(left to right) Jack Brose, D.O., dean of
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine; Nancy Schell,
Community Health Programs (CHP) community outreach coordinator;
State Rep. Jimmy Stewart. Schell received an employee award from
CHP honoring her contributions to community service and
direction of ComCorps, a community-based, volunteer AmeriCorps
program, at the annual CHP Recognition Breakfast, held Dec. 7.
Schell will be retiring next year.
by Kevin M. Sanders
Dec. 12, 2007
The snowy morning of Friday,
Dec. 7, was a day of celebration for Ohio University College of
Osteopathic Medicine’s (OU-COM) Community Health Programs (CHP),
which honored its community partners and its staff at its annual
Recognition Breakfast. Among those honored were Susan Quinn, O.D.,
who directs CHP’s Student Sight Saver Program;
Gerald Rubin, D.O., for his work with OU-COM’s Free Clinic; and Nancy Schell for her work with
ComCorps, a community-based, volunteer AmeriCorps program.
“You demonstrate the
power of community,” said Richard Greenlee, Ph.D., who delivered
the keynote address to the
more than 50 health care and
community service providers who attended the ceremony. Greenlee
is the Ohio University associate
provost for Appalachian Access and Enrichment. “You’re a
wonderful example of that. I thank you for all you do every day
throughout the year.”
Quinn was recognized
for her efforts coordinating CHP’s new Student Sight Saver
Program, a glaucoma screening initiative funded by the
Friends of the Congressional
Glaucoma Caucus Foundation. Quinn
manages the monthly screening clinics staffed by OU-COM students
and other local optometrists and ophthalmologists.
“Dr. Quinn believes
in community service, and our students feel very fortunate to
have her directing them. She’s a great leader who ensures that
this is a quality program,” said Kathy Trace, R.N.,
director of Community Health Programs.
Rubin, an OU-COM
associate professor of family medicine who serves as a physician
volunteer for the Free Clinic, received special thanks for his
service to CHP over the years as a physician, and a teacher to
OU-COM medical students who participate in community service.
“Dr. Rubin deserves
our heartfelt thank you for his compassionate care of our
clients. He genuinely cares for people and is genuinely
interested in the medical students’ learning,” said Trace.
A major thrust of
CHP’s efforts over the past year has been the expansion of its
Free Clinic, which provides no-cost medical services and
referrals for the uninsured. Trace thanked partner
organizations, which included O’Bleness Memorial Hospital,
Doctors Hospital of Nelsonville, University Medical Associates,
the O’Bleness Family Practice Residency, Tri-County Mental
Health and Counseling Services, the Ohio Association of Free
Clinics, and the Organization for Health Improvement for
Appalachia, who have contributed to the successful operation and
expansion of the Free Clinic.
“What sticks out first and
foremost in my mind,” said State Rep. Jimmy Stewart, who spoke
at the recognition ceremony, “is the big role OU-COM plays in
bringing health care not only to those in the city but
throughout the Appalachian region.” Many rural residents would
much rather see a doctor or nurse closer to home, said Stewart,
and OU-COM provides that.
More than any other time in his
five years in the legislature, said Stewart, it has been easy to
see the importance of CHP because that has been brought home by
the testimony of other agencies, health care providers and
constituents to his human services subcommittee.
“I want to thank all of you for
the work that you do,” said Stewart.
“It’s been a
wonderful year for us, and all of you have been a major part of
the success of our community services,” Jack Brose, D.O., OU-COM
dean, told the audience.
Also recognized for
excellence in service was Nancy Schell, CHP community outreach
coordinator. Under her leadership, ComCorps was the only one of
27 Ohio programs to receive a grant from the Corporation for
National and Community Service and the only Ohio program to
receive a peer-review score of 100 percent. In the past year,
ComCorps members gave more than 25,000 hours of service through
various health care initiatives around Southeastern Ohio.
“I want to thank the
staff and department for honoring me,” said Schell. “It’s been
great, and seeing this group of people here makes me want to
reconsider my pending retirement. I’ve worked with wonderful
people, and I’ll always remember the lives we’ve touched. It’s
been awesome.”
CHP, the community outreach
health care and health education arm of Ohio University College
of Osteopathic Medicine, collaborates with various allied health
care agencies, organizations and institutions to provide a broad
range of services to those in need — the poor, uninsured and
underserved — of Southeastern Ohio.
CHP has served the region for
more than a decade, helping to transform the face of the
region’s rural health care through various programs, including
the Free Clinic, ComCorps, the Childhood Immunization Program,
the Breast and Cervical Cancer program, the Healthy Adult
Program, Well Child/Well Families and the Healthy Child Care
Ohio-Nurse Consultants program.
CHP has been highly praised for
its service to rural Ohio and in 2005 was named an “Ohio Hero”
by Ohio magazine. Trace recently received the Ohio
Department of Health’s 2007 Distinguished Rural Health
Administrator Award.
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