academic Success Counselor

11

Common Ground

*Community Orientated Primary Care (COPC) Program

Jennifer Klimowicz, Program Supervisor

Creighton University’s NIH supported Community Orientated Primary Care (COPC) Public Health Research Endowment aims to increase student involvement in public health, strengthen tutoring services and increase the number of medical students interested in conducting health disparity research. One of the main goals of COPC is to increase the awareness and understanding of health disparities that we see in our community today. There are four components of COPC: Common Ground, Tutoring, Research, and Scholarship

Open to all health science students, Common Ground is an open interactive forum for all health sciences students to learn the principles of health disparities from different health professionals, researchers, and community partners. It is a time for learning and open discussion about health disparities. We held 20 Common Ground sessions during the 2012 -2013 academic year. The HS-MACA office would like to thank all of the presenters and students for helping to bridge the gap between healthcare and health care delivery.

*Supported by an Endowment from the National Institute of Health (NIH) #1S21MD001102-01

Dr. Kosoko-Lasaki Case Studies

Carrie Snyder/Dr. Lynch Breast Cancer/Prostate Cancer: Genetics

Dr. Nasir Alsharif Cultural Humility: An egoless training and practice outlook!

Marcus Thies Hispanic Health Disparities: Endorsing Screening and Treatment Adherence of Breast, Cervical and Colorectal Cancer

Danielle Ramirez Intervention Study: A Preliminary Study of Breast Cancer Health Disparities in the Latina Population of Omaha, NE

Christina (Jihae) Bahng Conservative Management of Prostate Cancer in White vs. .African American Males

Danielle Ramirez Working together to end Racial and Ethnic Disparities: One Physician at a Time (AMA)

Fahad Khan Vision Health Disparities affecting the Latino Community - A Perspective on Glaucoma

India Robinson New Baseline Assessment of COPD Patients to include Functional and Physiologic Values, Quality of Life Measures

Dr. Jackie Font-Fuzman Healthcare Providers Negotiating End of Life Across Cultures: In Cultural Competency Training the Answer to Reduce Health Care

Jasmine Williams Tobacco Prevention in the Omaha Community

Chris Behrens Health Disparities in the Omaha Hispanic Population

Dr. Amy Abbott Digital Divide

Katie Halverson Childhood Obesity across ethnic groups

Dr. Cindy Constanzo Behavioral Counseling Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Sedentary African American and Hispanic American Women

Brett Briggs, COA Glaucoma and Screen Process

12

Focus on Health Professions

Middle School Program

Ms. JaQuala Yarbro

Middle School Outreach Coordinator

Focus on Health is a pipeline program that introduces middle school aged children to the Health

Sciences through a number of presentations and activities and mentorship. Activities include eye

dissections, heart dissections, brain dissections, an introduction to using the microscope,

understanding cells, making ice cream, the importance of DNA, making slime (polymers) and more.

Students learn through hands on activity how each topic relates to health disparities and what they

can do now as well as in their careers to reduce health disparities.

Students are mentored by Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental, Post Baccalaureate, Student National Medical Association

(SNMA) and Multicultural Health Science Student Association (MHSSA) students at Creighton University. It is

important for students to see that they can also choose a career in the Health Sciences and that they have an

opportunity to attend college. By impacting the youth of today through education, we secure a better tomorrow.

13

Rebecca Valdez, Program Supervisor

Center for Promoting Health and Health Equity

Community partnering is not a new strategy in the effort to promote health equality. We can cite hun-

dreds of pieces of literature that tell us it has played an important role over the last century. However,

when chronic diseases emerged as the leading causes of death in the 1950s, health experts turned to

community stakeholders to develop broader solutions to address these diseases. After all, communi-

ty brings qualities, resources and knowledge that would be difficult for someone who is not a member

of the community to get such as: trust that can help encourage participation by community members,

and first-hand knowledge of the community’s assets and needs.

CPHHEs work could not be done without the dedicated support of its Governing Board. The 21-member board is

comprised of Creighton research faculty and key community members who have a stake in the health and well-being

of their communities. They meet quarterly to carry out the responsibilities as partners. They serve as program con-

sultants, apply jointly for funding, cross-train staff and program participants, provide technical assistance expertise,

provide and receive referrals, and share health education materials and other resources.

