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News and Events
Arnold School's Dr.
Edith Williams to present Lupus research
in Barcelona, Spain
 Dr. Edith Williams of the
University of South Carolina's Arnold
School of Public Health has been
selected to present her ongoing lupus
research at the First World Congress on
Debates & Consensus for Bone, Muscle,
and Joint Diseases (BMJD) in Barcelona,
Spain. The purpose of the meeting is to
convene leading international scholars,
researchers, and physicians to serve as
an exclusive forum to share and compare
experiences, in order to outline
appropriate treatment for bone, muscle
and joint diseases. The conference will
be held from January 19-22, 2012
Deputy Director for Research and
Sustainability of the Institute for
Partnerships to Eliminate Health
Disparities, Williams also is a research
assistant professor in the Department of
Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
The Young Scientist award, which covers
registration fees to attend the BMJD
conference, is chosen from several dozen
abstracts. After review of abstracts
submitted by physicians, scientists, and
researchers internationally, Dr.
Williams was recognized as a Runner-Up
for this year's Young Scientist Award
and invited to deliver a special oral
presentation about her work.
Williams' abstract titled, “An
Intervention to Reduce Psychosocial and
Biological Indicators of Stress in
African American Lupus Patients: The
Balancing Lupus Experiences with Stress
Strategies (BLESS) Study”, will
highlight an intervention to reduce the
psychosocial and biological indicators
of stress in African-American systemic
lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. This
work was collaboration between Dr.
Williams and investigators with the
Medical University of South Carolina's
Lupus Erythematosus Clinical Research
Group.
Intervention efforts were conducted in
conjunction with South Carolina
Department of Health and Environmental
Control's Office of Arthritis Prevention
and Control Program- Healthy Aging.
Participants learned how to best reduce
stress through exercise, detailed stress
management activities, activities aimed
at improving communication with
physicians, and learning how to
incorporate healthy eating options into
daily activities. After completion of
intervention activities, biological
markers were collected and surveys were
completed by participants.
This work was supported by funding
through the 2010 Pfizer Medical and
Academic Partnerships (MAP) Health
Disparities Fellowship program. This
research area is an extension of Dr.
Williams' previous work as a key
investigator for the Buffalo Lupus
Project. The Buffalo Lupus Project was
funded by the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, and
explored the connection between
environmental toxic pollutants and high
rates of SLE.
Dr. Williams joined the faculty of the
University of South Carolina in 2007 and
since has quickly become a strong junior
investigator participating in several
areas of research. “While I have
broadened my research areas, Lupus
research always is at the top of list,”
said Dr. Williams. “Lupus patients,
particularly African-American women
often experience health disparities in
disease management; therefore, this
intervention provided great preliminary
data to conduct larger studies in the
Southeast.”
She earned her bachelor's degree in
psychology, with a minor in biology,
from the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill and her master's and
doctoral degrees from the State
University of New York
Mothers who delay
returning to work beyond 13 weeks are
more likely to breastfeed for a longer
duration
| The sooner a mother goes
back to work after having a
baby, the less likely she is to
breastfeed, according to an
Arnold School of Public Health
study published in the June
issue of the journal
Pediatrics. Dr. Chinelo
Ogbuanu, a 2010 PhD graduate
of the University of South
Carolina's Arnold School of
Public Health, along with Arnold
School faculty researchers,
looked at both the initiation
and duration of breastfeeding by
new mothers.
"Results suggest that women
who are out of work or on leave
beyond the 13-week period are
more likely to both initiate
breastfeeding and to breastfeed
longer," said Dr. Saundra
Glover, associate dean for
health disparities and social
justice in the Arnold School and
Dr. Ogbuanu's lead co-author on
the publication. "Based on our
findings, if women delay their
return to work, then the
prevalence of breastfeeding in
the U.S. may increase." |
|

Dr. Saundra Glover says
women
unfortunately are having to make
decisions
about breastfeeding based on
their financial situations. |
As part of the research into the
relationship between breastfeeding and
work, Ogbuanu and her co-authors looked
at information from 6,150 women who
worked before giving birth. While Glover
said the findings didn't surprise her,
she said the research points to the need
to consider longer, paid maternity
leaves – something the U.S. Surgeon
General also has supported.
"Many women, particularly women of
color and lower socioeconomic status,
cannot afford to be out of work on long,
unpaid leave. Women are making a
decision based on money rather than the
health of their babies," said Glover, a
professor in the department of health
services policy and management. "The
United States is the only developed
country in the world without paid
maternity leave. And when you look at
infant mortality, we have the highest
infant mortality rate of all developed
countries."
Three of four mothers in the United
States start out breastfeeding their
babies, according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention's 2010
Breastfeeding Report Card. However, at
the end of six months, breastfeeding
rates fall to 43 percent and only 13
percent of babies are exclusively
breastfed. The American Academy of
Pediatrics recommends that breastfeeding
continue for at least 12 months, and
thereafter for as long as the mother and
baby desire. Mothers stay out of work an
average of 12.4 weeks after giving
birth. The federal Family Medical Leave
Act (FMLA) protects a woman's job from
being ceded to another employee for 12
weeks.
"Children who are breastfed are
healthier. If the mother stays home
longer she is more likely to
breastfeed," Glover said. "Then, when
she goes back to work and the children
go to daycare, they are less likely to
get sick or pick up childhood illnesses.
One of the greatest benefits of
breastfeeding is for the immediate
health and survival of the infant."
Ogbuanu is now the senior maternal
child health epidemiologist with the
Maternal and Child Health Program in the
Georgia Department of Community Health.
Other Arnold School faculty members
involved with the study were Drs.
James Hussey, Jihong Liu, and
Janice Probst.
Among the study's highlights:
- Women who returned to work at 13
weeks or later were more likely to
predominantly breastfeed longer than
three months, compared to those who
returned within six weeks. They were
also 21 percent more likely to
breastfeed — with or without
supplemental formula — beyond three
months.
- Women who had not yet returned
to work by the nine-month interview
were 13 percent more likely to
initiate breast-feeding compared
with those who returned to work
within the first six weeks. They
also were 70 percent more likely to
predominantly breastfeed beyond
three months.
Click here
to read the story
Nance appointed to the Tri-County Commission on Alcohol and
Drug Abuse
 Dr. Tasha Louis-Nance was appointed as a member to the
Tri-County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (TCCADA), by
The Honorable Mark Sanford, Governor of South Carolina.
Founded in 1973, The Tri-County Commission on Alcohol and
Drug Abuse (TCCADA) is a provider of prevention services and
outpatient substance abuse & behavioral health services to
the citizens of Orangeburg, Bamberg and Calhoun counties. In
addition, TCCADA operates the William J. McCord Adolescent
Treatment Facility, a 15 bed psychiatric hospital serving
the state of South Carolina. TCCADA is licensed by the S.C.
Department of Health & Environmental Control as well as
accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of
Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and The Joint Commission.
TCCADA seeks to prevent substance related problems through
education and community involvement, to intervene in
substance related problems and to provide treatment and
rehabilitation alternatives for affected citizens. The Board
of Directors maintains full approval authority and
responsibility for all agency policies, procedures, plans
and associated documents that pertain to governance,
leadership or fiscal matters within the agency.
Term Commencing: April 15, 2010
Term Expiration: April 15, 2013
Seat: Orangeburg
Arnold School Student leads the way in addressing healthcare
and education disparities in Kenya.
 Irene Okech, a doctoral student at the University of South
Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health, is at the
forefront of addressing healthcare and education disparities
in Kenya, leading by example. A native of Kenya and current
resident of the USA, Irene has a passion for public health
policy in developing and developed nations. In 2008,
together with her mother, she founded Imbako Public Health,
a non-profit organization based in the USA and Kenya which
strives to mitigate disparities in healthcare and education
facing women and children in rural Kenya. Its core
initiative stems from its three foundational pillars-
Healthcare, Education and Sustainability-(Environment and
Agriculture). Its mission … “To reach the women, teach the
children, and heal the communities…” is born from
identification of need in rural societies in Africa.
www.imbakopublichealth.org
To date, Imbako Public Health has partnered with several
organizations and institutions including Georgia State
University, University of South Carolina, Books for Africa
and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). In July
of 2010, Imbako Public Health partnered with Georgia State
University on the Global Impact project. This project, in
partnership with Georgia State University's Beta Alpha Psi
members, encourages education by establishing fully funded
undergraduate scholarships, to Kenyan students, that will
enable them to attain a complete undergraduate education. To
date, the project has generated and paid for the tuition of
5 young women from rural Kenya, who will attain associate
and graduate degrees in the fields of Business, Education,
and Nursing.
In September of 2010, Imbako's partnership with Books for
Africa, a US based NGO dedicated to helping end the book
famine in Africa, led to a donation of a 40-foot container
of books to Imbako Public Health. The value of the container
of books by conservative IRS estimate exceeds $ 165,000. The
books to be received will be used to establish the Imbako
Public Health Library, in Sitatunga, Kitale and to
supplement the reading material in the local high
(secondary) and elementary (primary) schools in Kitale,
Kenya. This will definitely go a long way to light the
educational path not only for children, but also all
community members who will use the library.
Ms. Okech has provided presentations at several universities
including Yale University and Georgia State University on
public health issues in Kenya. The presentation at Yale
University entitled “Imbako Public Health-A collaborative
effort to reach communities in Rural Kenya; A maternal child
health and education program,” highlighted educational and
healthcare disparities in rural Kenya and presented the
solutions and innovations that Imbako is implementing to
curb these disparities. The Presentation at Georgia State
University's Robinson College of Business, stressed the
fundamental role of education in rural Kenyan communities,
while highlighting the significance of educating the girl
child.
Ms. Okech holds a CPA, a Bachelors Degree in Biology from
the University of Nairobi, and an MBA in Healthcare
Management from Brenau University in Atlanta, Georgia. She
is currently a doctoral student at the University of South
Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health.
$25,000 grant will support the dissertation research on
patient reported outcomes of Arnold School Ph.D. student
December 2, 2010
Larrell L. Wilkinson, a doctoral candidate in the
Arnold School's Department of Health Services Policy and
Management, is the recipient of a $25,000 grant to support
his dissertation research on patient reported outcomes.
