Category Archives: Community

Team 3 of the day – CHIC – UTHSC/MIFA Health Care Challenge 2012

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Team CHIC – Collaborative Health, Interprofessional Care

Team members are from medicine, dentistry, pharmacy. Faculty advisors were Drs. Chris Peters and Chastity Shelton. The students met with some seniors in the community and obtained information from MIFA to identify their focus. Ultimately, they decided to focus on the social determinants of health. The project’s purpose is to provide a broad foundation in healthcare education and to increase medical literacy and provide a forum for discussion. A goal is to have the MIFA senior companions share the knowledge they gain with their clients. A variety of class topics were identified. The plan is to have each college at UTHSC involved, with each college taking the lead on 2 classes.

The students conducted a brief “class” – including a pretest, brief session on nutrition, and a posttest. The team had a focus on a “win-win” with MIFA senior companions learning more to improve their health, as well as learning content to help improve the health of their clients!

The judges discussed the importance of the social aspect of the team’s proposal and noted that the team’s presentation showed their sensitivity to the senior companions. “It’s not about winning … it’s about making a positive change.”

Team 2 – UTHSC Health Care Challenge 2012 – PASS

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PASS = Promoting an Alliance of Students and Seniors

Dr. Stokes and Rosemary Batorski were the faculty advisors of this team that has medical, dentistry, and pharmacy students.

The team’s overall goal is to engage senior companions with students to improve quality of life. MIFA was recognized as being uniquely able to assist with social and financial difficulties, with UTHSC being uniquely qualified to contribute to senior companions’ healthcare.

The purpose of the team is to become health advocates for senior companions. Interdisciplinary teams of UTHSC students will work together with senior companions (one team per one senior companion) to either have a friendly relationship with students or to partner together to overcome healthcare barriers. Proposal to meet quarterly after an initial baseline assessment as the companion enters the program.

The main goal of PASS is to keep the companion engaged as a companion to serve MIFA clients. The team described potential benefits to MIFA companions as well as to the students – both interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary benefits. The team has reached out to the Christian Mobile Dental Clinic and have considered partnering with students in the Southern College of Optometry to further integrate healthcare.

Great quote by Oscar Wilde to end the presentation: The only thing to do with good advice is to PASS it on. It is never of any use to oneself.

Great judge questions and comments about literacy levels, companions feeling “overwhelmed” with a large number of students, team makeup to reflect diversity.

Team 1 of UTHSC’s Health Care Challenge 2012

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Project SAFE – 1st team to present – Dr. Leslie McKeon (faculty advisor) – team members from medicine, dentistry, pharmacy

Discussed the importance of treating periodontitis for senior companions – aim to reach 80% of senior companions.

Recommendations: A 4-step project called STEM (screen, treat, evaluate, monitor)

In the screening step, would also provide education on prevention, symptoms, proper brushing habits & techniques. Want to reinforce proper behaviors that MIFA senior companions already do, along with informing them about new behaviors that could be helpful to introduce.

Christian Mobile Dental Clinic – the UT College of Dentistry already has an agreement with the CMDC, a project of Bellevue Baptist Church, in place for students to practice in an outreach setting. There is already an agreement in place between the Christian Mobile Dental Clinic, UT College of Dentistry, and the Dental Hygiene program in the College of Allied Health Sciences.

Resources needed include: students, faculty, toothpaste/toothbrushes/floss, fluoride treatment, personal protective equipment (PPE), BP cuffs, flashlights, mobile dental clinic.

Thanks to the judges who were very engaged in the presentation and who asked some excellent questions.