Gift of Life Campus Challenge

Between Jan. 14 and Feb. 25, more than 140 members of the UDM community registered as organ donors through the 2010 Gift of Life Campus Challenge. The Challenge is an annual six-week campaign during which 16 Michigan schools compete to sign up the most people.  UDM placed third in the standings by percentage based on enrollment. See the complete breakdown on the Gift of Life Michigan site.

Says Gift of Live Coordinator and PA Program Chair Suzanne York, "Over the past several years, I have met or heard from several students and alumni of CHP and of UDM who have benefitted from organ donation. Without it, those students would not be here and would never have graduated to become alumni." She adds that just signing a driver's license is not sufficient; those interested in becoming organ donors must register.

Campus Challenge has ended for this year but you can still sign up with Gift of Life. Changes made in 2007 to Michigan donation law require that residents who wish to donate organs register with an official, confidential statewide database. Signing the back of your driver's license is no longer sufficient. To register as an organ/tissue donor, visit the Gift of Life Become A Donor page.

MHC hosts free sports and wellness exams for children

During the week of April 5, more than 85 youngsters received free sports and wellness exams at UDM's McAuley Health Center (MHC). Everyone 18 and under was eligible, whether they had insurance or not. UDM faculty and students volunteered to give vision and hearing screenings, take vital signs and administer immunizations as well as help with registration, while MHC providers conducted the exams. Dental screenings were also available at select times, as well as health information and gifts and prizes for participants. MHC was one of several locations for the free exams, as part of a program sponsored by the Detroit Wayne County Health Authority. 

CHP research recognized

Three College of Health Professions projects tied for best in their category at the Celebration of Scholarly Achievement, held April 20:

• Marshall, Katherine; Yastik, Joanne; Anthony, Maureen. "Validating a tool to measure nursing student's experiences with incivility in clinical nursing education."
• Rouen, Patricia; Krein, Sarah; Roberts, Joyce; Reame, Nancy. "Menopause symptoms in women with diabetes: Glucose control is an important correlate of severity."
• White, Mary L.; Crawley, Jamie; Lewandowski, Linda A.; Rennie, Elizabeth A,. "Examining the effectiveness of two solutions used to flush capped pediatric peripheral IV lines."

See all CHP Faculty/research news for the complete listing of CHP faculty and student publications and research.

Primary care providers keep patients out of the ER

Health Systems Management graduate students Arthurine Brown and Annie Sanders found that access to a Primary Care Provider (PCP) decreases the use of emergency department (ED) services. In their study of 44 uninsured Detroit area residents enrolled in an urban primary care clinic, researchers found that patients' use of ED services had decreased by 22.7 percent since gaining access to a PCP in 2007-08. These are potentially important findings, considering the emergency room has become many patients' main source of care. Recent literature estimates that non-urgent visits account for 33 percent to 50 percent of trips to the emergency room. Due to the current economic climate, the number of uninsured non-elderly adults in Michigan has climbed to 15.6 percent in recent years, and the number of patients seeking primary care through emergency services is also growing. Brown and Sanders also found that unemployment is a predictive factor in the use of ED services. Overall, results highlight the need for improved access to primary care.

SNA update

The Student Nursing Association had another busy term, as members sponsored a Red Cross blood drive and held a bottle drive to raise money for both the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation Walk (in which they also participated) and the National Kidney Foundation. Summer outings including Cedar Point and Comerica Park are planned. New Board members were inducted for the 2010-2011 year:

• President: Megan Lomasney
• Vice President: Kush Sood
• Secretary: JJ Roszka
• Treasurer: Pat Mateway
• Senior Liaison: Ashley Keenmon
• Junior Liaison: Anita Yono
• Sophomore Liaison: Kristin Bock