The highly competitive Alvin R. Tarlov & John E. Ware Jr.
Doctoral Dissertation Award in Patient Reported Outcomes is
named for Tarlov and Ware, the co-founders of the Health
Assessment Lab at the Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover,
N.H.
Wilkinson, who expects to finish his doctorate in May
2011, works at the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate
Health Disparities. Institute director Dr. Saundra Glover
is guiding his research interests and serving as chair for
his dissertation committee, and Dr. Janice Probst,
director of the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center,
also is a member of his committee.
Wilkinson said his studies will focus on disparities that
appear among young adults who may experience psychological
distress. Specifically, the research will examine the
association of healthcare insurance coverage and
psychological distress, while also investigating the link
within certain population sub-groups at high risk for
psychological distress.
The subjects of his research are young adults in the
United States, with a particular focus on service members
and veterans transitioning to civilian life, current and
former prison inmates, and victims of violent crime.
After finishing his Ph.D., Wilkinson said he wants to
improve the living standards of disadvantaged people,
possibly through a career in academia or government service.
He is seeking to follow the motto "Think, Work, Serve" of
Tennessee State University, where he earned a bachelor's
degree in 2000.
While at USC, Wilkinson has maintained an active
schedule. After earning a master's degree in 2005 from the
Arnold School, Wilkinson served as the director of the
university's Office of Substance Abuse Prevention &
Education, formerly the Office of Alcohol & Drug Programs.
Leaving that post in 2009 to pursue his doctoral degree
full time, Wilkinson has served in various campus
organizations and was president of the Black Graduate
Student Association. He also is on the Board of Directors
for the S.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
A native of Stone Mountain, Ga., Wilkinson recently
married the former Khalia Robinson of Columbia.
Hometown Hero:
Partnerships and Community-Based Public Health:
The Thread of Public Trust
Click here to read the article
Success of health disparities research leads to renewed
funding, Claflin partnership
From left, Shirley James of the Minority AIDS
Council of Orangeburg, Bamberg,
and Calhoun counties; Saundra Glover of the Arnold School;
Kim Creek of the
S.C. College of Pharmacy at USC; and Dr. Rebecca Dillard of
Claflin University.
A $6.7 million grant to the University of South Carolina's
Arnold School of Public Health will support an established
research program in health disparities. The five-year
award is from the National Center on Minority Health and
Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health. It
will fund a Center of Excellence in the Social Promotion of
Health Equity Research, Education and Community Engagement (CCE-SPHERE)
and will support the Arnold School's partnership for
education and research with Claflin University.
The award is the second major NIH grant to Dr. Saundra
Glover, the Arnold School's associate dean for health
disparities and social justice, to fund research and
education in health disparities. In 2005, she was awarded
$7.5 million from NIH to establish the Institute for
Partnerships to Elimination Health Disparities (IPEHD) and
enhanced the Arnold School's research program on health
disparities.
“This grant will enable us to build on the five years of
accomplishments that we had with our previous Center of
Excellence,” said Glover, who is on the faculty in the
Arnold School's department of health services policy and
management.
“We also will be able to expand our research on cancer
and other health disparities and strengthen our partnership
with Claflin University to educate the next generation of
public-health professionals, educators and scientists,” she
said.
The grant's co-principal investigators include Dr. Kim
Creek of the South Carolina College of Pharmacy at USC
and Dr. Rebecca Dillard of Claflin University.
The first award led to the establishment of the 4+1
Program that provides academic support for Claflin
University students who obtain an undergraduate degree in
biology at the Orangeburg campus and then complete their
master's degrees in public health at USC's Arnold School.
Other successes from the initial award include research
on the human papillomavirus that has been linked to cervical
cancer and other diseases; HIV/AIDS research and
community-outreach programs; and the establishment of
community advisory committees that have been critical in
identifying key health issues affecting the Orangeburg
community.
The S.C. Medical Association devoted its monthly journal
in December 2009 to IPEHD's cervical-cancer research and
community-outreach programs. The journal represented one of
the first comprehensive statewide reports on cervical-cancer
incidence and mortality, Glover said.
“Over the past five years, we have been able to link
science and communities so that we better understand the
health disparities in South Carolina,” she said. “We will
use this knowledge to translate research findings into
clinical applications and to help communities focus on
prevention.”
The Palmetto State has some of the nation's most glaring
health disparities, including cancer, HIV, infant mortality,
cardiovascular disease and stroke, Glover said.
“The disparities are significant. We have to figure out
why and what we can do to turn some of this around,” she
said. “This new grant will help us do that.”
Arnold School's Dr. Edith Williams
awarded
Pfizer Fellowship in Health Disparities
Dr. Edith Williams of the University of
South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health has
been awarded the 2010 Pfizer Fellowship in Health
Disparities.
Deputy Director for Research and Sustainability of
the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health
Disparities, Williams also is a research assistant
professor in the Department of Epidemiology and
Biostatistics.
The Pfizer award, which carries a stipend of
$130,000 over two years, is designed to support the
career development of talented junior researchers.
The fellowship awards program is open to researchers
in U.S. schools of medicine and public health,
nursing and pharmacy schools, and colleges of
osteopathic medicine.
Williams' study will focus on an intervention to
reduce the psychosocial and biological indicators of
stress in African-American lupus patients. She will
collaborate with the Medical University of South
Carolina's Lupus Erythematosus Clinical Research
Group.
“Patients with lupus and other autoimmune diseases
are encouraged to avoid stress in their lives,” she
said. “Stressful situations can exacerbate lupus
outbreaks and the debilitating impacts of the
illness.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
reports that African-American women are three times
more likely to get lupus than white women. They also
tend to develop lupus at a younger age and have more
severe symptoms than whites.
Dr. Tom Chandler, dean of the Arnold School, said
Williams' selection for the Pfizer Fellowship
underscores the ability of the school's faculty to
compete with the nation's top researchers.
“Since joining our faculty in 2007, Dr. Edith
Williams has worked to develop a strong research
program in health disparities,” Chandler said. “Her
scholarship in this vital area of public health
research is nationally recognized. We congratulate
Dr. Williams on this outstanding award, which also
recognizes the Arnold School's growing reputation as
a leader in health disparities research.”
Williams said the Pfizer Fellowship will enable her
to focus her research efforts on lupus.
“This is an important area of study for me,” she
said. “It also is important because it can open
doors to conducting large-scale studies in the
Southeast on lupus in African-American women,
something that has not been done before.”
Before coming to the Arnold School, Williams had a
key role in the Buffalo Lupus Project. The
five-year, community-based participatory study
examined asthma and autoimmune diseases in
minorities in the Buffalo area. Funded by the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
the project explored the high risk of infection
among African Americans from environmental toxic
pollutants.
Williams also led an ancillary investigation of
pre-clinical heart disease, inflammation and
traditional risk factors in the largely
African-American cohort of women with systemic lupus
erythematosus (SLE) from the Buffalo Lupus Project.
At the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate
Health Disparities, Williams is involved in
developing a research program on minority women's
health.
She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology, with
a minor in biology, from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill and her master's and
doctoral degrees from the State University of New
York.
Vitamin D Study
According to medical experts, vitamin D helps people
absorb calcium, strengthen bones and teeth and help
nerves and muscles work correctly. Studies show that
three-quarters of U.S. teens and adults do not
receive the amount of vitamin D experts believe is
necessary for optimal health. This deficiency can
weaken bone development, immune function and heart
health. (http://www.aetna.com/news/newsReleases/2010/0527_SouthCarolina_Vitamin_D.html).
Because vitamin D is absorbed from the sun's
ultraviolet rays, there also is a strong genetic and
biological component involved. Darker skin blocks
more of the sun's rays, medical experts say, which
is why African Americans face the highest risk for
vitamin D deficiency. Hispanics have similar risks.
(http://www.aetna.com/news/newsReleases/2010/0527_SouthCarolina_Vitamin_D.html).
For this reason, Walgreens has conducted an
initiative to distribute a free 100 day supply of
Finest Natural Vitamin D at nine select Walgreens
pharmacy locations in Columbia, SC between January
25, 2010 and May 25, 2010. The vitamin D giveaway
program has targeted Richland and Lexington
counties, where the population is approximately 45
percent African American. The vitamin D awareness
effort will donate more than 25,000 samples of
Vitamin D.
Walgreens selected the University of South Carolina
(USC) to conduct a research study through knowledge
surveys to examine the effectiveness of this
Walgreens initiative. Pre- knowledge surveys were
conducted by USC between January 25, 2010 and May
25, 2010 to gauge the general Vitamin D knowledge of
participants and their Vitamin D intake.
Post-knowledge surveys were conducted between May
25, 2010 to June 30, 2010 to determine if
participants gained additional Vitamin D knowledge
and if their Vitamin D intake improved. These
surveys were also used to collect basic demographic
data from participants (e.g. race/ethnicity, age,
gender, zip code). This data was matched with the
barcodes on the Vitamin D prescription and used to
measure Vitamin D intake, provider/patient
interaction, and the impact of Vitamin D marketing
strategies.
Participation in this study was voluntary, and
participants can withdraw from the study at any
time. All participants are eligible for one of two
$500 cash prizes. The cash prizes will be awarded on
June 30, 2010.

Clifton Thompson, recipient of the cash award
House Majority Whip shares insights on passage of
healthcare reform
U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn enjoyed a
hero's welcome at the University of South Carolina
Friday as an audience stood for one ovation after
another for the Sixth District Congressman's key
role in the passage of healthcare reform.
Clyburn collected the accolades during his speech
at the James E. Clyburn Lecture, an annual event
that bears his name. The lecture at the nearly full
USC Russell House Ballroom also coincided with
National Public Health Week April 5-11.
Clyburn said he has described health care reform
as “the Civil Rights Act of the 21st Century”
because its provisions reach 45 million persons who
have been unable to obtain or afford health
insurance.
Efforts by attorneys general in several states to
repeal the new law are ill-advised, said Clyburn
who, as majority whip, corralled the 216 votes to
sustain passage of the legislation in the U.S.