Dedicated to Advancing Health

CPHHE Governing Board

Members of the Governing Board include: Dr. Richard Brown, Charles Drew Health Center,

Community Partners Chair Elect

Dr. Roselyn Cerutis, School of Dentistry

Dr. Teresa Cochran, School of Pharmacy and Health

Professions

Dr. Jackie Font, Werner Institute

Dr. Beth Furlong, Center for Health Policy and Ethics

Captain Scott Gray, Omaha Police Department

Dr. Amy Haddad, Center for Health Policy and Ethics

Mr. Willie Hamilton, Black Men United

Ms. Stephen Jackson, Douglas County Health

Dr. Sade Kosoko-Lasaki, Health Sciences Multicultural

and Community Affairs

Mrs. Doris Lassiter, Nebraska Center for Healthy Families,

Governance Chair

Dr. Henry Lynch, School of Medicine

Mrs. Diva Mejias, Liberty Tax Service, Media Committee

Chair

Dr. Syed Mohiuddin, School of Medicine

Dr. Martha Nunn, School of Dentistry, Academic Partners

Chair

Dr. Donna Polk, Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition,

Community Partners Chair

Dr. Adi Pour, Douglas County Health Department

Mr. Chris Rodgers, Douglas County Commissioner

Ms. Monica Rogers, Health Sciences Library

Mr. Clifford Scott, Omaha Housing Authority

Mr. Louis Sheridan

Dr. Peter Silberstein, School of Medicine

Dr. Jeffrey Smith, School of Education

Dr. John Stone, Center for Health Policy and Ethics

Dianne Travers Gustafson, School of Nursing

Mr. Thomas Warren, Urban League of Nebraska

Dr. Alvin Wee, School of Dentistry

Dr. Marlene Wilkin, School of Nursing, Academic Partners

Chair Elect

Thank you to these individuals who share their wisdom and experiences to help guide the work of CPHHE.

If you would like more information about the ongoing

work of CPHHE, please e-mail

14

Churches on the Move!

Center for Promoting Health and Health Equity

Jennifer Kubila, MEd

CPHHE Program Coordinator

Late in 2012, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, together with HS-MACA/CPHHE, discussed how to

develop a plan for the congregation to practice healthy living activities. After discussions with Pastor Aloy,

the group decided the best way to move forward was to create a wellness committee in the church. Within

a couple of weeks, the Pastor had a group of individuals who wanted to help with the mission of creating a

healthier congregation. The wellness committee comprises everyone from a college student, to professor,

to medical clinician. The wellness committee conferred and created the name Abundant Life Wellness

(ALW) as their health ministry's name. The name, based on John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill,

and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

“We believe that abundant life should show not only in our spiritual life but also in the

physical. Apostle John prayed for the brethren in 3 John 2 saying "Beloved, I wish above

all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth". We

promised to work diligently on this program to serve the best to your church members

and our community in the way that honors our Lord Jesus Christ.” Dcn Tata of Redeemed

Christian Church: Christ Embassy, Omaha January 14, 2013

Once ALW came up with their name, they hit the ground running. ALW has taken didactic readings of the congregation to

get a baseline of those participating in the program. Once the baseline was analyzed, the information was then presented

back to the church. ALW found that more women have a higher body mass index (BMI) than their male counterparts.

However, more males had hypertension than women. ALW decided, based on the baseline study, that a walking program

would be most beneficial to the congregation. The church has now started a month long walking program where members

wear a CPHHE/HS-MACA supported pedometer daily and record how

many steps they have taken. At the end of the month of April 2013 ALW

will study the data and determine the next program for the

congregation.

With the start of Churches on the Move, HS-MACA/CPHHE has started

to expand its presence of wellness committees in other churches in the

Omaha area. Currently our efforts have taken us to North Omaha and

by the end of the year we are looking to expand to South Omaha.

