McKeesport Hospital Foundation holds 33rd annual Invitational ...

16 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comPitt Health Sciences StudentsFirst in National Competitionthat Reinforces Team-BasedPatient CareThe University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences team placedfirst in the 2010 CLARION National Interprofessional Case Competition,held at the University of Minnesota in April.The competition unites teams of up to four students from at least two healthprofessions. The groups are presented with a hypothetical case scenario thathighlights unsafe care. They then analyze the situation and propose systemchanges to prevent the same outcome from occurring again. A panel of judgesrepresenting several health professions evaluates each team’s presentationbased on standards of practice.“The goal of the CLARION Competition is to reinforce the concept ofworking together to find the best team-based approach to patient care, orinterprofessionalism,” said Susan M. Meyer, Ph.D., associate dean for educationand professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, and facultyco-advisor for the University of Pittsburgh’s team. “This was the first year thatPitt participated in the competition. I was proud to see our students win, butknowing that they are developing a genuine appreciation for working as ateam is even more rewarding.”In this year’s fictitious case scenario, a 47-year-old woman with a spinalcord injury died while undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging scan. Informationprovided to the students chronicled events in the patient’s history thattook her through injury and hospital admission to death. Pitt’s team focusedon strategies to improve communication among care providers, accommodatepatients with special needs and promote a culture of patient safety.“At Pitt, we incorporate interprofessional education into our curriculum.Events such as the CLARION Competition reinforce the message that collaborationacross all health professions and hospital administration is essential toachieve the best possible patient outcomes and safety,” said Loren H. Roth,M.D., M.P.H., associate senior vice chancellor for the health sciences, Universityof Pittsburgh, and faculty co-advisor for the University of Pittsburgh’steam.The University of Pittsburgh’s team was one of nine that participated inthis year’s competition. Pitt’s team included representatives from the Schoolsof Pharmacy, Nursing and Medicine. As members of the winning team, thesestudents equally share the $7,500 prize: Garrett A. Eggers, Pharm.D., first-year student in the combined pharmacypractice management residency, UPMC, and Master of Science in PharmacyAdministration program, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. Maria E. Falcone, fourth-year student in the Bachelor of Science inNursing program, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Sean A. Tackett, fourth-year student in the Doctor of Medicine program,University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Debra J. Thompson, M.S.N., B.S.N., Ph.D. candidate in the Doctor ofPhilosophy program, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing.Education UpdateDuquesne’s BalceniukSelected as a PittsburghSchweitzer FellowMark BalceniukMark Balceniuk, a second-yearphysical therapy major at DuquesneUniversity’s Rangos School of HealthSciences, has been selected as a 2010-11 Pittsburgh SchweitzerFellow.Through the PittsburghSchweitzer Fellows Program, studentspartner with community-based organizationsto develop and implementyearlong service projects that meet thehealth needs of Pittsburgh’s mostunderserved populations.The U.S. Schweitzer Fellows Programsprovide community service fellowshipsfor graduate students inhealth-related professional fields whoare dedicated to addressing unmethealth needs in their local areas.Since its launch in 1992, theSchweitzer Fellows Programs havegrown to include programs in Baltimore,Bay Area, Boston, Chicago,Greater Philadelphia, Houston-Galveston,Los Angeles, NewHampshire/Vermont, New Orleans,North Carolina, and Pittsburgh. Since1997, Pittsburgh has had 193 Fellowswho have contributed more than38,000 hours of service.Balceniuk, a resident ofDoylestown, Pa, aims to address thehealth and well-being of Pittsburgh’sunderserved senior citizens by workingwith community center residentsregarding exercise, prevention ofchronic and life-threatening diseases,and nutrition. He will also incorporatefield trips for the senior citizens.“My biggest goal is that the peoplewho I am working with learn somethingfrom my project,” said Balceniuk,who is one of only 18 PittsburghSchweitzer Fellows. “I want the residentsof this center to learn about howfitness and wellness can impact theirhealth and what they can do to livelonger and healthier lives.”The U.S. Schweitzer Fellows Programhas four overall goals: Provide direct services thataddress health-related needs of underservedcommunities; Influence the professional developmentof students in health-relatedfields in ways that strengthen theircommitment to, and skills in, publicservice; Alter the culture of professionalschools so they more effectivelyaddress needs of surrounding disadvantagedcommunities; Support program alumni whocontinue in lifelong community serviceand who, as Schweitzer Fellows forLife, are influential role models forother professionals.Core elements of the U.S.Schweitzer Fellows programs include aservice project, development of coreknowledge and skills, a first-year orientation/retreat,completion of a projectdescription form, monthly reports,attendance at Fellows meetings, publicoutreach, a mid-year meeting and afinal report.Upon completion of his initial fellowshipyear, Balceniuk will become aSchweitzer Fellow for Life and join anetwork of more than 2,000 individualswho are skilled in, and committedto, addressing the health needs ofunderserved people throughout theircareers as professionals.For more information about the U.S.Schweitzer Fellows Programs, pleasecontact Meghan L. Johnson (Kalinich),M.S., National Program Director, atmjohnso9@bidmc.harvard.edu. Formore information on Duquesne University,please visit www.duq.edu.Submissions? Story Ideas? News Tips? Suggestions?Contact Harvey Kart at hdkart@aol.com