House.
The last time similar nullification efforts
emerged was following passage of the 1965 Civil
Rights Act, which withstood the legal tests and
remains in force today.
Taking questions from the audience of mostly
young people, Clyburn was quick to point out that
some health care reforms are theirs right away.
“Now you can stay on your parent's health care
insurance until age 26,” he said to applause, adding
that all children with pre-existing medical issues
are now covered. The process will be gradual -- like
the Civil Rights Act -- but it will eventually lead
to universal access to health care, he said.
Clyburn's listeners were largely faculty,
students and staff from USC and predominantly
African-American institutions that included Claflin
University, South Carolina State University
(Clyburn's Alma Mater), Morris College, Benedict
College, Allen University and Lower Richland High
School.
The lecture series is joint initiative between
Claflin University and the USC Institute for
Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities led by Dr.
Saundra Glover, an associate dean for
health disparities and social justice at the Arnold
School of Public Health.
In opening remarks, Arnold School Dean Dr. Tom
Chandler said health disparities are a main
focus of research and teaching efforts. He citied an
array of problems -- obesity, diabetes, heart
disease and cancer - that plague mostly
African-American residents in South Carolina.
The nation's new healthcare legislation is a
major step in reducing those disparities, and
Chandler praised Clyburn for his stalwart lead in
the hotly debated proceedings.
“He fought the good fight. He won that battle,”
said Chandler.
Glover, whose research interests focus on health
disparities and their impact on South Carolinians,
said the work will go on throughout the Palmetto
State's communities to eradicate health disparities.
“We are our communities,” Glover said. “Building
a healthy, equitable future for our communities is
the true test of our time.”
After the lecture, Clyburn met with media and was
the honored guest at a reception and scientific
poster session featuring health disparities research
at the USC and Claflin University.
Arnold School officials say that USC currently
has 101 active externally funded projects (research
and non-research) related to health disparities,
totaling $33.5 million.
Of those efforts, 71 projects totaling $11.2
million were begun in the first 10.5 months of the
current fiscal year.
Clyburn did not have time to answer all of the
questions from the audience, but a spokesman said
the questions and Clyburn's answers will be posted
on the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate
Health Disparities
website.
House Majority Whip to
deliver lecture on health disparities in 21st century
 The Arnold School of Public Health will present the
third annual James E. Clyburn Health Disparities Lecture
at 9 a.m. Friday, April 9. James E. Clyburn,
the U.S. House Majority Whip, will be the featured
speaker for the lecture that bears his name. Elected to
the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, Clyburn
represents South Carolina's Sixth Congressional
District.
“I am honored to be delivering this lecture at an
historic time in our nation with regards to health
care,” Clyburn said. “Health disparities are always in
the forefront of my service in Washington, and I am
pleased that, as we celebrate Public Health Week, we
have the opportunity to reflect on real positive changes
for public health in America.”
The program, which is free and open to the public,
will be held in the Russell House Ballroom. A reception
and scientific poster session featuring health
disparities research at the University of South Carolina
and Claflin University will follow.
Dr. Tom Chandler, Arnold School dean, said
Clyburn's longstanding commitment to public health needs
has been invaluable to the state and nation.
“Jim Clyburn has been a tireless advocate for better
access to healthcare and health services. He has been a
champion for healthcare legislation, policy, education
and research that will improve the lives of children and
adults throughout the Palmetto State and the United
States,” Chandler said.
“We are honored to have the Congressman on our campus
during the nation's observance of Public Health Week,
when we seek to recognize those individuals whose work
is critical in our efforts to create healthier
communities,” he said.
Clyburn's visit also comes at a critical time in the
nation's struggle to reform healthcare. Clyburn, a
leader in the debate to improve access to healthcare,
strengthen Medicare and reduce healthcare costs, has
been on the front lines and in the trenches for
Americans' and their healthcare, said Dr. Saundra
Glover, director of the Arnold School's Institute
for Partnerships to Eliminate Healthcare Disparities.
“Few people have worked as hard as Congressman
Clyburn to ensure that our nation's healthcare system is
the best that it can be,” Glover said. “His commitment
has never wavered, and all of us are the beneficiaries
of his work. Given the historic passage of the
healthcare reform bill, this lecture gives South
Carolinians the opportunity to learn about the future of
healthcare in our nation.”
In addition to serving as House Majority Whip,
Clyburn is the leader of the House Democrat's Faith
Working Group.
Prior to his election to the U.S. House of
Representatives, Clyburn was the S.C. Human Affairs
Commissioner.
Clyburn is married to the former Emily England.
The couple's commitment to higher education can be seen
in their efforts to raise more than $1.5 million for an
Archives and History Endowment at S.C. State University,
which has named campus facilities in their honor. They
have three daughters, Mignon Clyburn, Angela Hannibal
and Jennifer Clyburn Reed, two sons-in-law,
Cecil Hannibal and Walter Reed; and two
grandchildren, Walter A Clyburn Reed and
Sydney Alexis Reed.
For more information about the lecture, contact
Gwen Preston at the Institute for Partnerships to
Eliminate Health Disparities at 251-6315.
Wigfall joins MUSC's Hollings Cancer Center Cancer Disparities Advisory Board
In 2005, Andrew S. Kraft, MD, Director, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) initiated the HCC Cancer Disparities Advisory Board. In 2006 Marvella E. Ford, PhD was appointed Associate Director of the new HCC Disparities Program.
The Board was formed for two purposes; to advise and support the HCC Cancer Disparities Program in their effort to reduce cancer disparities among racially and ethnically diverse and medically underserved populations in South Carolina and to develop partnerships with groups that are working to reduce cancer disparities.
The Board is comprised of community members, MUSC faculty/staff and any individuals or organizations in support of the goals/action plan of the HCC Cancer Disparities Program. Each member of the Board serves on one or more of seven (7) standing Committees which are Business Relations, Membership and Bylaws, Cultural Competence, Faith-Based, Legislative Actions, Media Awareness/Health Literacy, and Research. The Chair of each committee is a community member and the Vice-Chair is a MUSC faculty or staff member.
Dr. Ford and the Board developed a 5-Point Action Plan, which incorporates the following objectives:
- Conduct cancer disparities activities with partners in South Carolina (SC)
- Develop specific, targeted research interventions to reduce cancer disparities
- Increase the number of investigators in SC who conduct cancer disparities research
- Increase use of products and/or services provided by minority-owned businesses in SC
- Provide training in cultural competence
Recently Lisa Wigfall, PhD, a graduate of the University of South Carolina – Arnold School of Public Health's Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior and postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities joined the Board for a three (3) year term and will serve as a member of the Research Committee.
As a member of the Board, Dr. Wigfall will advise and support the HCC Cancer Disparities Program in conducting activities associated with the 5-Point Action Plan.
Dr. Wigfall's personal commitment to improving health outcomes in our state; combined with her educational and professional experiences are aligned with the HCC Cancer Disparities Program long term goal of reducing and ultimately eliminating cancer disparities in South Carolina.”
UNITED IN PRAYER: Conference to kick off observance targeting HIV/AIDS impact
By DIONNE GLEATON, T&D Staff Writer Tuesday, February 23, 2010
 Individuals
and congregations across The T&D Region will be poised to
increase their role in AIDS prevention, education, service and
advocacy with a conference to be held in celebration of the
National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS.
The National Week of Prayer, set for March 7-13, is the
expansion of the Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of
AIDS that marked its 20th anniversary in 2009.
This year, Kingdom Life Ministries, Victory Tabernacle Deliverance Temple and Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, all of Orangeburg, have partnered with South Carolina State University and Claflin University to hold a "Standing Together to Decrease the Spread of HIV/AIDS" conference. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 6, on the fourth floor of Belcher Hall on the S.C. State campus.
The conference is free and includes a continental breakfast and lunch along with four workshop sessions targeting an epidemic that has struck close to home. The state DHEC's Quarterly Surveillance Report, through December 2008, shows that the Edisto Health District, which serves Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg counties, has the highest rate in the state of people infected with HIV/AIDS.
"This will be our third year of celebrating the National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS here in Orangeburg. It's about bringing the communities together to pray for those that have HIV and AIDS and to pray for continued support for those individuals and their families," said Pat Kelly, a member of Victory Tabernacle who is living with AIDS. She is also member of the church's "A Family Affair" support group for those with HIV/AIDS and their families.
"As a person living with AIDS, I believe that this event reaches out and helps with the stigma. If I know people are praying for me or people are coming together to work toward making it better for me, then that releases me from some of the stuff that I've been holding. Hopefully, it will release them from some of the stuff that they've been holding as it surrounds stigma. Stigma plays a great part in people not coming."
Event workshops and presenters include:
-- HIV/AIDS Spiritual and Healthy Lifestyle -- Dr. Daniel Hembree, chairman of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Claflin University;
-- The Epidemic of HIV/AIDS in South Carolina -- Dr. Jacob White, deputy director of the S.C. HIV/AIDS Council;
-- Linkage to Care for HIV/AIDS Patients -- Christal Davis, a Ryan White resource consultant at the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control; and
-- S.C. HIV Laws -- Bernard Gilliard, a STD/HIV consultant with the state DHEC.
The Rev. James L. Rowson Jr., pastor of Kingdom Life Ministries, will speak during the opening session.
There will also be free, confidential HIV testing conducted throughout the event. The rapid OraQuick test will be administered, with results available in 20 minutes. Post-test counseling will also be available.
"We're trying to reach the church with this, but it also lets us know that we need to reach all segments of the community, particularly the young generation. That's why we're trying to reach out to different organizations and collaborate with everybody," said Horace Britton, health ministries coordinator at Mount Pisgah.
Karen Clinton, a community liaison with the USC/Claflin EXPORT Center, said it is particularly important to use the church as the springboard from which to spread information.
PDF: Developing sermons on HIV/AIDS
"The church has always been the backbone and forerunner in addressing everything from health disparities to civil rights," she said. "I just think it's important that we express the power of God's love. Through his love, we can educate the community about HIV prevention. That's really the purpose of the National Week of Prayer."