Pastor Aloy, Jennifer Kubila, Mrs. Aloy and Deacon Tata

at the signing of the agreement

15

Addressing Health Disparities

Focus on Heart Disease

April is Minority Health Month in the nation. Speaking to an impassioned and dedicated audience of academic and community attendees, Dr. Donald Frey, Vice President Health Sciences, Dr. John Stone, Professor in the Center for Health Policy & Ethics and the Co-Director of the Center for Promoting Health & Health Equality (CPHHE), and Dr. Sade Kosoko-Lasaki, Associate Vice President Health Sciences and Co-Director CPHHE, welcomed a large audience to the 2013 Addressing Health Disparities Seminar. This year, the Seminar focused on heart disease.

Since 2006, Health Sciences Multicultural and Community Affairs department has partnered with CPHHE, the Continuing Medical Education division and other departments in the Health Science schools to provide an annual conference that addresses health disparities. Past conferences have addressed HIV/AIDS, Cancer, Diabetes, Infant Mortality, and Violence. This year, the conference brought together an impressive group of experts to address the roles of obesity, smoking, hypertension and high cholesterol in the disparities of heart disease. Dr. Adi Pour, PhD, Director Douglas County Health Department, provided an overview of heart disease by highlighting the disparities in rates of heart disease throughout the county. Stephen Jackson, MPH, and Dr. Dejun Su, PhD, moderated panels composed of academic experts and members of the community as they discussed disparities of heart disease and the devastating effects of Obesity, Smoking and Hypertension/High Cholesterol . Dr. John Stone discussed “Justice and Heart Disease: Health Equity “with a focus on the medical professions and Community/academia relationship.. Keynote speaker, Dr. Herman Taylor, Jr., MD, MPH, Shirley Professor at Jackson State University, spoke on the role of the Jackson Heart Study in addressing disparities in heart disease in Jackson, Mississippi, an area of the country that exhibits one of the highest rates of heart disease among African-Americans and especially in men. In afternoon Break-Out Sessions, attendees sat in small groups and came up with recommendations on possible interventions in medicine, in the community, in schools, and in the workplace. The group facilitators discussed ways to address disparities in each of these realms and how they might be implemented. Following the panels, Dr. Martha Nunn, DDS, PhD, provided a synthesis of the topics and interventions discussed to the entire conference. Conference attendees received free continuing educational credits. The co-directors of the conference were Dr. Sade Kosoko-Lasaki, Dr. John Stone, Dr . Syed Mohiuddin, Dr. Sally O’Neill. Logistics

Justin Daugherty, MFA

Administrative Assistant

Dr. John Stone, Dr. Sade Kosoko-Lasaki and guest speaker Dr. Herman Taylor

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Spotlight on Health Disparities Faculty Fellows!

Center for Promoting Health and Health Equity

Health Disparities Research Training Program was implemented to offer career development opportunities for

faculty interested in minority health. This is a multi-year development program that commenced with a year-

long program of mentoring career development, grants writing, and research training in collaboration with the

Department of Faculty Affairs, Creighton University School of Medicine and the Minority Health Research

Center of University of Alabama-Birmingham. Two faculty members are participating: Dr. Shirley Blanchard-

Occupational Therapy and Martha Todd-Nursing. Since 2011, CPHHE has graduated 6 fellows.

Dr. Shirley Blanchard is an Associate Professor in the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions and Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association. Her research interests include impact of standardized patients and patient videos on active learning, obesity and depression among ethnic minority women, and rehabilitation of the bariatric patient. She is an invited member to the National Institute of Health National Institute of Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK) Network of Minority Researchers and chairs the

Oversight Committee. Dr. Blanchard teaches the following courses: Clinical Conditions, Occupation, Adaptation, and Technology and Physical Rehabilitation in Occupational Therapy II, and Neuro-technology.

Martha Todd is a Nurse Practioner in the School of Nursing. Martha Todd was the recipient of the 2010 Dean's Award for Faculty Excellence for her leadership in developing a research trajectory in the area of simulation. Mrs. Todd had made significant improvements in how the health assessment course is delivered. In addition, she developed a new practice site at the Heart Ministry Center in Omaha, offering free health care to underserved and uninsured clients. Her research interest include Hypertension in African Americans.

