Fall/Winter 2018


The HBCU Advocate 11


UAB, Tuskegee Address Primary Nursing Care Deficiencies, Workforce Shortages


exponentially, according to Shirey. The UAB-Tuskegee partnership is one more avenue to ensuring a healthy nursing workforce in the state.


“Cultivating BSN-prepared


nurses in our RNPC Scholars program complements our efforts in building nurse practitioner capacity for primary care; it adds training and development for current undergraduate


students to practice to the full scope of their Celebration Bowl FROM PAGE 1


Senior nursing students Roneshia Rudolph (left) of Hayneville, Alabama, and Natasia Fanning (right) of Washington, Georgia, are among the RN Primary Care Scholars participating in the joint UAB-Tuskegee University grant program.


The Tuskegee University School of Nursing and Allied Health is partnering with the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing and six community-based health


organizations in Alabama to


help improve health outcomes in medically underserved areas of the state.


Primary


The project, “Building a Resilient Care Registered


Nursing


Workforce for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control in Alabama,” is funded by a $2.8 million Nursing Education, Retention


Practice, Quality (NEPQR) grant and from


the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health


Resources


and Services Administration (HRSA). It will focus on training and sustaining baccalaureate-prepared RNs working in medically underserved areas and in team-focused primary care.


“Alabama and the U.S. have


primary care service deficits, especially in medically underserved areas, and BSN-prepared RNs are capable of assuming greater responsibility for care management for patients with chronic conditions, as well as follow-up and complex specialty care conditions,” said Dr. Maria Shirey, the project’s principal investigator, and professor and chair of UAB’s Department of Acute, Chronic and Continuing Care. “They also can provide safe, high-quality


care chronic to


at-risk populations, such as patients with multiple


The project will create — expanding conditions,


while also managing the costs of such care.”


a


nurse-led primary care hub with six community partners throughout Alabama


existing


and creating new academic-practice partnerships in medically underserved areas in Jefferson, Etowah and Macon counties. Local sites like the Macon County Department of Health will serve as clinical training locations for BSN students focusing on primary care nursing with an emphasis on chronic disease prevention and control in


diabetes, high blood contributions pressure,


mental health and substance abuse. Tuskegee’s role as an affiliate


partner strengthens both universities’ collective national


toward the


call for RNs to work as partners in transforming primary care. Tuskegee faculty will participate, and 12 Tuskegee BSN students will be among the 60 students expected to graduate as RN Primary Care Scholars across the four-year project.


“Tuskegee University Nursing is honored to partner with UAB on this very needed initiative,” said


School of Nursing and Allied Health dean, Dr. Constance Hendricks, a two-time UAB graduate and former faculty member. “Our graduates will be the beneficiaries of this unique opportunity to become RN Primary Care Scholars and to gain additional skills and knowledge to better serve those in our Black Belt communities with chronic health care needs alongside their UAB counterparts.”


partnership relationship


Shirey agreed that the strengthens


the between nursing programs, not “We wanted the two to mention


the availability of quality health care for Alabama’s most vulnerable and underserved populations.


an affiliate partner due to our longstanding


informal


Tuskegee as relationship


and synergy across our respective visions and missions,” Shirey said. “This affiliate partnership also provides a unique opportunity to address health Black


disparities Belt in area of the state by


educating nurses who plan to stay in their communities. In educating undergraduate nursing students and practicing primary


care, Tuskegee will contribute


RNs in team-focused together UAB and toward


the national call for RNs to work as partners in transforming primary care.”


on building a resilient


Part of the project also will focus workforce


by providing the primary care RN workforce with skills to cope with the challenges of vulnerable populations. As a result, the project will help keep RNs healthy and engaged over the course of their careers through new professional development and networking programs.


Beginning in 2019, the program


will be open to senior undergraduate BSN or RN-to-BSN students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater and a faculty recommendation. Known as RNPC Scholars, the students will complete a newly developed course of both classroom and clinical experiential learning in primary care nursing, providing them with at least 150 hours of training. Both primary and community health competencies


enabling students


will be integrated, to


participate interventions


the full spectrum of community- based prevention


in the


nursing in at


the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.


Alabama and the U.S. are


midst of a primary care service shortage, which is growing


extra effort and do the little things to be special,” said Washington. “That is what separates him from the rest. It doesn’t hurt that he is also very athletic and can run… He has the attributes every coach dreams of.”