Minority AIDS Council President Shirley James said the event will also hopefully get more individuals involved in the area of education and advocacy.
"We've picked up more persons that are needing to get into care and more families that are interested in getting more involved," James said. "Of course, funding is still a major problem, but the numbers are real and they're striking. The state statistics indicate that the younger population is being affected. We had been looking at people from age 17 to 44; now, we're looking at people from age 15 to 24."
Tessie Haywood is the expanded testing program coordinator in the state DHEC's STD/HIV Division. She is also a member of Kingdom Life Ministries, where she said several outreach goals have been set.
"Our Project F.A.I.T.H goals include partnering with Claflin and S.C. State in educating their students more about HIV and AIDS and changing their behavioral risks," Haywood said. "Our motto at the state office is 'Promote, Protect, Prosper,' and the STD/HIV Division's mission is to provide services to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infection and HIV infection.
"The event on March 6 is an educational event to be able to truly stand together to decrease the spread of HIV and AIDS. That's what we're working for."
The event will also include luncheon speaker Vanessa Vandross, a Greenville resident who has been affected by HIV, and a presentation during the closing session from members of Victory Tabernacle's "A Family Affair" support group. Door prizes will also be given away, along with a gift for the college student and church who brings the most people with them.
Registration, which is recommended but not required, begins at 9 a.m. Registration forms can be mailed by Thursday, March 4, to: Project F.A.I.T.H Kingdom Life Ministries, 1172 Orangeburg Mall Circle, Orangeburg, SC 29115, or Project F.A.I.T.H Victory Tabernacle, 681 Broughton St., Orangeburg, SC 29115.
For more information, including how to obtain registration forms, call Haywood at 803-898-2107, Kelly at 803-747-6046, Pinky Carter at 803-536-7055, Sadie Jarvis at 803-535-5285, Kingdom Life Ministries at 803-534-1980 or Victory Tabernacle at 803-535-6030.
T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5534.
Glover has served on the
Arnold School faculty for 19 years
Dr.
Saundra Glover, associate dean for health disparities and social
justice in the Arnold School of Public Health, is the faculty
recipient of the 2010 Martin Luther King Day Social Justice Award.
The Social Justice Award is presented annually to a USC faculty
member, a student and a staff member who have exemplified the
philosophies of the late civil rights leader through random or
ongoing acts of community service, social justice or racial
reconciliation.
Glover was recognized at the university's recent MLK Day breakfast,
together with student winner Anna Walton, a biology/Spanish major,
and staff winner Pamela Robinson, director of the Pro Bono Program
in the School of Law.
Glover, who has been on the Arnold School faculty for 19 years, was
lauded for her “consistent commitment to educational outreach and
research aimed at eliminating disparities.”
Glover also is director of the Institute for Partnerships to
Eliminate Health Disparities (IPEHD) and associate director of the
S.C. Rural Health Research Center.
Her research interests include:
-
Center of Excellence in Cancer and HIV
Research, a $7.5 million, 5-year partnership between the University
of South Carolina and Claflin University to eliminate health
disparities in HIV/AIDS and cancer in the Palmetto State.
-
Ft. Jackson Identifying Health Barriers Project, a
$1.1 million contract with the Department of Defense to examine
attrition rates in military recruits.
-
Project MATCH (Mobilizing Against Threats of
Community Health), a program comprising the Arnold School, the American
Public Health Association and Michigan State University, to address the
convergence of animal health and public health issues.
Glover was jointly successful in securing approval
of a $7.2 million Center of Economic Excellence in Prostate Cancer with
two lead investigators from the Medical University of South Carolina and
South Carolina State University.
Last month, Glover and research colleague Dr.
Heather Brandt reported that African-American women in South Carolina
are 37 percent more likely to have cervical cancer than white women and
have a death rate that is about 61 percent higher. The findings were
reported in a series of articles in the December issue of the Journal of
the South Carolina Medical Association.
Journal explores cervical cancer, health disparities
 |
Arnold School of Public Health researchers Saundra Glover
(center) and Heather Brandt (left), with social worker Tiffany
Stewart, discuss the reports in the Journal of the South Carolina
Medical Association. |
African-American women in South Carolina are 37 percent more likely to
have cervical cancer than white women and have a death rate that is
about 61 percent higher, according to a study by researchers at the
University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health. South Carolina ranks 14th in the nation in deaths from cervical
cancer. The study also found that African-American women in rural
South Carolina are among the least likely to get recommended
screenings, including the Pap test, that are key to the early
detection and treatment of cervical cancer.
The findings from the study are reported in the December issue of the
Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association, which has a series of
articles and studies on cervical cancer in South Carolina.
The journal represents one of the first comprehensive statewide reports
on cervical cancer incidence and mortality, said Dr. Saundra Glover, an
Arnold School researcher and director of the Institute for Partnerships
to Eliminate Health Disparities.
Eliminating health disparities is complex and involves many factors,
including access to screening and follow-up treatment, she said.
“South Carolina has some of the greatest health disparities in the
nation,” Glover said. “This report gives us a better understanding not
only of cervical cancer incidence and mortality among African-American
women, but also shows the critical role that community groups have in
working with doctors and other healthcare professionals and leaders to
ensure that women receive screenings and follow-up care.”
The report is timely, given the recent controversy surrounding a report
by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that called
for less frequent cervical cancer screening, Glover said.
Arnold School researcher Dr. Heather Brandt said that, although cervical
cancer deaths nationwide have dropped 75 percent since the Pap test was
introduced for screening, not all women have benefited equally from
advancements in screening.
“Women of color, women living in rural areas and women living in poverty
continue to develop cervical cancer and die at much higher rates,” she
said. “The reports in this journal highlight the challenges that we
continue to face in addressing cervical cancer in the United States and
around the world.”
A critical need in meeting these challenges is having community
partners work with women in cities and rural areas around the
Palmetto State. Social worker Tiffany Stewart, a community
liaison, said, “When community residents, community-based
organizations and institutions that will be affected are
involved in initiating and promoting a call to action, then
permanent, successful change is more likely to occur.”
One such effort is the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Z-HOPE (Zetas
Helping Other People Excel through Mind, Body and Spirit)
Program, which is focused on increasing cervical cancer
awareness among college students.
Among the findings reported in the journal:
- S.C. women who did not receive a Pap test were more
likely to be over age 65, unmarried, have less than a
high-school education and be from a non-Hispanic race group,
including African Americans. ##BREAK##
- Nearly one-fourth of women not receiving a Pap test
lacked healthcare coverage and nearly 20 percent were unable
to see a healthcare provider because of costs.
- A telephone survey of African-American and white women
found that about half of the study's 1,002 respondents had
“high” levels of knowledge about the human papillomavirus, a
sexually transmitted infection that has been linked to
cervical cancer. However, African-American women knew less
about the virus than white women.
- A study of young women, ages 14 – 20, found that about
34 percent would not get the HPV vaccine because of cost.
- A study on the Upstate Witness Project, which addresses
breast cancer and cervical cancer among African-American
women, found that training “witnesses” and lay health
advisers to be an effective method to reach women. The
program was tested in African-American churches in
Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson and Pickens counties.
- A study of Latina women in South Carolina found that
very few understood the purpose of the Pap test. Most Latina
women sought healthcare for prenatal services.
Glover said the scientific articles, reports on community
programs and editorials highlight the challenges of
addressing cervical cancer in the Palmetto State. “This
journal is an important step in our efforts. The work
reported here by scientists, doctors and community
healthcare providers will enable us to enhance our efforts
to address cervical cancer in South Carolina and throughout
the United States,” she said.
Click here to view the journal.
Lee Installed as CBPHC PPWG Community Co-Chair 2010 at APHA
November 8, 2009
A second-year member, Menia D. Lee, of the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities, was officially installed as a member of the Community-Based Public Health Caucus (CPBHC) Steering Committee in the capacity of the PPWG Community Co-Chair for 2010 at the 137th American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Exposition held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ms. Lee attended the conference as a CBPR session moderator.

As the new CBPHC PPWG Community Co-Chair, Ms. Lee
will be responsible for facilitating action-oriented initiatives
designed to increase CBO, youth and lay community participation in
research, with a specific focus on community needs, strengths and
capacity building. The academic co-chair facilitates the
institutional advancement of the research enterprise and works
closely with the community co-chair to ensure equitable
representation and attention to both sides of research partnerships.
As a member of the CBPHC Steering Committee, Ms. Lee will assist in
developing initiatives to stimulate grassroots involvement in public
health policy.
A trained research administrator, Ms. Lee is the Grants
Administrator for the IPEHD and serves as a staff trainer for the
Health Disparities Research Network (a product of a recently-funded
W.K. Kellogg Foundation initiative housed at the University of South
Carolina). Professionally, she is a member of the Health Law Special
Primary Interest Group (SPIG) of the American Public Health
Association, and serves as an active, contributing member and editor
to the Community-Based Public Health Caucus (CBPHC) Presentations
and Publications Workgroup and newsletter. She is also a member of
the International Society of Research Administrators (SRA) and the
National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) where
she is an active member of the Nominations and Leadership
Development Committee.
Mrs. Lee is currently completing her Masters in Research
Administration (MRA) degree (a new graduate program now
offered at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)'s College
of Health Professions (CHP) that combines the culture of research
with the advanced study of management and public health policy).
She is the Editor of the IPEHD Compass, an annual research report of
the IPEHD that highlights the department's research initiatives, is
a contributing author on 3 publications submitted to peer-reviewed
journals and is currently preparing a manuscript submission to the
Journal of Research Administration.
She has spent the better half of her career (10+ years) working with
sponsored programs/initiatives that were primarily created to serve
underrepresented populations, increase minority and community
participation in research, and build community
capacity/infrastructure while building community trust in research.
|
“I see my career and commitment to helping communities as my
way of ‘paying it forward'. It began with the support I
received years ago from the JTPA program in securing my
first college degree. Ever since, I have been involved with
sponsored projects/initiatives that were designed (in one
capacity or another) to help underserved communities.
