Final Summary
My experiences with Early Childhood Partnerships of Adams County (ECPAC) and Mile High United Way (MHUW)have been tremendous over the past 22 months. The preschool referral and tracking system has evolved through many stages while I was working with these groups. The first service learning hours involved learning about the objectives of the initial grant funded project and producing ideas about how to implement the system. We formed partnerships with agencies and organizations around the county. We chose our underserved pediatric preschool population. At this time my capstone project also emerged as a result of statements made by organizational members throughout Adams County. The members (nurses, dentists, doctors, social workers, mental health workers) stated they always hear about the objectives for these grants but never have any concrete outcomes. This is when I realized I could latch onto this grant project and transform it into a project with measureable, evidence based outcomes.
During the second stage of the project, we iniated ideas about how to implement the referral and tracking system. We pulled all of our agencies and preschools together and implemented the system. A data collection system was also set up. During the final service learning hours, data was collected and finalized to be presented to the ECPAC committee and MHUW this summer.
The grant funded portion of the project will continue for the next 2 years. They will continue to collect data about healthcare access. The ECPAC members feel the partnership with a Regis DNP student has pushed them miles ahead of their expected deadlines for their project goals. ECPAC is looking to continue partnerships with students from Regis University. I plan to continue to help ECPAC with data collection over the next several years. I am committed to improving healthcare access for our youth. Additionally, I plan to continue my partnership with several other non-profit organizations that I worked with and develop other projects for the underserved adolescent population that I now serve working in a school based health center.
As an educated, privileged citizen in our society, what is your role in creating a society rooted in equality and justice? Do you feel you have a responsibility and why or why not?
As an educated citizen I believe my first role is continued advocacy for the underserved populations. Specifically, my role is to promote advocacy for healthcare equality in the pediatric population. This means continued support and political involvement to advocate for health care access and prevention of chronic illnesses. The DNP program and service learning assignment have made me realize now more than ever, that I do have a responsibility to advocate for social justice in healthcare every day. I have a responsibility because I am now equipped with the knowledge and tools to improve outcomes for these populations.
What have you learned about yourself and what are your future plans?
I have learned that I am deeply committed to the health and well-being of the underserved pediatric population. I have also learned that I have a new responsibility to promote healthcare equality, something that I did not feel responsible for before entering the DNP program. I have also learned that advocacy, education, and role modeling evidence based practice is a way to practice, not just a skill to apply now and then. My future plans are to continue this mission for the pediatric underserved population in the Jesuit High School Based Health Clinic where I am currently employed. I discovered I want this passion to be a part of my life everyday, not just something I do a few hours a month!
It was great working with you all!
Joanna
Friday, April 13, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Mid-term Service Learning Blog
What are you currently doing with this organization and how do you see it evolving as you sustain your commitment to them?
I have continued my commitment with Early Childhood Partnerships of Adams County (ECPAC) this semester. I began working with this non-profit community organization in January of 2011 for my application to practice hours. As you may recall, my capstone project developed out of a grant project that this organization was developing. ECPAC's goal was to implement the referral and tracking system in Adams County preschools. My project goal was to measure the outcomes of preventive care and health care access related to the referral system through a medical home approach. Our two goals have complemented each other since the initiation of the project.
This semester I am working on measuring the outcomes of the referral system project. The referral system was successfully implemented in ten, private preschools throughout Adams County. The referral system reached 900 children and families and offered them assistance in the Medicaid/CHP+ application process and also offered assistance in finding medical, dental, and mental health facilities for their children. Although only two families indicated the need for medical assistance, approximately 136 families were assisted in finding dental and mental health facilities for their children. Once the families indicated a need for these services in the preschool, a release was faxed directly to the partnered facility. The facility would then contact the family and schedule an appointment so children would not fall through the cracks during this process. I am currently working with a statistician to assess whether the referral and tracking system had any impact upon health care access and preventive care for these children. My results should be in by next week! I plan to disseminate the results to the organization and to several other non-profits involved around the beginning of May.
