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Two OU-HCOM students
selected for Albert Schweitzer
Fellowship
 (ATHENS,
Ohio, May 5, 2011)
The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF)
announced the selection of its inaugural
class of Columbus Schweitzer Fellows,
two of whom are students at OU-HCOM.
During the upcoming year, these OU-HCOM
students will join approximately 260
other 2011-12 Schweitzer Fellows across
the country in conceptualizing and
carrying out service projects that
address the health needs of underserved
individuals and communities.
Heather Datsko, OMS I,
will address health disparities in
Appalachian Ohio by expanding the health
education programming of Good Works, an
organization that conducts outreach that
supports people experiencing poverty.
Her project will add a health day to
Good Works’ summer kids’ camp, as well
as launch a Saturday-morning health
class that addresses common health
concerns. Datsko hopes to make good
health more accessible for program
participants, and to inspire them
towards personal growth.
Kimberly Herrmann, OMS I,
will conduct an infectious disease
intervention in Athens and surrounding
Appalachian counties. Collaborating with
the Athens AIDS Task Force, she is
creating a Hepatitis C health education
curriculum and conducting educational
sessions with community members from
underserved and uninsured populations.
Herrmann will implement the curriculum,
as well as provide referrals for testing
and other support in prevention and
reducing transmission. Ultimately,
Herrmann hopes to expand this health
education program to other agencies to
be taught by local high school and
medical students in a health-career
mentorship program.
“All congratulations to Heather and
Kimberly on earning this prestigious
national award,” said Jack Brose, D.O.,
dean of OU-HCOM and executive dean for
health affairs at Ohio University. “They
competed against many talented
applicants and worthy projects.”
OU-HCOM joined the Ohio State University
College of Medicine as academic partners
and sponsors in the newest site for the
Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, the 12th
such program in the nation, and which
was announced in the fall of 2010.
Funding from Anthem Blue Cross and the
Blue Shield Foundation helped make
possible the program's expansion to
Columbus and Athens.
“We have long been partners with the
Ohio State University School of
Medicine, and this is a great example of
a service program that, by working
together, helps strengthen Ohio and its
residents,” Brose said. "Kimberly's and
Heather's participation as Schweitzer
fellows fits perfectly with our efforts
and our commitment to service in
underserved communities, particularly in
rural areas."
Upon completion of their initial year,
Datsko and Herrmann will become
Schweitzer Fellows for Life—and
join a vibrant network of over 2,000
individuals who are skilled in, and
committed to, addressing the health
needs of underserved people throughout
their careers as professionals. Nearly
all the Fellows for Life say that ASF is
integral to sustaining their commitment
to serve the underserved.
Originally founded in 1940 to support
Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s medical work in
Africa, ASF is a national nonprofit
organization whose
mission
is to develop Leaders in Service:
individuals who are dedicated and
skilled in meeting the health needs of
underserved communities, and whose
example influences and inspires others.
These Fellows — primarily university
graduate students — partner with
community-based organizations to
identify an unmet health need, design a
yearlong 200-hour service project with a
demonstrable impact on that need, and
bring that project from idea to
implementation and impact. Rooted in a
holistic understanding of health,
Schweitzer projects address not only
clinical issues, but also the social
determinants of health. Annually,
approximately 250 Schweitzer Fellows
deliver more than 40,000 hours of
health-related community service at
thirteen locations across the U.S.
For information about the Columbus
Schweitzer Fellows program, go to
www.schweitzerfellowship.org/columbus.
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