This is my story and my commitment. I look forward to using
my experience and talents to advance the work of the Caucus
and promote the health of our communities. Let the work that
we do as members of the Caucus resonate louder than any of
our individual voices of change. I remember that my past
motivates me while the present holds me to my purpose”.
|
|
Fort Jackson Soldier Health Promotion:
Significant Public Health and Policy Implications
Meet the New Community Co-Chair Elect 2009-10
Lee accepted into inaugural Masters in Research Administration (MRA)
program at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)
Center of Excellence in Cancer and HIV Research Fellow Dr. Shalanda Bynum accepts a postdoctoral position at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
| “The training and mentorship that I received as a Center of Excellence in Cancer and HIV Research (COE) Fellow far exceeded my expectations and has better prepared me for a career in cancer health disparities research. As a COE Fellow, I was engaged in a variety of activities that allowed me to grow both academically and professionally. I gained an in-depth understanding of the unequal burden of disease among minorities, the economically disadvantaged, and geographically isolated. This experience continued to lay the foundation for my commitment to address and eliminate health disparities. My most valued experience as a fellow has been interacting with communities and encouraging people to live healthier lives. Effecting change in individuals and communities that bear disproportionate burden of disease is gratifying and an experience that I most value,” said Dr. Shalanda Bynum. Dr. Bynum has accepted a 2-year postdoctoral position in behavioral oncology at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute starting January 4, 2010. This is an NCI-funded interdisciplinary training program designed to prepare fellows for careers as independent investigators engaged in research on behavioral aspects of cancer prevention, detection and control. The training program seeks to train researchers in the identification and promotion of behaviors that can lead to a reduction in cancer risk, earlier detection of cancer, and improvements in quality of life following cancer diagnosis. |
|
 |
|
“I believe that my training as a COE Fellow has well
equipped me to address complex issues such as health disparities. As
I move beyond the role of student and into a postdoctoral position
at Moffitt Cancer Center I will be utilizing much of the skills
learned as a COE Fellow particularly in community-based
participatory research. I thank Dr. Saundra Glover, Dr. Heather
Brandt, Andrea Williams, and the remaining COE team for their
continued mentorship and commitment to student success.” |
As a postdoctoral fellow she will be engaged in community-based participatory research to address cancer health disparities to include cultural and literacy issues in cancer prevention and control. The postdoctoral program combines a specialized curriculum (formal didactic training and one-on-one interactions with experienced mentors) designed to meet the following training objectives: 1 ) acquire a basic understanding of the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer; 2) become familiar with the major studies and findings in the area of behavioral oncology; 3) Gain expertise in methodologies needed to conduct behavioral oncology research; 4) be able to critically review and evaluate research in behavioral oncology; 5) gain an understanding of fundamental issues regarding the ethical conduct of research; 6) be able to formulate a novel research question in behavioral oncology and design a methodologically. To meet the these objectives, Dr. Bynum will be participating in meetings, seminars, journal clubs, grand rounds, and a grant writing seminar; taking additional courses; participating in ongoing research initiatives in health disparities and CBPR.
Program will increase access for students
pursuing public health careers
April 22, 2009 The University of South Carolina and Claflin University signed an agreement
Tuesday to establish a partnership that will develop a diverse public-health
workforce.
|
The agreement, signed by USC Dr. Harris Pastides and Dr.
Henry N. Tisdale, Claflin University president, at the second
annual James E. Clyburn Health Disparities Lecture, creates
a dual-degree program called the “4 + 1 Program.”
Claflin undergraduates who participate in the program will
earn bachelor's degrees in biology from Claflin and master's
degrees in public health from the Arnold School of Public
Health.
The 4 + 1 Program was announced at the beginning of the Clyburn
lecture, which featured Dr. Adewale Troutman, director of the Louisville
Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness.
|

Dr. Henry Tisdale, Claflin University president,
left, and USC President Dr. Harris Pastides prepare to sign
an agreement to help develop a diverse public-health workforce.
|
Pastides said the partnership is a good fit between the university's
Arnold School and Claflin, an historically black institution in
Orangeburg.
“This new five-year, dual-degree program joins the talents and
commitment of faculty and researchers at our university and Claflin
University to produce the best minds for public-health careers,”
said Pastides, former dean of the Arnold School.
The partnership between the two institutions will increase access for students pursuing public-health careers. “All of us will be stronger for it,” Pastides said.
Claflin biology majors will declare their intent to enter the 4 + 1 Program at the end of their sophomore year. They will take the Graduate Record Examination in their junior or senior year and take master's-level, public-health classes at the Arnold School as seniors. These classes will count toward an MPH degree.
Once they are accepted into the university's Graduate School, they will enter the MPH program in general public health.
Tisdale said the timing for this program has never been greater.
“We must have sufficient resources and expertise not only now but in the future,” Tisdale said. “We believe that the 4+1 Program is a tremendous step in that direction.”
The University of South Carolina and Claflin University have strong connections in education, research and outreach. They are partners on a $7.5-million grant from the National Institutes of Health to eliminate health disparities in HIV/AIDS and cancer in the Palmetto State. The grant also funds undergraduate research with scientists at both institutions.
The Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities at the Arnold School includes Claflin as a partner. A $17.3-million grant from NIH, which bolsters biomedical research and expands educational opportunities for undergraduates, connects the University of South Carolina and Claflin with five other colleges and universities around the state.
“Today is just the beginning of a very successful journey,” Tisdale said.
Visit http://www.sph.sc.edu/health_disparities/ to learn more about the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities and http://www.claflin.edu/ to learn more about Claflin
University.
2009 Health Disparities Symposium Presentations
Dr. Mark Dignan, Keynote Speaker
SC HIV/STD Conference
"Moving to Action" (Video)
Dr. Lovell A. Jones
Health Disparities Presentation (Video)
Click here
to download the video
Troutman completed residency and internship at the Medical University of South Carolina
April 10, 2009

Dr. Adewale Troutman |
Dr. Adewale Troutman,
director of the Louisville Metro Department
of Public Health and Wellness, will deliver
the second annual James E. Clyburn Health
Disparities Lecture on Tuesday, April 21, at
the Arnold School of Public Health.
The program, free and open
to the public, will be held at 3:30 p.m. in
the auditorium of the Public Health Research
Center, 921 Assembly St. A reception will
follow.
"Dr. Troutman is one of the
nation's leaders in public health," said Dr.
Saundra Glover, director of the USC
Institute to Eliminate Health Disparities.
"He is an advocate for bringing change to
improve health, including changing social
conditions that often affect a person's
ability to change behaviors." |
An associate professor at the
University of Louisville School of Public
Health, Troutman has had a distinguished record of
achievement in public health education, research,
leadership and advocacy.
In Louisville, Troutman has
undertaken new initiatives to improve the health of
citizens throughout the area, including the Center
for the Elimination of Health Disparities in
Louisville, the only such center at a city or county
health department in America; the Mayor's Health
Hometown Movement, a community effort to encourage
Louisville's citizens to be physically active and
adopt healthy lifestyles; the Office of Faith and
Health to work with the faith community to improve
health; and the Office of Emergency and Public
Health Preparedness.
Troutman also was instrumental in
launching a mobile health unit to extend health services
to underserved areas of the community.
Additionally, Troutman received the
first annual MediStar Physician of the Year Award, which
recognizes outstanding leadership to improve
accessibility and affordability of healthcare.
Troutman earned his medical degree from
the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
and completed a residency and internship in family
medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in
Charleston.
He earned his master's in public health
from the Columbia University School of Public Health and
a master's in black studies from the State University of
New York.
The Arnold School named the lecture
series for Clyburn, South Carolina's Sixth District
representative, because his services to people in the
Palmetto State and his leadership in the U.S. House have
been critical in improving public health.
Dr. Adewale Troutman
Health Disparities Presentation (Video)
Click
here to download the video
Glover's former mentee receives prestigious Fullbright!
3/19/2009 - Paul Dezendorf, an instructor in Western Carolina University's master's degree program in public affairs, won a J. William Fulbright Scholarship grant to conduct research and teach two courses at the State University-Higher School of Economics in Moscow in the fall.
The SU-HSE was established in 1992 for the purpose of developing new economic and social knowledge and a new generation of researchers and practitioners in order to aid reforms in the Russian Federation. The university is one of three major centers in Russia for applied research in public administration on topics such as e-government, privatization and government accountability.
“I'm delighted with the opportunity to be at one of Russia's centers of public administration innovation,” said Dezendorf.
In the course “Public Relations and American Government,” Dezendorf's Russian students will explore the development and practice of public relations in the United States and the role that public relations plays in American local and federal governments. This course parallels one Dezendorf will teach this summer for Western Carolina University titled “Government and Press Relations.”
In “American Social Welfare,” his SU-HSE students will examine the development of American social welfare policy. “The course will help Russian students understand the social and cultural forces that shaped American public policy and resulted in the present system of social welfare,” said Dezendorf.
In addition, Dezendorf will conduct research comparing how graduate courses in e-government – the evolution toward the “virtual state” where most government activities are conducted online – are taught in the United States and in Russia. He will gather information from Russian schools in the fall and American schools in the spring of 2010. The research project will be carried out under the auspices of the National Association of Schools of Public Administration and Affairs and the newly formed Association of Schools of Public Administration of the Russian Federation.
While in Moscow, he will teach a distance education course for WCU regarding the growing role of e-government in the United States that will include material from his Fulbright research.
“I am very pleased with the strong support of the department of political science and public affairs in helping me win this award,” said Dezendorf. “The experience in Russia will be a significant benefit to my students as well as to my research.”
Dezendorf first went to Russia in 1999 to visit friends. He proposed that East Carolina University, where he worked, assist the Russian school Urals Academy of Public Administration in launching the first master's degree program in public administration in the Russian. To support the project, he co-wrote a winning application for a $240,000 grant from the U.S. State Department.
As part of that grant, Dezendorf made nine trips to Russia during which he developed a relationship with staff at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, where he was invited to present at an annual international conference in 2007 and then was invited back in 2008 and 2009. The conference draws more than 800 participants, including more than 100 foreign scholars. At this year's event to be held in April, Dezendorf will present “Risk Visualization and Analysis in Local Government Decision Making.”
