Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Social Actors Fight The Rising Tide Of Hiv In U.S. Southern Poor, Courtenay Sprague, Sara E. Simon

Center for Peace, Democracy and Development Publications

The greatest number of persons living with HIV in the United States are now living in the South, and they face poorer health outcomes and increased AIDS-related deaths as compared to the rest of the country. The southern United States has a disproportionate share of low-income individuals, with many lacking access to health care and health insurance. Health facilities are also comparatively fewer and more difficult to reach than in other areas of the United States. The impacts of this already poor health infrastructure on low-income people living with HIV in the South can be life-threatening.

This policy brief summarizes …

How Will Public Health And Primary Care Come Together In Massachusetts?, Javier Crespo

Public Affairs Capstones Collection

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act aims to place public health and prevention practice closer to the clinical care delivery system by mandating basic preventive services and creating a national prevention plan. The Massachusetts health care system has a number of elements that can help foster closer linking of public health practices in the primary care setting. This research set out to examine whether the current healthcare system in Massachusetts will enable public health and primary care integration as intimated upon by the Affordable Care Act. This study will assess the current connection between public health and primary care …

Understanding Hiv Care Delays In The Us South And The Role Of The Social-Level In Hiv Care Engagement/Retention: A Qualitative Study, Courtenay Sprague, Sara E. Simon

Center for Peace, Democracy and Development Publications

Introduction: In a significant geographical shift in the distribution of HIV infection, the US South - comprising 17 states - now has the greatest number of adults and adolescents with HIV (PLHIV) in the nation. More than 60% of PLHIV are not in HIV care in Alabama and Mississippi, contrasted with a national figure of 25%. Poorer HIV outcomes raise concerns about HIV-related inequities for southern PLHIV, which warrant further study. This qualitative study sought to understand experiences of low-income PLHIV on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program in engagement and retention in continuous HIV care in two sites in Alabama. …

International Epidemics: Interdisciplinary Thinking And Global Citizenship, Rajini Srikanth, Louise Penner

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Honors College aims to serve as a crucible for curricular innovation by enriching and deepening classroom study with on-the-ground learning. The symposium is a year-long course, with the winter session field trip giving students a two-week immersion in the details of HIV/AIDS health care delivery in one province of South Africa. Upon return, students volunteer at health centers or nonprofits exploring related topics, while continuing to study the complexity of South Africa’s history and its attitudes and approaches toward HIV/AIDS at the medical, cultural, economic, and social levels.

Mobilizing Undergraduates To Address The Social Determinants Of Health In The Community: Year 1 Of Health Leads At Umass Boston, Luciano Ramos, Sherrod Williams, Adrienne Wald, Mark Marino

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Health Leads, a national non-profit organization, currently operates in six cities. Following successful partnerships with Harvard University and Boston University, Health Leads Boston initiated a partnership with UMass Boston in the Fall of 2012 to mobilize undergraduate students in addressing the social determinants of health for patients at Codman Square Health Center (CSHC). 16 undergraduates at UMass Boston were selected into the Health Leads program at CSHC, joining 17 students from Harvard and 4 students from BU. In 6 months, Health Leads at CSHC served 337 families, with students reporting positive experiences. Further expansion of Health Leads at UMB is …

Community Health Nursing Service Learning, Joyce K. Edmonds, Diane Coste

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Through the Service Learning Course, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, RN-BS Online Program, Senior Level Course, Community Health for RN’s and NU 461, 6 credits Student Body Registered Nurses (70-105 each semester) throughout the state seeking to obtain a Bachelor in Science of Nursing. The Institute of Medicine, Future of Nursing Report recommends increasing the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree to 80% by 2020. Instructional Aim Students obtain a better understanding of public health and nursing theory and practice as they further develop their professional and civic identities through meaningful service to their communities. Service Learning Requirement …

Institute For Community Inclusion (Ici) Leadership Education In Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Lend) Partners With Community-Based Organizations (Cbos), David Helm, Institute For Community Inclusion, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

This Interdisciplinary Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) and Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) funded-program aims at providing long-term, graduate level interdisciplinary training to health professionals and family members. The purpose of this project is to develop leadership potential to improve the health status of infants, children, and adolescents with or at risk for neurodevelopmental and related disabilities and to enhance the systems of care for these children and their families.

Lao Health And Adjustment In Southern New England Three Decades After The Secret War, Patrick F. Clarkin

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This study explored Lao life histories, health, and social adjustment in the southern New England states of Rhode Island and Connecticut. In addition, it sought to examine whether there was a correlation between war experiences early in life and health in adulthood, a finding reported in previous research on the Hmong, another ethnic group from Laos. Overall, 99 Lao adults born in Laos or Thailand (mean age 43.5 +/- 10.8 years) completed orally administered questionnaires and were measured for blood pressure and various anthropometric markers. Lao in this sample appeared to have higher than average educational back grounds in Laos, …

Plymouth-Carver Sole Source Aquifer: Regional Open Space Plan, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

The second largest sole source aquifer in Massachusetts, the Plymouth-Carver Sole Source Aquifer (the Aquifer) covers 140 square miles underlying the towns of Plymouth, Carver, Kingston, Wareham, Plympton, Middleborough, and Bourne. The Aquifer contains over 500 billion gallons of fresh water (USGS 1992), and serves as a critical water resource for residential, commercial, and agricultural uses in the area. Though its resources are vast, they are not unlimited, nor are they unaffected by contamination.

On August 7, 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a notice announcing that the Plymouth-Carver Aquifer satisfies all criteria for designation as a sole source …