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CHHS News Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics Center for Study of Chronic Illness and Disability College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health Department of Health Administration and Policy
CHHS Events
Who's
Who at SON Robin Remsburg
Undergraduate Program Margaret
Ream
PhD Program
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Innovation 101: Trends and Opportunities
in Health Management Information
Presented by the Department of
Health
Administration and Policy
CHHS
and Mason alumni, faculty, and guests attended the afternoon event
featuring John J. Matteo, Esq., Jackson, and Campbell, and Dr. Len
Nichols, director, Health Policy Research and Ethics Center, CHHS. The
speakers led discussions in health management, health technology and
other timely subjects in the field. Alumni and guests had opportunities
for sharing of work experiences and networking. Powerpoints
for both speakers can be downloaded.
This event was the second meeting of CHHS’ Health Administration and Policy Alumni Affinity group. The group was established to bring together alumni who share a commonality of professional interests in the field of health care administration and management. The next meeting is scheduled for Spring 2011. Visit the website for updates. If you are interested in additional information on the HAP Alumni Affinity group, email chhsalum@gmu.edu.
Alumni Chapter Board Outreach to Local Area Alumni
The CHHS Alumni Chapter Board
has started an outreach to alumni by arranging visits to local work
places. In June, the board held an open house at Reston Hospital. In
September, volunteers visited alumni
at the Fairfax County Health Department, Springfield District Office
and Kelly Square in Fairfax, and also visited the Fairfax County
Government Center. Alumni were interested in learning about
post-graduate programs and were pleased to hear about the expanding
academic programs at Mason. A scrapbook of chapter events, flyers on
upcoming events, and door prize drawings added to the excitement of the
visits.
Elaine Bango, BSN '82; Lisa Callahan, BSW '03, MSW '04; Meg Marcus, BSN '86; Lori McLean, MSN '96;Juanita Perkins, BSN '10; Bridget Nesko, BSN '06; Kathleen Ross, MSW '08; and Dawn Whitmore, BSN '10, participated in planning the events.
A visit to Fair Oaks Hospital is scheduled for November 17. Contact Gail Weirich at (703) 993-6018 for additional details or if your work place has a group of CHHS alumni and you are interested in helping to plan an outreach at your facility.
Upcoming Alumni Events
Alumni
Chapter Yoga/Pilates Fundraiser
February 3, February 10, and February 12
Save the date for Homecoming! A weekend of
activities culminates on Saturday, February 5 with the exciting
basketball game. February is also a great month to be kind to yourself
and learn energizing ways to achieve flexibility and strength for our
minds and bodies. The CHHS Alumni Chapter is presenting a workshop in yoga and pilates that
will teach techniques to aid in stress release, develop flexibility,
and strengthen your core.
Focus inwardly to connect with your mind and body, and focus outwardly to connect with un-met needs of CHHS by contributing to student scholarships and programs. The Alumni Chapter will be collecting contributions of any amount at this event to further scholarship opportunities for students.
Please visit CHHS Alumni and Friends for updates and specifics on the event. Contact Gail Weirich at (703) 993-6018 for additional details.
Step Up To The Challenge For CHHS in 2011
CHHS has received a challenge grant from generous donors totaling $17,500 to be applied towards priority needs for the college. This is exciting news! To complete the challenge:
We hope you will consider a gift at this time that will benefit students and faculty in the college. You can request that your gift be applied to a specific program or scholarship fund. Please visit the CHHS Alumni and Friends website for more information on ways of supporting the college. For questions, please contact Gail Weirich at (703) 993-6018.
Spotlight on SON Alumna
Katlyn
Phillips, RN, BSN ‘10
Public Health Nurse
Spotsylvania Health Department
I passed the NCLEX on June 22
after one hour and 75 questions! Thank you to all my Mason professors
and HURST Review. Then, 40 job applications later, in three different
states (VA,MD, TN), I had three interviews scheduled at the end of
July. To my dismay, I was contacted a week before my first interview to
hear, "Our hospital just entered into a hiring freeze, I’m
sorry.” I took that news in stride- I guess it
wasn’t meant to be!
The second interview was for a full-time position on a medical-surgical floor. As my uncle was affiliated with this hospital and made some calls, I was granted an interview. One week after the interview, I was told, “We were very impressed with you, but decided to keep looking.” I took that as "we prefer someone with experience," which was listed on the job position posting as well.
The last interview was for the Virginia Department of Health for a General Public Health Nurse in Fredericksburg. This job posting was for an RN, or a new nurse. If it wasn’t for that fact alone, I would not have considered this job and never would have applied. There were five people on the interview panel, each representing one of the five health departments within the district. I was given a copy of the interview questions to look over in private for five minutes before the interview began. I answered each of the questions quickly and with ease, drawing heavily upon my clinical experiences at Mason. Specifically, the Mount Vernon Health Department for my community clinical rotation and DeWitt Army Medical Center where I precepted in L&D.
