by Brooke Bunch
One of OU-COM’s student doctors
made a mark with the publication of a textbook in which was a
chapter co-authored by him.
Adam Kinninger,
Class of 2007, recently received a copy of his published work, a
chapter in Essentials of Public Health Management. The
textbook was edited by L. Fleming Fallon Jr., M.D., Dr.P.H.,
M.B.A., professor of public health at Bowling Green State
University, and Eric Zgodzinski, M.P.H., supervisor of community
services at Toledo-Lucas County Health Department. According to
Kinninger, the textbook is geared toward students in M.P.H. and
M.B.A. programs as well as public health administrators.
Kinninger began his exploration
of public health as a senior at Bowling Green State University,
where he studied under the direction of Fallon.
“He was my mentor,” explains
Kinninger.
He completed an independent
study with Fallon, which was, in part, work on the textbook.
“I conducted research,
interviewed nurses
and people on the local board of health and asked them
what worked for them,” he says.
Kinninger’s chapter, entitled
“Organizing and Operating Clinics,” focuses on the daily
operations of a health clinic. The chapter also points out the
role that cultural sensitivity plays in the operation of
clinics, noting that it is essential to understand the cultural
and social aspects of the populations that are being served. The
chapter was co-authored with Fallon.
“It’s very important to know
what the needs of your target audience are when running a health
clinic,” he says. “For example, if it’s a rural community, you
might need to offer transportation.”
The chapter examines the
funding of health clinics and the importance of marketing and
promotion and how those concerns must be balanced against the
sensitivities of the audiences to be served. In addition, clinic
staff members must be well trained in their areas of
professional expertise.
“It was a good experience,”
says Kinninger on writing the chapter. “I learned about the
business of operating a clinic, and I learned a lot about the
writing process in general. It taught me many things that are
important when operating a clinic, such as to consider the
health-care needs of a population as a whole instead of
individual health-care needs.”
Kinninger’s interest in public
health intersects with politics. As an intern with the Health
Policy Institute of Ohio in the summer of 2004, Kinninger
drafted a paper for U.S. senators and other legislators on why
health care matters and why they should address the issue
politically.
“Public health allows you to
make a larger impact by addressing the health-care concerns of a
broader group of people rather than merely treating one person
at one time,” he says.
- 30 -
News for
the week of June 6 – June 11