During these past 15 months I have had the opportunity to work closely with ECPAC, Partnerships for Healthy Communities, Kids in Need of Dentistry, Community Reach, and Community Health Services. I am fortunate to now have a job that will involve working with these organizations almost on a daily basis. During this time I have built strong relationships with these organizations that will improve the outcomes of the adolescents I am currently working with in my clinic. I am currently obtaining approval at the school based health clinic were I am employed to initiate the referral and tracking system for incoming freshman to identify a need for preventive care and access. I feel I have sustained my commitment to these organizations in this way. However, I have let ECPAC know that I will continue to help them a few hours a week collect data for grant projects and community assessments.
What do you envision being the shortcomings and strength of your service learning commitment?
I feel a major strength is being able to sustain my relationships with these organizations through my current job. Although, I was a bit dismayed about finding only two families out of 900 needed medical assistance, I found a major strength of my project was the relationships I built with the community. I feel I also built a foundation for the initiation of future projects in the community to measure outcomes related to preventive care, access, and patient centered medical homes.
Unfortunately, the lack of time always gets in the way of best intentions. My goal is to be able to commit at least 2 hours a week to ECPAC and Partnerships for Healthy Communities to help with data collection and marketing their services. However, I feel I can keep this commitment especially since I am able to combine it with my current job.
Thanks,
Joanna
I have continued my commitment with Early Childhood Partnerships of Adams County (ECPAC) this semester. I began working with this non-profit community organization in January of 2011 for my application to practice hours. As you may recall, my capstone project developed out of a grant project that this organization was developing. ECPAC's goal was to implement the referral and tracking system in Adams County preschools. My project goal was to measure the outcomes of preventive care and health care access related to the referral system through a medical home approach. Our two goals have complemented each other since the initiation of the project.
This semester I am working on measuring the outcomes of the referral system project. The referral system was successfully implemented in ten, private preschools throughout Adams County. The referral system reached 900 children and families and offered them assistance in the Medicaid/CHP+ application process and also offered assistance in finding medical, dental, and mental health facilities for their children. Although only two families indicated the need for medical assistance, approximately 136 families were assisted in finding dental and mental health facilities for their children. Once the families indicated a need for these services in the preschool, a release was faxed directly to the partnered facility. The facility would then contact the family and schedule an appointment so children would not fall through the cracks during this process. I am currently working with a statistician to assess whether the referral and tracking system had any impact upon health care access and preventive care for these children. My results should be in by next week! I plan to disseminate the results to the organization and to several other non-profits involved around the beginning of May.
During these past 15 months I have had the opportunity to work closely with ECPAC, Partnerships for Healthy Communities, Kids in Need of Dentistry, Community Reach, and Community Health Services. I am fortunate to now have a job that will involve working with these organizations almost on a daily basis. During this time I have built strong relationships with these organizations that will improve the outcomes of the adolescents I am currently working with in my clinic. I am currently obtaining approval at the school based health clinic were I am employed to initiate the referral and tracking system for incoming freshman to identify a need for preventive care and access. I feel I have sustained my commitment to these organizations in this way. However, I have let ECPAC know that I will continue to help them a few hours a week collect data for grant projects and community assessments.
What do you envision being the shortcomings and strength of your service learning commitment?
I feel a major strength is being able to sustain my relationships with these organizations through my current job. Although, I was a bit dismayed about finding only two families out of 900 needed medical assistance, I found a major strength of my project was the relationships I built with the community. I feel I also built a foundation for the initiation of future projects in the community to measure outcomes related to preventive care, access, and patient centered medical homes.
Unfortunately, the lack of time always gets in the way of best intentions. My goal is to be able to commit at least 2 hours a week to ECPAC and Partnerships for Healthy Communities to help with data collection and marketing their services. However, I feel I can keep this commitment especially since I am able to combine it with my current job.
Thanks,
Joanna
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