“I will discuss the value of improving curriculums throughout the social sciences to take into account e-government technology,” said Dezendorf. “I use visualization as an example, and point to the value of the contributions by higher education to Western North Carolina governments and to federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service.”
At WCU, Dezendorf teaches courses including “Grant Writing and Proposal Development for Governments and Nonprofits” in the master's degree program in public affairs. He also is a lecturer at the University of North Carolina – Asheville in the department of mass communication where he teaches public relations and advertising as well as assisting nonprofit organizations with resource development and grant writing.
For more information, contact WCU's political science and public affairs department at (828) 277-7475.
Disparities that impact civilian population
also are problem for soldiers
March 3, 2009
While these conditions cut across all of
the Army's demographics, the focus of Glover's
researchers will be on the "racial/ethnic, gender, and
residence-based disparities that are reflective of the
issues we are dealing with in the civilian populations.
Issues that come with the soldier and often reappear
once the soldier leaves the military," she said.
Today's headlines point out the urgency for the USC study. Three examples:
-
The number of troops diagnosed as overweight or obese has more than doubled since the start of the Iraq war. The Pentagon blames stresses and strains of continuing combat deployments.
-
Twenty-four soldiers are believed to have committed suicide in January 2009 - six times as many as killed themselves in January 2008. That would mean more soldiers will have killed themselves than died in combat last month.
-
The Army's recruiting commander says obesity is "a bigger challenge for us in the years ahead" than any other problem that keeps young people out of the military. He suggests a formal diet and fitness regimen running alongside a new educational program at Fort Jackson that helps aspiring troops earn their GEDs.
Glover said the first phase of the study brings together several USC researchers with expertise in nutrition and diet intervention, physical fitness and musculoskeletal injuries, athletic training, and mental health research.
|
Members of that group of co-investigators include Dr. Sonya Jones of the Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities; Dr. Mark Davis and Dr. Shawn Youngstedt of the Department of Exercise Science; and Dr. James M. Mensch of the Department of Physical Education.
The researchers will start by examining baseline data on soldiers at key stages from recruitment through basic combat training to understand better the root causes of military attrition and to development interventions to reduce it. Currently the Army's basic training attrition rate averages between 8-10 percent.
Additionally the study will include post-deployment soldiers and their issues with mental health stigma and post-traumatic stress disorder.
|
|

A U.S. Army trainee provides cover fire
for her teammate during the buddy
movement phase of basic combat
training at Fort Jackson.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt.
Stacy L. Pearsall) |
Glover says the military has been working to cut attrition for years. The Department of Defense reports the cost of recruiting new service members averages about $11,000 each. By the time that same recruit finishes initial training the total investment approaches $35,000. Multiplied by 200,000 – the number of youth recruited for active military service annually – and the costs are staggering.
Aside from reducing the cost of war, Glover said the interventions will help produce better trained, more physically fit soldiers who can better endure the rigors of life in a war zone and better adjust to a post-deployment environment.
Glover said the initial grant for the study will support it for a year. Additional funding will be sought to extend the project for three years.
Future phases of the project will study health issues such as prostate and cervical cancer, oral health and other biological risk factors.
"We are excited about the project and the opportunity to inform military policy," said LTC Sonya Cable, site principal investigator and director of Fort Jackson's Experimentation and Analysis Element (EAE).
The EAE conducts ongoing research, often with other agencies and organizations, to improve soldier training and reduce attrition.
LTC Cable, with the assistance of two EAE physicians, will work with the USC team to refine a research plan and establish a project work plan.
Closing
the Gap
on
Prostate
Cancer
in S.C.:
Center
of
Economic
Excellence
to
address
major
health
issue
for
African-Americans
USC,
MUSC and
SC State
to
partner
on
important
new
initiative
Columbia,
SC—Prostate
cancer
screening
and
early
detection
can mean
the
difference
between
life and
death
for
African-African
men, who
are more
likely
to get
prostate
cancer
and die
from it
than men
of other
races,
according
to the
American
Cancer
Society.
To
address
this
problem,
the
board
that
oversees
the
state's
Centers
of
Economic
Excellence
(CoEE)
Program
has
approved
$3.6
million
in S.C.
Education
Lottery
funds
for a
new
Center
of
Economic
Excellence
in
Prostate
Cancer
Disparities
Research.
The
Center
is
three-way
collaboration
among
the
Medical
University
of South
Carolina
(MUSC),
the
University
of South
Carolina
(USC)
and
South
Carolina
State
University
(SCSU).
This is
the
first
CoEE for
which
SCSU has
been a
partner.
“The
engagement
of
multiple
universities,
including
a
historically
black
university,
makes
this a
true
collaboration,”
says USC
Interim
Vice
President
for
Research
Dr. Rose
Booze.
“South
Carolina
has
great
strength
in
health
disparities
research
at all
three
participating
institutions.”
According
to MUSC
Hollings
Cancer
Center (HCC)
researcher
Dr.
Marvella
Ford,
project
co-director
for the
CoEE,
“The new
Center
will
work to
increase
prostate
cancer
screenings
and
access
to
clinical
trials
for
African-American
men in
South
Carolina.
It is
designed
to help
make
South
Carolina
a
world-class
leader
in this
emerging
area of
medical
research
and will
serve as
a
training
ground
for
students
and
junior
faculty.”
The
Center
will be
housed
on the
MUSC
campus.
Working
with
Ford on
the
project
are
co-directors
Dr.
Saundra
H.
Glover
from USC
and Dr.
Judith
Salley
from
SCSU.
“Prostate
cancer
research
is
undergoing
a period
of
intense
growth,
with the
aim of
reducing
mortality
due to
this
disease,”
MUSC
Provost
Dr. John
Raymond
explains.
“A major
problem
faced by
prostate
cancer
researchers
in this
state is
a lack
of
inclusion
of
African-Americans
in the
studies
being
conducted.
Despite
the fact
that
prostate
cancer
mortality
rates in
South
Carolina
are
three
times
greater
for
African-Americans
than for
Caucasians,
African-Americans
are
significantly
underrepresented
in
clinical
trials
according
to the
HCC
Cancer
Registry.
With
this new
Center,
we will
actively
work to
close
the gap,
so that
all men
in South
Carolina
are
being
screened
and
treated
for
prostate
cancer.”
Renowned
scientists
will be
recruited
to fill
three
CoEE
endowed
chair
positions
at the
Center.
These
scientists
will
conduct
prostate
cancer
clinical
trials
at the
Center
and lead
a team
of
junior
researchers.
Together,
these
researchers
will
look at
aspects
of
obesity
and
lifestyle
modifications
as
contributing
factors
to
prostate
cancer
and
examine
factors
that
influence
African-American
men in
being
screened
and
seeking
treatment.
The new
Center
will
also
work
with
partners
around
the
state to
carry
out
clinical
trials.
“There
is a
huge
disparity
in the
incidence
of
prostate
cancer
and
mortality
rates in
South
Carolina,
where
men are
diagnosed
with
prostate
cancer
at
significantly
higher
rates
than men
in other
areas of
the
U.S.,
according
to the
International
Agency
on
Research
for
Cancer,”
Raymond
says.
“On a
national
level,
African-American
men have
an
incidence
rate of
prostate
cancer
that is
55
percent
higher
than
that of
Caucasians.
In
contrast,
in South
Carolina,
the
prostate
cancer
incidence
rate is
80
percent
higher
for
African-Americans
than for
Caucasians.
We
believe
that
screening
and
prostate
cancer
early
detection
is key
in
reducing
mortality
rates
among
African-American
men who
tend to
be
diagnosed
at
younger
ages and
who may
have
more
aggressive
forms of
the
disease.”
Raymond
believes
that the
Center
will
have a
positive
economic
impact
on South
Carolina
as a
whole.
First,
the
state
could
see a
significant
reduction
in lost
work
productivity
and
medical
expenditures
as a
result
of
improved
levels
of
prostate
cancer
early
detection
and
treatment.
Second,
world-class
scientists
who will
lead the
center
have the
capacity
to
attract
large
amounts
of
extramural
funding
to the
state
from
corporations
or
federal
agencies.
These
grant
funds
will
result
in the
immediate
creation
of new
jobs.
Third,
the new
Center
will
help
build
the
universities'
academic
strength,
so they
can
attract
the best
and
brightest
junior
faculty
and
graduate
students.
Fourth,
the
enhanced
clinical
trials
and
ongoing
prostate
screening
research
will
lead to
diagnostic
tests
and
cancer
screenings
that can
be
commercialized—moving
discoveries
from
“bench
to
bedside,”
which
can
stimulate
the
state's
economy.
“Through
this
Center,
we can
fuel
South
Carolina's
knowledge
economy
and
create
high-paying
jobs for
our
citizens,
which is
why the
CoEE
program
exists,”
says
CoEE
Review
Board
Chair
Paula
Harper
Bethea.
“At the
same
time, we
can save
and
improve
lives in
every
corner
of South
Carolina
and all
around
the
world.”
About
the CoEE
Program
The S.C.
Centers
of
Economic
Excellence
Program
was
established
by the
South
Carolina
General
Assembly
in 2002,
funded
through
South
Carolina
Education
Lottery
proceeds.
The
legislation
authorizes
the
state's
three
public
research
institutions,
Medical
University
of South
Carolina,
Clemson
University
and the
University
of South
Carolina,
to use
state
funds to
create
Centers
of
Economic
Excellence
in
research
areas
that
will
advance
South
Carolina's
economy.
Each
Center
of
Economic
Excellence
is
awarded
from $2
million
to $5
million
in state
funds,
which
must be
matched
on a
dollar-for-dollar
basis
with
non-state
funds.
The
program
also
supports
CoEE
endowed
chairs,
world-renowned
scientists
who lead
the
Centers
of
Economic
Excellence.
By
investing
in
talent
and
technology,
the CoEE
Program
is
designed
to fuel
the
state's
knowledge-based
economy,
resulting
in
high-paying
jobs and
an
improved
standard
of
living
in South
Carolina.
For more
information,
visit
www.sccoee.org.