To my excitement, I was offered the position at the Spotsylvania Health Department. I enjoy the diversity in my duties that include immunizations, family planning, maternity, communicable diseases, HIV testing, LTBI treatments, and lab work. I will even be teaching a car seat safety and installation class after my certification. This is certainly not the same as working in the hospital, but everyone I work with is like family. The people are nice, supportive, and flexible. I live a block away from the University of Mary Washington. I started my new job on August 25, and so far so good!
Mason Admits First DNP Class
Twenty-two students, five in
the BSN to DNP and 15 in the post masters programs enrolled in the
first Mason DNP class. Students are enrolled online, in an
executive-style format, and in on-campus courses.
Applications for the second class will be accepted beginning March 2011. Additional information available.
Pictured above: Students in the first DNP class attended an orientation/advising session to learn about the program and sign up for fall courses.
Mason School of Nursing Receives New Grant
to Provide Health Care Services to the Uninsured
To help alleviate the growing
challenges of receiving adequate health care that the uninsured with
chronic illness experience in Northern Virginia, George Mason
University's School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human
Services has received a $1.6 million grant (to be funded over five
years) from the Health Resources and Services Administration to
establish the Mason Partners for Access to Health Care (PATH) program.
Partnering with the Jeanie Schmidt Free Clinic (JSFC) in Herndon, Va., Mason PATH will help improve access to quality primary and behavioral health care for low-income and minority patients in Fairfax County who lack health insurance and suffer from diabetes and hypertension. In addition, JSFC patients will have access to mental health screening for depression and anxiety and management of behavioral health issues.
The
Mason PATH is lead by Dr. Kathy Dickman who has been working at the JS
Free Clinic for many years to improve care and outcomes of patients
with diabetes. This grant creates a wonderful partnership between
Mason's School of Nursing and the clinic that will allow faculty and
students to engage in practice with patients in the
community. The PATH program will also provide individual and
group education programs on a variety of topics such as dental care,
nutrition, women’s health care, and healthy living. These
programs are intended to help improve patients’ understanding
of their own health conditions and resources available in their
community.
The goal of the PATH program in the first year is to expand the clinic’s services by 500 patient encounters, reaching 100 new patients and offering service learning opportunities to more than 40 undergraduate and graduate nursing students. The number of patients and students participating in the PATH program are expected to increase in the next few years.
Pictured above (right): Faculty members participating in the Mason PATH include Joan Wasserman, Marie Kodadek, Christina Kalisz, Kathy Dickman, Penny Cameron (MSN ‘93), Ana Stoehr (BSN ’98, MSN ’00), Robin Remsburg.
Pictured above (left): Faculty practice in action: Christina Kalisz, Kathy Dickman, and Penny Cameron on their first day at the Jeanie Schmidt Free Clinic providing primary and behavioral health care services.
Blueprint for Clinical Excellence Workshop
Under the leadership of Dr. Margaret Moss, coordinator for clinical excellence, the faculty from the School of Nursing conducted a 2-day workshop for adjunct clinical faculty to provide in depth orientation and education on the role of the clinical instructor. Approximately, 40 full-time and adjunct clinical instructors attended the workshop. Participants received a “how to” manual and attended sessions on clinical evaluation, making the most of the clinical day, and working effectively with hospital/agency staff. Participants felt the workshop was helpful and provided them with materials and strategies to be successful in the role of clinical instructor.
Community Outreach: Students and Faculty Participate in AARP’s Annual Classic Car Show to Raise Funds for Student Scholarships
For the third year, the Mason
Student Nursing Association (SNA) participated in the AARP’s
Annual Classic Car Show. Students manned a health screening exhibit
where they took blood pressures and conducted 
cholesterol
screening for car show participants. Funds raised from the car show are
donated to the SON for student scholarships. This year, the funds will
support one undergraduate and one graduate student who are interested
in a career in gerontology and geriatric nursing.
Pictured above (right): Mason SNA students and faculty participated in the 2010 AARP Classic Car Show.
Pictured above (left): Antique Care SNA Student’s Choice Award winner.
Virginia Nurses Foundation Gala
Drs. Florence Smoczynski, Marie
Kodadek, Joan Wasserman, and Robin Remsburg attended the Virginia
Nurses Foundation Gala in Richmond on September 18. It was a grand
event with representation from all of the major hospital systems from
Northern Virginia, including INOVA, HCA, WHC, and VHA. The Foundation
recognized nurses who provide outstanding care from across the
Commonwealth.
Pictured above: Joan Wasserman, Robin Remsburg, Marie Kodadek, Lori McLean (co-president of the CHHS Alumni Chapter), and Florence Smoczynski.
Nursing Simulation Lab Renovations
Renovations to the simulation lab began in August and are moving along quickly. Sonya Almond, clinical lab coordinator, is supervising the project and keeping everything moving. The renovations should be complete in the next several weeks. Renovations and additions to the lab include new simulator servers, ceiling mounted cameras, a new control/observation room, and a new debriefing room with Smart Board for viewing simulations as they happen.
