OISSE Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 4
Fall 2004
In this issue: Changes to OISSE, New Grant Coordinator, Faculty Training, Clinic & Community News, Diabetes Critical Pathway, Student Spotlight, Student Opportunities

Changes to OISSE

In an effort to meet the needs of students & the health disparities at the Omaha & Winnebago reservations, the Office of Interprofessional Scholarship, Service & Education (OISSE) was granted the Circles of Learning: Community & Clinic as Interdisciplinary Classroom grant from HRSA in July 2004.

OISSE has changed its name expanding from the Office of Interprofessional Scholarship & Service to the Office of Interprofessional Scholarship, Service & Education. The office has physically moved from Boyne 142 to Boyne 111B for more student visibility.

Over the 3- year grant period OISSE will coordinate students from the health professions of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy & occupational therapy to participate in both short & long term experiences on the Omaha & Winnebago reservations.

Students will also have the opportunity to apply to complete a 4-week mini-residency at either reservation post graduation.

The experiences on the reservations are meant to expose students to a rural, minority population  encouraging graduates to practice in rural health care settings. Students will be lead by health professionals currently practicing at either Omaha or Winnebago.

Students will engage in cultural immersion activities allowing them to not only gain professional knowledge but grow to understand how the Native American culture views health & the health care system.

Students on long-term experiences are encouraged to live in provided housing on the reservation & engage in community events.

Whether on a short or long-term experience, students receive a small stipend for their service. For most short term experiences, transportation will be provided.

OISSE is here to serve the students by enriching their lives with an opportunity to experience another culture & at the same time gain important professional knowledge. Visit our website at: http://oisse.creighton.edu for more information & upcoming events.

New Grant coordinator
In September, the OISSE bid goodbye to Michelle Bromm as she takes on the role of motherhood & welcomed Joy D. Voltz as Grant Coordinator.

Joy is a graduate of the Creighton post-professional OTD program in 2003. Prior to accepting the position, Joy did a time of service as a VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America), a part of AmeriCorp, with a local faith-based organization called the Presbyterian Outreach. At the Presbyterian Outreach Joy did program development for several outreach programs for low income seniors.

Personally, Joy is involved in local health ministry & health promotion activities.

Joy is available to assist any faculty or students interested in the reservation. Please feel free to contact her with questions.

Faculty Training
On Monday October 4, 2004,  faculty & practitioners involved in the Circles of Learning grant gathered at Fontenelle Forest to brainstorm how to best utilize an interdisciplinary team of students on the Omaha & Winnebago reservations.

Led by Dr. Lynda Lakin, Vice President of Clarkson College, the team gained an in-depth understanding of each health professions’ role in the rural Native American communities & discussed activities relevant to student learning.

Faculty & staff from Creighton received a glance into the Native American culture shared by health staff employed at both the Omaha & Winnebago reservations.

Over 25 health professionals & educators were in attendance making it the first collective meeting in the history of the partnership between Creighton School of Pharmacy & Health Professions & health representatives from the Omaha & Winnebago reservations .

Throughout the three years of the Circles of Learning grant, this team of experts will continue to gather to educate one another & apply a practical interdisciplinary approach to battling the health disparities on the Omaha & Winnebago reservations.

Clinic & community news
Football games
Under the supervision, Pat Cross, PT, DPT, students from Creighton Department of Physical Therapy assisted at Macy on Fridays during football season with athletic
injuries. 
Acanthosis screenings
To help with primary prevention of diabetes, acanthosis screenings were offered in the Macy community.
Senior Center
In September, pharmacy & nursing students from Creighton offered brown bag medicine assessments & general health consultation at Walthill Senior Center. Nursing students took vitals & counseled the seniors about cholesterol & other health topics.
Arthritis course
Reva Fredericksen, OTR/L, & Pat Cross, PT, DPT are offering a 6 week self-help course on managing osteoarthritis from the Arthritis Foundation at Carl T. Curtis Health Education Center in Macy, Nebraska.
OT Students Complete Fieldwork
In late October, Jen Kunzweiler, OTS & Tricia Keane, OTS completed a Level I Fieldwork experience supervised by Reva Fredericksen, OTR/L engaging with clients at both the Carl T. Curtis Health Education Center & the Indian Health Services Hospital in Winnebago.
Interdisciplinary experience
On three Fridays in November, students from Creighton pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, & nursing participated in an interdisciplinary experience. Students completed a training regarding evidence-based practice in the context of diabetes with an interdisciplinary focus. Students also explored the culture of the Omaha tribe by engaging with individuals living on the reservation. Three more short term experiences will be offered next semester. OISSE is currently accepting student applications for the short term experiences to take place in Spring of 2005. 