To
receive
award
funding
for a
CoEE,
the
three
research
universities
submit
proposals
that
undergo
a
three-tier
review
process.
Each
proposal
is first
subjected
to a
technical
review
by field
experts.
After
studying
the
technical
review
scores,
the CoEE
Review
Board
decides
which
proposals
qualify
for
evaluation
by an
onsite
review
panel.
This
external
review
panel
comprises
mainly
senior
research
officials
from
Association
of
American
University
institutions.
After
receiving
recommendations
from the
panel,
the CoEE
Review
Board
votes on
which
new
Centers
of
Economic
Excellence
to fund.
Council
encourages efforts to
eliminate
disparities, promote health.
USC research associate Dr. Crystal Piper has
been elected to the American Public Health
Association's Governing Council for the
Community Health Planning & Policy Development
Section.
|
 |
|
Crystal
Piper |
Piper is a Columbia native who works for the
Institute for Partnerships to
Eliminate Health Disparities and the Rural
Health Research Center. Additionally she is an
adjunct faculty member at Benedict College.
Founded in 1969, the CHPPD Section serves a
wide array of health professionals in providing
a means to share information and debate critical
issues related to planning, and to learn how
policy is shaped at the local, state and
national levels.
The section's mission is to encourage
planning and policy development to eliminate
disparities and promote healthy communities.
Growing up in South Carolina, Piper observed
racial disparities first hand. “I often
witnessed the continuous struggle of African
Americans in the areas of poverty, education,
housing, social justice and health care,” she
said.
“I made a steadfast commitment to seek a
career that would benefit my family and my
community. I knew a career in public health
would fulfill my quest to helping this country
resolve health care issues, improve the quality
of care, and make a difference,” she said.
Piper earned a bachelor's degree from South
Carolina State University in 2001. In 2002, she
earned a master's degree in public health and,
in 2003, a master's degree in health
administration, both from the Des Moines
University Osteopathic Medical Center.
She earned her doctorate in Health Services
Policy & Management from the USC Arnold School
of Public Health in 2007. Her dissertation was
titled Examination of Racial Disparities in
Childhood Asthma Management Practices in the
United States.
To further her goal of becoming a nationally
recognized independent investigator of health
disparities and vulnerable populations, she is
concentrating on studying health disparities and
chronic disease among women, children, and rural
populations.
She currently has six publications in the
American Journal of Public Health, Ethnicity &
Disease, the Journal of Health Disparities
Research & Practice, and the Journal of Health &
Social Policy.
Women's health study focuses
on HPV
Article from Gamecock Health / Collaborative Research
Click here to read the
article.
Lecture honors longtime leader in battle to improve
the health of South Carolinians
A respected leader in the battle against cancer among
minorities and the medically underserved will deliver
the first James A. Clyburn Lecture at the University of
South Carolina on April 25.
|
 |
|
Dr. Lovell A. Jones |
Dr. Lovell A. Jones, director of the Center for
Research on Minority Health at the University of Texas,
will speak at 9 a.m. in the auditorium of the Arnold
School's Public Health Research Center, 921 Assembly
Street. The lecture is open to USC students, faculty,
staff and the public.
|
 |
|
U.S. Rep. James
Clyburn D-S.C. |
The lecture series honors U.S. Rep. James Clyburn,
D-S.C., who has served South Carolina's Sixth
Congressional District since 1993. The Sumter native was
an active member of the 1960s civil rights movement and
was S.C. Human Affairs Commissioner from 1974-1992. He
currently is House Majority Whip for the 110th Congress.
Dr. Saunda Glover, Arnold School associate dean for
health disparities and social justice, said the lecture
series is a "joint initiative between Claflin University
and the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health
Disparities at the University of South Carolina. It will
bring together researchers and public health
professionals in an interactive forum to discuss ways
and means to eliminate the public health disparities
that continue to plague South Carolina and the rest of
the nation."
Glover, who also is director of the Institute for
Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities, said the
continuing series will, in turn, touch on disparities
facing South Carolina's minority residents including
cancer, stroke, obesity, HIV/AIDS and high blood
pressure.
Clyburn, along with Sen. Ernest F. Hollings, D-S.C.,
helped secure funding to establish the Institute for
Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities in 2003.
"His commitment to the elimination of health
disparities is long-standing. Hence, the naming of the
lecture series in honor of his service to the health
needs of the people of South Carolina, the Southeast and
the nation," said Glover.
Jones' efforts in combating cancer in minorities
complements "an area of research strength of the health
sciences at USC and an area where we have made
significant efforts to join with community stakeholders
to begin to focus on solutions," Glover said.
Jones, whose research center is part of the
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in
Houston, is the founding co-chair of the Intercultural
Cancer Council, the nation's largest multicultural
health policy group focused on minorities, the medically
underserved and cancer.
He has edited "Minorities & Cancer," one of the few
comprehensive textbooks on this subject. He is the
founding chair of "Minorities, the Medically Underserved
and Cancer," the nation's largest multicultural
conference which provides a forum for exchanging the
latest scientific and treatment information.
This biennial conference brings together people from
all ethnic communities and social strata to share
strategies for reducing the incidence of cancer among
these populations. Jones also has spearheaded regional
hearings on cancer and the poor for the American Cancer
Society.
In 2002, Jones, along with Dr. Armin Weinberg, the
other cofounder of the Intercultural Cancer Council,
received the Humanitarian Award from the American Cancer
Society.
Between 1980 and 2007, Jones received more than $20
million in research funding for studies in which he was
the principal investigator.
A question and answer period and a reception in the
lobby of the PHRC will follow Jones' address at USC.
Abstracts describing disparities research due by April
16
Researchers studying South Carolina's
wide array of health disparities are invited to submit
examples of their work for a poster session following
the inaugural James A. Clyburn Lecture on April 25,
2008.
Site of the session will be the first
floor of the Arnold School's Public Health Research
Center on Assembly St. The area is outside the
auditorium where Dr. Lovell A. Jones will lecture
beginning at 9 a.m.
|
 |
|
Dr. Heather Brandt |
"At the University of South Carolina, there are
hundreds of researchers across campus studying health
disparities and delivering effective programs to improve
the health status of South Carolinians and end health
disparities," said Dr. Heather Brandt, an organizer of
the poster project.
"In addition to well documented disparities among
African Americans, we are facing new challenges,
including renewed attention to the rural residents of
our state as well as the growing Hispanic population."
"There are many common, underlying associations when
examining health disparities across groups; however, for
each group, there remains unique challenges," said
Brandt.
USC faculty members, research staff, and students are
eligible to participate in the poster presentations.
Posters submitted by community partners describing
community-based research and practice conducted in
partnership with the University of South Carolina also
are welcomed.
Abstracts describing health disparities research
and/or practice are limited to 300 words or less.
Contact information (name, affiliation, mailing address,
telephone number, and email address) for the
corresponding author should be provided.
Abstracts that describe efforts to address health
disparities previously presented at conferences and/or
published in peer-reviewed journals are allowed
(provided there are no restrictions by the conference
and/or journal).
All abstracts submitted will be accepted for the
poster session on the basis of receipt date and time as
long as space allows. Abstracts received after reaching
the maximum will be included in the booklet. There will
be no formal review of abstracts. Submission of an
abstract implies that at least one of the authors will
put up the poster by 8:30 a.m. and be present for the
poster session during the reception from 11:00 am to
noon on April 25.
The maximum poster size is four feet (height) by
eight feet (width) in landscape orientation. Additional
information will be released as part of the confirmation
process.
Please complete the abstract submission form and
return by noon on April 16 to Jessica Bellinger (bellingj@mailbox.sc.edu)
or Shalanda Bynum (sabynum01@aol.com).
Emailed submissions are preferred; however, submissions
may be faxed to (803) 777-6290.
Contact the poster session organizers for more
information: Heather Brandt, 777-456 or
1hbrandt@sc.edu;
Shalanda Bynum, 777-3439 or
sabynum01@aol.com;
Jessica Bellinger, 777-0716 or
bellingj@mailbox.sc.edu.
Forging Solutions through
Research and Practice
As part of the James E. Clyburn Health Disparities Lecture
Series at the University of South
Carolina on Friday, April 25, 2008, the following call for
abstracts describing research and
practice to address health disparities is issued.
A poster session at the James E. Clyburn Health Disparities
Lecture Series on Friday, April 25,
2008 will be held on the first floor of the Public Health
Research Center at the University of
South Carolina. The poster session will showcase health
disparities research and practice being
conducted by University of South Carolina faculty members,
research staff, and students.
Posters submitted by community partners describing
community-based research and practice
conducted in partnership with the University of South Carolina
are also welcomed. This poster
session is an opportunity to share health disparities research
and practice with others who are
interested in efforts to address and eliminate health
disparities.
Abstracts describing health disparities research and/or practice
are limited to 300 words or less.
Contact information (name, affiliation, mailing address,
telephone number, and email address)
for the corresponding author should be provided. Abstracts that
describe efforts to address
health disparities previously presented at conferences and/or
published in peer-reviewed journals
are allowed (provided there are no restrictions by the
conference and/or journal).
All abstracts submitted will be accepted for the poster session
on the basis of receipt date and
time as long as space allows. Abstracts received after reaching
the maximum will be included in
the booklet. There will be no formal review of abstracts.
Submission of an abstract implies that
at least one of the authors will put up the poster by 8:30 am
and be present for the poster session
during the reception from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm on Friday, April
25, 2008. The maximum
poster size is four feet (height) by eight feet (width) in
landscape orientation. Additional
information will be sent out as part of the confirmation
process.
Please complete the abstract submission form and return by 12 pm
on April 16, 2008 to Jessica
Bellinger (bellingj@mailbox.sc.edu) or Shalanda Bynum
(sabynum01@aol.com). Emailed
submissions are preferred; however, submissions may be faxed to
(803) 777-6290.