Jennifer Kubila, MEd

CPHHE Program Coordinator

2011

Dr. Eric Patterson - School of Medicine

Dr. Bridgit Khandalavala - School of Medicine

Dr. Tree Townley - School of Medicine

2012

Dr. Amy Abbott - School of Nursing

Dr. Cindy Costanzo - School of Nursing

Dr. Shannon Kinnan - School of Medicine

Alum of CPHHE Health Disparities Research Training Program

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Congratulation to True (Post Bac 2011) and Victoria

Xiong on their marriage March 2013

Congratulations to Dr. Toni-Ann Hylton (Post Bac 2008) on

her marriage to Diendonne Mayembe

June 2012

Spotlight on Diversity Alum

Congratulations to Sandy Lieu

(Post Bac 2009) on the birth of her son

Born Jan 2013

Congratulation to Dr. Danielle Potter-Stovaw

(Pre-Matric 2005) on the birth of

Jaclyn Matanane Alivillar Born January 20, 2013

.

The HS-MACA sends their congratulations and wish you many fun-filled days ahead.

Congratulations

to Yemi Alabi (Post Bac 2010) on her

marriage to Phil Workman

December 2012

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Welcome

Antonio Betanzos, MD

Intern, Center for Promotion of Health and Health Equality

An alumnus of the Creighton University School of Medicine Pre-medical Post Baccalaureate

Program, Dr. Antonio Betanzos earned a Medical Doctorate from Creighton University School of

Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska and a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt

University in Nashville, TN. He has enjoyed the unique opportunity to pursue his interest in

addressing health disparities by working with Creighton University's Center for Promotion of Health and Health

Equality and looks forward to applying this experience in residency and well into his career.

Jennifer Klimowicz

Program Supervisor

Jennifer Klimowicz is Program Supervisor working with the Community Oriented Primary Care

(COPC) and Pipeline to College programs in the HS-MACA office. She joined the staff in

February 2013. Prior to relocating to Omaha, Jennifer was the Program Director at the YWCA

Boulder County in Boulder, Colorado.

Over the past twenty years, Jennifer has developed and coordinated programs for various organizations

specializing in creating creative solutions for developing programs for youth and adults. Jennifer holds a Bachelors

of Science degree from the University of Michigan in Environmental Health and Safety. Jennifer is looking

forward to exploring Omaha with her two children and husband.

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Sade Kosoko-Lasaki, MD, MSPH, MBA

Associate Vice President

402-280-2332

sadekosodo-lasaki@creighton.edu

Tracy Monahan, MBA

Senior Administrator

402-280-2971

tracymonahan@creighton.edu

Brett Briggs

Associate Coordinator for Glaucoma Initiative

402-280-3964

brettbriggs@creighton.edu

Jennifer Kubila MEd

Program Coordinator, CPHHE

402-280-29073

jenniferkubila@creighton.edu

Jennifer Klimowicz, BS

Program Supervisor

402-280-3925

jenniferklimowicz@creighton.edu

Channing Bunch, MBA

Assistant Director

402-280-3029

cbunch@creighton.edu

Jeffrey Lang, MS

Academic Success Counselor

402-280-2940

jeffreylang@creighton.edu

Rebecca Valdez, BS

Program Supervisor

402-280-2389

rebeccavaldez1@creighton.edu

Justin Daugherty, MFA

Administrative Assistant

402-280-2124

justindaugherty@creighton.edu

HS-MACA Mission Statement

To promote Creighton University Health Sciences as a recognized leader in the training and development of a

multicultural healthcare workforce that serves to reduce health disparities in underserved and diverse commu-

nities through research, culturally proficient education, community interaction and engagements.

“MACA is the MECCA for Diversity”

“A place where excellence is expected and achieved”

CONTACT US Health Sciences-Multicultural and Community Affairs

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Save the Date

For more information on the Alumni Homecoming Weekend visit

http://alumni.creighton.edu/ or email cbunch@creighton.edu