Diabetes Critical Pathway
In order to encourage diabetes management & control among the Omaha tribe, Deb Parker, MS, CDE, Diabetes Coordinator & Pat Cross, PT, DPT at Carl T. Curtis Health Education Center in Macy, Nebraska have lead an initiative to begin a Diabetes Critical Pathway.

Individuals with diabetes are identified & invited to a screening process. Each individual receives a screening from multiple health care professionals including medical history, nutrition, podiatry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, among others.

After completion of the screening process & ample review, the screeners gather for case management creating a plan for each individual to assist with diabetes management.

Each individual is then met with & referred to the appropriate professional for follow up on the needs identified in the screening process.

In the first screening process, on October 6, four individuals came through the process & will receive appropriate follow up from all the disciplines involved. Pat Cross reported that the first screening was a success. Screenings are held every third Wednesday of the month.

The goal will be to serve as many individuals with diabetes as possible in Macy.

Student SpotLight: Michael Witte

Michael Witte, a PT student set to graduate in 2005, completed a 12 week clinical experience on the Omaha reservation at Macy this fall. Michael shares about his experience on the reservation.

“During  my first year at the Creighton PT program, I had several opportunities to volunteer on ‘the rez’.  Through these activities I learned about the opportunity for a challenging & rewarding experience serving this community. There are numerous ways that Carl T. Curtis Health Education Center is unique.  Because of this, I knew that the skills I would learn would go far in being applied in any setting I would later practice.  ‘There is no substitute for service to ones’ community’.

From my work on the reservation, I have learned to develop all manners of skills, not only for my professional career, but for use in life.  Spending time with another culture gives you perspective on what others value in their life, including their health, & how one’s own profession is viewed.  I chose this site not for that knowledge one can get out of reading a textbook, but rather to learn how to be successfully accepted by patients & treat with limited resources. Skills typically not learned in suburban clinics or hospitals. 

The things that I liked about serving on the reservation are numerous so I will list my top 3.   I liked the wide variety of patients: from traditional elders to the rough & rowdy youngsters from the high school, & nursing home patients to an injured housewife. Each were unique & able to teach me something about medicine & about life.

The staff of Carl T. Curtis, the Four Hills of Life Wellness center, & athletics staff with Omaha Nation Public school were undoubtedly some of the hardest working & dedicated professionals I have had the pleasure of working with.  I appreciated the interprofessional relationships I was able to develop & was happy to see a facility that really does appreciate Physical Therapy. The final thing I liked most about serving at the reservation was being able use the word “Sovereign Nation” when telling people where I worked.

Native Americans are noble people, regardless of their socioeconomic status or how they might look to ‘non natives’, they should always be treated with the same respect as would be given to a family member.

I recommend scheduling time in a rotation to interact with the community.  Attend community events like a Handgame, Pow-Wow, or Cedar ceremony.  There is much to be learned of a culture by just observing individuals in a setting outside the clinic, & interacting & talking  with members of the community."

Student opportunities

Serving through the Office of Interprofessional Scholarship, Service & Education provides many benefits to students.

Interprofessional
Whether a student completes a long term or short term experience on the reservation, students get the opportunity to interact with health professionals from multiple fields & also with students from different fields of study. These experiences give students a leading edge for real world situations where health care is provided through an interdisciplinary team of health care professionals. Understanding the roles of other health professionals is essential in today’s health care field.

Service
By agreeing to participate in activities sponsored by the Office of Interprofessional Scholarship, Service & Education, students get a chance to provide service, a core value at Creighton University.

The Omaha & Winnebago Indian reservations need health services which can be amply provided by students. Student service helps meet health disparities in the rural Native American population.

Education
The skills students walk away enhance what is learned in a classroom. Students gain an understanding of a culture different from their own. Students also gain an understanding of the rural health care system & how it differs from traditional metropolitan health care.

Today, more than ever, there is a desperate need for practitioners in rural settings. Serving with the Office of Interprofessional Scholarship, Service & Education prepares students for future work in rural health care.

Benefits
Students serving on the reservations in interprofessional teams receive a stipend & free transportation to & from the reservations. 

To learn more
Check out the Office of Interprofessional Scholarship, Education & Service’s website at http://oisse.creighton.edu   
Contact Joy:                               
P: 402-280-5258                      
E: joyvoltz@creighton.edu        
Office: Boyne 111B