Click here to download the form
Contact the poster session organizers for more information:
Heather Brandt, PhD (803) 777-4561
hbrandt@sc.edu
Shalanda Bynum, MS, MPH, PhD(c) (803) 777-3439
sabynum01@aol.com
Jessica Bellinger, MPH, PhD(c) (803) 777-0716
bellingj@mailbox.sc.edu
The W.K. Kellogg African American
Public Health
Fellowship and Development Program
Fall 2007 Faculty and Student Development Symposium
November 15, 2007
Embassy Suites Hotel
Columbia, SC
Our day began with heavy winds and lots of clouds which made hauling
boxes, folders, and other program materials quite challenging for the
staff from USC's Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health
Disparities (IPEHD). Despite the weather, we managed to maneuver through
the overcast sky and high winds to successfully shed light on the
ever-evolving topics of health disparities, infectious diseases,
research and the essentials of teamwork.
The W.K. Kellogg Fellowship Program is in its fifth year of introducing
African-American students and faculty to public health and health
disparities research. A symposium is held twice annually to bring
together students and faculty from South Carolina's Historically Black
Colleges and Universities' (HBCU's). These colleges include: Allen
University, Benedict College, Claflin University, Morris College, and
South Carolina State University.
A networking luncheon, as well as research, student development, and
leadership development workshops were held. The symposium allowed
students and faculty to gain further insight into topics related to
public health careers, health disparities, research, and professional
development. Faculty and staff from these various institutions gained
new perspectives and approaches surrounding research and developments in
public health.
Student
sessions at this semester's event were designed to prepare the students
for a future career in public health and to function in leadership and
team roles in a professional work setting. Betty Parker, from Sharper
Image Solutions, lead an interactive workshop entitled Building
Successful Teams. Workshop discussion and activities were designed to
train participants on 1) how to better communicate as a team so that
there is clarity and understanding among team members; 2) how to think
critically as a team and work more efficiently to resolve problems; and
3) ways to choose a team leader and share responsibilities equally.
An interactive exercise allowed students to be placed into groups, and
each group had to select a team leader. The team leader had to lead a
blind-folded team member to and from a destination, by verbally
communicating ways to avoid obstacles encountered along the way.
Following the activity, students processed the exercise and shared what
they had observed, regarding leadership styles, the importance of
leadership and effective communication, leadership that motivates, and
confronting and avoiding obstacles.
Dr.
Stephan Singleton led a discussion designed to encourage students to
pursue a career in public health. Dr. Singleton is a Veterinarian,
Clinical Instructor, and Post Doctoral Fellow for the Veterinary Public
Health Center for Animal Health and Food Safety at the University of
Minnesota. Currently pursuing a graduate degree in public health with a
focus on food safety and bio-security, she is a Claflin University
graduate and a home-grown South Carolinian. She discussed emerging
infectious diseases (EIDs) that originate from animals, birds, and
insects, locations where EIDs have been found in recent history; what
was done to eradicate them; and how to prevent and control emerging
EIDs.
During concurrent sessions for HBCU faculty and staff, workshop
participants were enlightened about research initiatives and pilot
studies made possible through funds provided through the USC Kellogg
Project. Currently funded principal investigators provided an update on
the status of their projects, which included two faculty from Allen
University: Dayna Campbell, M.S. Ph.D (c), and Dr. Lady June Cole, Ph.D.
Dayna Campbell discussed Racial Disparities in Co-Morbidity and
Survival Patients in South Carolina; and Dr. Lady June Cole,
discussed her research on Prenatal Death Classification Error and
Disparities in Infant Mortality. Dr. Kifle Markos, from Morris
College, provided an update on Prostate Cancer Screening Awareness
Level Comparison Study: The Case of African Americans Residing in Three
Counties in South Carolina. In addition to the updates provided
by the Kellogg Pilot Study Researchers, Dr. Edith Williams from the
University of South Carolina's Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate
Health Disparities and the Arnold School of Public Health's Department
of Epidemiology and Biostatistics discussed Inflammatory
Biomarkers and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Systemic Lupus
Erythematosus: The Breakfast with a Buddy Biomarkers of Lupus Study
As the program came to its final moments, the sun started to penetrate
through the windows and reflect off of the ballroom chandeliers. You
couldn't help but to reflect upon the valuable information shared and
received during today's symposium. It is our hope that symposium
participants were inspired by what they received throughout the day and
are now more committed to pursuing careers and research opportunities in
public health and eliminating health disparities.
Authored by:
Melanie Sweat, MPH (c); Gwen Preston, M.Ed.; and Andrea Williams, M.Ed.
November 2007
Glover named Associate Dean for Health
Disparities and Social Justice
Posted 02/19/2007
Dr.
Saundra Glover says her new role at the Arnold School of Public Health
will allow her to enhance her longtime efforts to address South
Carolina's multitude of health disparities in minority communities.
Glover says her appointment as associate dean for health disparities and
social justice means that the research she conducts and the programs she
directs will not only confront health problems, but also “the economic,
the social and the political inequities of the same population.”
In announcing the appointment, Dean Donna Richter said, "Dr. Glover will
be a valuable addition to the administration of the Arnold School. Her
experience and insight in addressing health disparities will guide us in
continuing to recognize that these problems are often rooted in the
social injustice that pervades many underserved communities. Dr. Glover
is poised to move the Arnold School to the next level in our ongoing
efforts to eliminate health disparities in our state and around the
nation."
As director of the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health
Disparities, Glover has already worked to establish research, training
and outreach relationships between USC and the state's historically
black colleges and universities, through the W. K. Kellogg African
American Public Health Fellowship and Development Program and the
African American Faculty Development Institute.
Nationally and internationally known for the work that she has done with
health disparities, Glover has presented at numerous conferences,
workshops and seminars.
Today those relationships have never been more important. “We can't do
anything without creating "a culture of partnerships,” she said.
Those partnerships also include organizations and individuals in the
local communities where public health programs touch people's lives “It
is my desire and goal that the communities we touch will have a voice
through my role,” she said.
Glover says she hopes to use academic research to help make changes in
people's lives and rid the perception in some communities that residents
are only subjects to be studied.
“The perception is the big university comes in, gathers the research,
publishes the results in some journal but nothing changes in the
community,” she said.
SHARING RESEARCH RESULTS
Glover wants the fruit of her research efforts to first be shared with
students in the classrooms at USC and the historically black colleges
and then with the communities through the public schools, churches and
other community groups so that we begin to see positive impact on the
well-being of individuals and families.
The black community – its female residents in particular -- has a long
list of disparities, but Glover says cervical cancer and HIV/AIDS are a
particular focus of her current efforts.
African American women have about a 50 percent higher incidence of
cervical cancer than Caucasian women and are about 2.6 times more likely
to die from the disease. HIV/AIDS cases also are growing at an alarming
rate among African American women.
Glover is principal investigator of Project EXPORT (Excellence in
Partnership for Community Outreach, Research on Health Disparities, and
Training), a collaboration formed between USC and Claflin University to
address critical health disparities—such as those found in the rates of
cervical cancer and HIV/AIDS.
That five-year effort is supported by a $7.5 million grant from the
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the
National Institutes of Health.
Glover is also co-principal investigator of the W.K. Kellogg-funded
MATCH Project (Mobilizing Against Threats to Community Health) which is
aimed at preparing underserved and disenfranchised communities against
the threat of new and emerging infectious diseases.
Glover has been on the Arnold School faculty for 15 years. She earned a
bachelor's degree in accounting from South Carolina State University in
1986. She later moved to Columbia to study business at USC, receiving
her master's and doctorate. She has over 50 publications in the field of
health services research and health disparities.
She joined the Arnold School in 1991, teaching business and finance to
students in the Department of Health Services Policy and Management.
An Orangeburg County native, she is married to the Rev. Samuel B.
Glover. He is director of the S.C. Department of Probation, Pardon and
Parole Services and associate pastor of First Nazareth Baptist Church.
Dr. Glover is the mother of three: daughter Crystal and sons Sam, Jr.
and Jared and the grandmother of Samuel, III.
Kellogg
Program gives head start for minority students
interested in public health studies
Minority
students interested in public health are getting a head
start thanks to a program operated by the Arnold School of
Public Health and five of the state's Historically Black
Colleges and Universities.
“Our goal is for these students to come to
graduate school at USC's Arnold School, but even if they go
elsewhere, we want to see them in the field of public
health,” said Williams, who also is associate director for
USC's Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health
Disparities. ;
The institute, headed by Dr. Sandra Glover,
is an arm of the Arnold School.
All of the institutions are members of South
Carolina's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Missing is Vorhees College which was part of the program
when it started five years ago, but dropped out because of a
staffing shortage, Williams said.
Each of the HBCUs has a Kellogg
advisor/coordinator to recruit and advise students about the
enrichment program which provides the student participants
with a $7,500 annual stipend for undergraduate education
expenses. ;
The qualifications for a Kellogg fellowship
are more detailed but, in general, applicants must meet
citizenship and academic standards, agree to complete public
health classes at their schools, join the Public Health
Student Alliance on their campus, and participate in local
workshops. Participants also do individual public health
research - primarily on the issue of obesity, a particular
problem in South Carolina.
Attending the summer program is another
requirement of the students. They reside on the USC
campus for two weeks during which time they complete a
series of intensive class assignments. Williams says
this summer's session offered workshops and classes in
GRE preparation, public health research, scientific and
academic writing, oral communications and personal and
leadership development.
Gwen
Preston, Institute assistant director and coordinator of
student and faculty development programs, said the Kellogg
program helps students understand that public health is a
distinct discipline apart from traditional medical
practice. ;
“It's our job to make sure that the students
understand we're dealing with preventive rather than
reactive measures when it comes to diseases,” she said.
The program is also a good training
opportunity for faculty at USC and the HBCUs. Dayna
Campbell, who teaches at Allen University, and Brandi
Wright, a doctoral candidate at USC, were on the staff
of this summer's institute.
Preston said the presence of Campbell and
Wright was a plus for the institute because the students
find it easy to relate to two young women not much older
than themselves.
A companion summer program is also
available to high school students interested in public
health programs, said Preston.
Thirty-six students participated in this
year's companion program which offered a series of
workshops on public health disciplines taught by Arnold
School faculty and staff from DHEC. These students also
were offered SAT preparation classes.
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