Mason Partners for Education in Gerontology (PEG)
Our HRSA funded Partners for Education in Geriatrics (PEG) Nursing Faculty Traineeship Program is going well. This is year two of the grant. We enrolled 38 nursing instructors from 16 states across the country to participate in an online version of the program this academic year. We conducted our first live online synchronous session on Saturday, October 9! Nursing instructors are learning about the unique needs of older adults, age-related changes and evidence-based practice for common geriatric conditions and syndromes, and they are examining ways to better incorporate gerontology and geriatric nursing content and learning experiences into the lecture and clinical courses.
Advance Nursing Education Traineeship (AENT)
This year the School of Nursing was awarded $64,146 by HRSA in Advanced Education Nursing Traineeships. This funding has allowed us to offer $2,000 awards to 12 master’s students and $500 awards to 12 doctoral students to help defray their tuition costs this fall. The remaining funds will be allocated during Spring 2011. Additional information is available.
Welcome New Faculty
SON gave a warm welcome to three new faculty members for fall semester:
Jessica Gill, PhD,
Assistant Professor, Tenure Track
Dr. Gill is a psych/mental health nurse
practitioner, who just completed a two year post-doctoral program at
the National Institute for Nursing Research. Her program of research is
focused on understanding how biological function alterations in women
with post traumatic stress disorder affect their health and medical
morbidity risk.
Christina Kalisz, MSN, FNP, Instructor, Term
Ms. Kalisz is a family nurse practitioner who recently taught in NP and
DNP programs at Marymount University and the University of Michigan at
Flint. She is currently working to complete her DNP degree at
Case Western Reserve University. In addition to her teaching,
Kalisz is part of the Mason PATH faculty practice plan and provides
primary care services to patients at the clinic one day a week.
Vanora Hundley, PhD, Associate Professor, Tenure Track
Dr. Hundley is a nurse midwife,
educated in the United Kingdom and most recently taught at Semmelweis
University, Budapest, Hungary, and Houston Baptist University, Texas.
She has held research positions at University of Stirling, Scotland,
and University of Aberdeen, UK. She is currently engaged in a
systematic review of birth delivery kits in low income countries and is
coordinating a working group of stakeholders and academic institutions
to produce guidance on the use of birth kits in less developed
countries.
Faculty Research
Kathleen F. Gaffney, PhD, RN, F/PNP-BC
Dr. Gaffney’s program
of research is focused on health promotion for mothers and their
children. Her current projects are implemented with fellow researchers
in the College including Drs. Jean Moore (SON), Panagiota Kitsantas
(HAP), Heibatollah Baghi (GCH), and Lisa Pawloski (GCH). Several
studies now in progress or recently completed may be of interest to
alumni, especially those who may be considering a return to Mason as
master’s or doctoral students. The following is a list of
topic areas for these studies.
Overall, Dr. Gaffney’s professional goal is to implement and foster research that supports the advancement of maternal-child nursing and healthcare practice. She welcomes dialogue with alumni who share this goal from their unique vantage points in clinical practice, administration, research, and education. Contact Dr. Gaffney for additional information.
Faculty Kudos
Dr. Margaret Mahon has been invited
to serve on the ethics committee for the American Academy of Hospice
and Palliative Medicine.
Dr. Lisa Vandemark (pictured at right) was invited to be an associate faculty member at the Mason Global Studies Center.
Dr. Jessica Gill will mentor Noori Ali, an undergraduate nursing and psychology student, who was awarded a student research scholarship for a project to explore “The Cognitive and Health-Related Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries on Abused Women."
Dr.
Gill was also awarded $48,950 from the Mason-Inova Research
Fund for her study—“Consequences of Blunt Force
& Anoxic Traumatic Brain Injuries in Abused Women &
Secondary Injury Mechanisms.”
Dr. Charlene Douglas (pictured at right) achieved certification in public health from the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), administered by the National Board of Public Health examiners. American Nurses
Credentialing Center’s certification in public health nursing.
Student Kudos
Congratulations to new PhD
Lorena Yoon who successfully completed her dissertation
defense. Her paper is titled “Trust in Nurses: A
Quantitative Study on Prenatal Hispanic Women." Dr. Jung’s
research focused on examining the relationships between trust,
communication, competency and caring and identifying factors predicting
prenatal Hispanic women’s trust.
The purpose of this study was to:
1) Explore prenatal Hispanic women's trust in nurses
2) Examine the relationships between trust, communication,
competency and caring
3) Identify factors predicting prenatal Hispanic women's trust
Pictured above (left to right): Dr. Qiuping (Pearl) Zhou, dissertation committee chair; Lorena Yoon, PhD; Dr. Emily Ihara, first reader; and Dr. David Haines, second reader.