In one of his best performances


this year, Johnson racked up eight tackles against Savannah State. He sacked the quarterback and had 3.5 tackles for losses during that game. Johnson ended the regular season with 47 tackles, seven quarterback hurries, one fumble recovery and three pass breakups. Johnson also led the MEAC in sacks with 10.5 and 18.5 tackles for loss. He is ranked 10th in the nation in both categories. He is a nominee for the FCS Defensive Player of the Year.


In the Celebration Bowl, Darryl


Johnson, Jr. will face-off against Alcorn’s quarterback Noah Johnson, who scored twice, rushed for 147 yards and passed for 135 yards against Southern University last week to win the SWAC championship title. Eighth


Jacqueline and Jilly the FROM PAGE 1


of the series was a raving success as one theater in the Cinema Café on a rainy Sunday evening, was packed to its entirety. Many in the community came out for the premiere, including Congressman Bobby Scott, Newport News Mayor, McKinley Price who is a Hampton University alum, and almost the entire cast of the series.


“It’s a movie about three


generations of black women, two shattered dreams and one accidental addiction. The movie is anchored in opioid addiction, and how a family struggles to overcome denial and get to recovery,” Rowell said. “We have an amazing cast and it wouldn’t have been possible if we didn’t have the great support of President William Harvey, Mrs. Harvey, Hampton University and the staff for allowing us to film there, the Virginia Film office, the Virginia Board of Tourism Corporation, Mayor McKinley Price, Congressman Bobby Scott, former Congresswoman Thelma Drake, and more. There are so many people that make a movie happen. I was honored to co-write, direct, and executive produce ‘Jacqueline and Jilly,’ and we hope this six-part miniseries will open up conversations with family, friends, colleagues, and communities without judgment and shame.”


Once guests in the theater were seated, a letter from Attorney General Mark Herring was read, in where he stated, “Thank you for the


tremendous service that you


are doing to bring awareness to the opioid epidemic that is affecting not only the Commonwealth of Virginia,


but also our country. You are not only helping to reduce the stigma of opioid addiction, but also bringing to light the reality of opioid addiction in the Black family. By continuing work to change the views on addiction, we can make sure that this population and others no longer feel overlooked or neglected,” he said.


a Q&A session focused


After the screening, there was on opioid


addiction and what is being done in the Commonwealth of Virginia to alleviate opioid abuse.


Nikko Austen Smith plays “Jilly” in the series. She is a graduate of Coastal Carolina University and began film work in 2015. “My character is overcoming struggle, going through so much and it’s a reflection of what happens when a person becomes addicted, unfortunately. It was just so amazing to be part of this story and being able to tell it,” Smith said.


Richard Brooks plays “Magnus,” the father of “Jilly.” He has acted in several


television premiere. series’ and movies


and is best known for his role as Paul Robinette on “Law & Order.” “We’re excited to be here in Hampton for this


Shooting on Hampton


University’s historical campus was a positive experience. It was great to see the history and the community and the facilities, it’s a beautiful campus,” Brooks said.


“Jacqueline and Jilly” can be seen


on the Urban Movie Channel (UMC), on Amazon Prime Video, and at Cinema Café in Hampton, VA until Thursday, December 13, 2018.


in the nation in rushing offense among FCS teams and rushing 960 yards, he ranks 4th in the nation in yards per carry with 7.38. His rushing offense averages 282 yards per game and 6.1 yards per carry. Noah Johnson is a finalist for the Walter Payton Award for FCS Offensive Player of the Year.


“Noah’s been growing up


all year,” McNair said in a press conference after winning the SWAC championship. “He’s fought through with perseverance and he’s just an excellent player. He’s leading his team and doing a great job. I’m hoping he continues to grow as a young man and as an individual.”


Another benefit for the two


Johnsons’ team members and fans is that they will both be eligible to play next year. Darryl Johnson, Jr. is a redshirt junior and Noah Johnson is a sophomore. Both players are also finalists for the Black College Hall of Fame Player of the Year Award along with Caylin Newton (Howard) and Amir Hall (Bowie State).


licenses in community-based primary care teams,” she said. “This RN Primary Care project is a logical next step to expand [the] impact on primary and secondary prevention efforts in medically underserved areas throughout Alabama.”


Tuskegee University thanks


Jennifer Lollar of the University of Alabama at Birmingham for her original reporting of this news item.


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