Public health services are
essential to the well being of our society, said Ann Rathbun,
Ph.D., assistant professor of health sciences, Ohio University
College of Health and Human Services. Community Service Programs
(CSP) plays an integral and important role in promoting and
providing access to public health services for Southeastern
Ohioans, said Rathbun. “And does a fabulous job of doing this.”
Rathbun was the keynote speaker
at CSP’s 2005 Recognition Breakfast, which took place Dec. 2 at
the Ohio University Inn. CSP holds the annual breakfast to honor
and thank its employees and community partners.
“It’s a real honor to be here,”
said Dean Jack Brose, D.O.. Brose reviewed some of CSP’s
accomplishments, including starting the Free Clinical Services
program in May. Brose serves on the medical staff of the clinic.
Brose said that just as OU-COM
rests on a three-legged stool — teaching, research and community
service, CSP rests upon three legs of support.
“University support has been
key,” citing one leg. Legislative support is another, he said,
naming Rep. Jimmy Stewart and Sen. Joy Padgett, U.S. Sen. George
Voinovich, U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland and Gov. Bob Taft as among
those state officials who have
supported CSP’s efforts. The third leg, said Brose, was “our
community partners, without which CSP or the medicals school
could not function. Thank you for all you do for the community
of Southeastern Ohio.”
“As usual, it’s been a very
busy year for CSP,” said Kathy Trace, R.N., director of
CSP. “This year we were singled out as one of the Ohio Heroes by
Ohio magazine. That would not have been possible without
the help of all of you.”
Trace said CSP had worked
especially closely with OU-COM medical students this year and
thanked Ed Gotfried, D.O., medical director of CSP, and
Chris Simpson, D.O.; Martha Simpson, D.O., M.B.A.; and
Gerald Rubin, D.O., for providing physician support for the
Free Clinic program.
Receiving employee recognition
awards were Ann Pearch, prenatal nurse coordinator, and
Jane Crace, administrative assistant. Le Ann Matvey,
Southeastern Ohio Breast and Cervical Cancer Project coordinator,
received an appreciation award.
CSP staff members offered some
of the program’s vital statistics for the year: the Free Clinic
saw 68 clients, making 61 referrals to local care providers; 42
educational presentations were made that reached 1,900 people;
34 breast and cervical cancer clinics were held, during which 240
clients were seen. The Health Adult Project held 55 clinics,
reaching 1,440 clients, an increase of 219 from the previous
year; the project also provides screening for diabetes and blood
pressure at Athens’ Wal-Mart.
CSP instigates or is involved
in a variety of community projects, including supporting
Hocking.Athens.Perry Community Action’s food distribution,
giving out American Medical Student Association food boxes and
providing immunizations for local businesses. Its perinatal
program, started in 2000, serves the social, emotional and
physical needs of women, helping Athens County achieve one of
the lowest premature birth rates in the region. CSP partners
with Women, Infants and Children, Help Me Grow and River Rose
OB-GYN to help provide better health-care access for area women
and children. The Childhood Immunization Program, through its
collaboration with school nurses and other community partners,
provides free immunizations and other services to area children.
CSP’s car seat program installed 24 child car seats, targeting
eight more to be furnished by the end of the year. The Well
Child Program helps screen children for various health issues.
Through Healthy Child Care Ohio, CSP delivers valuable resources
to area child-care providers. Through Hudson Health Center, CSP
helps to monitor the health status of students who have been
exposed to tuberculosis.
Providing some early morning
humor at the event, CSP’s AmeriCorps members sang a spirited, if
modified, version of “Jeremiah was a Bullfrog” that
echoed the virtues of service in ComCorps, CSP’s AmeriCorps’
program.
“Wonderful things go on in the
basement of Grosvenor,” where CSP is located, said Rathbun,
“because they (CSP staff) are never there — they’re out in the
community doing.”
“I’m glad to see the people of
Community Service Programs get this well deserved recognition,”
said Rep. Stewart. “Community Service Programs helps heighten
Ohio University’s reputation as a service provider. Its programs
impact thousands and thousands of people for the better. There
is a great need for these programs.”
- 30 -
News for
the week of Nov
5 –
Dec 10
