Health and Human Services News

Diversity and inclusion: A top priority 

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At Missouri State University, our three-pillared Public Affairs Mission drives everything we do.  

Ethical leadership. Cultural competence. Community engagement. These are the foundations for each program, event, lesson, discussion and initiative at the university. 

Recently, the need for cultural competence has come to center stage, and we know there is always work to be done to be a more inclusive and supportive institution. 

In the McQueary College of Health and Human Services, we developed a comprehensive list of initiatives to ensure we are doing whatever we can to provide supportive and inclusive instruction within the college.  

MCHHS Initiatives 

  • Host MCHHS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Speaker Series. 
  • Mandate Faculty Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council representation at every MCHHS leadership meeting. 
  • Establish a Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council.  
  • Seek faculty-wide training related to diversity and inclusion in healthcare. 
  • Expand inclusion in classroom instruction. 
  • Utilize best practices in accessibility, diversity and cultural competence in reviewing teaching materials for all classes. 
  • Update and modify many courses to include a diversity and inclusion component. 

View all initiatives

Campus resources 

MSU aims to provide resources for every student to feel supported at every step of their college journey. Here are some good places to start:  

Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic clocks successful summer online

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March 17, 2020 is a day many MSU students and faculty won’t soon forget. In the middle of spring break, the university moved the remaining semester fully online because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic, online instruction meant in-person therapy sessions with clients wasn’t an option.

So, they got to work.

Sign outside door that reads "Speech-language-hearing clinic"
The Communication Sciences and Disorders Clinic in the Professional Building provides evaluation and treatment for all ages in the areas of Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology and early intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Finishing spring 2020

Many speech-language pathology (SLP) graduate students clock clinical hours here. Practice in a real environment with actual clients, as opposed to simulated labs, accounts for more than 75% of their hours.

It was imperative, for students and patients, the clinic resumed operation as soon as possible.

“We wanted to be able to provide that community again,” said Lauren Jones, director of the Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic.

For the remainder of the semester, students used their limited simulation allowance to clock clinical hours, while faculty and staff ran the race to restructure the clinic for the summer.

Transitioning online

The move to a fully online clinic was multi-faceted.

The transition included switching student logins to multi-factor authentication to protect patient files accessed from outside the university. It was not an easy task.

“The team in information security helped push that through,” Jones said. “They advocated for us, and that was huge.”

After licensing Zoom accounts, securing information and making it accessible from home, the clinic logged on for teletherapy.

Close up of hands instructing on a piece of paper
Before COVID-19, students in the Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic worked with patients one-on-one.

Summer 2020

For Jennifer Pratt, clinical associate professor of communication sciences and disorders, moving online worried her at first. She works primarily with stroke patients who have difficulty processing new information.

“I couldn’t envision how it was going to work without being right there with them,” Pratt said.

But Pratt’s meetings went better than she hoped.

“The clients adapted. They were comfortable in their homes. They were very productive with their work on the sessions,” Pratt said. “There were so many positive aspects of it, and it opened my eyes to a different way of delivering services and teaching our students.”

Students reinforce the success of the summer semester.

Before moving to teletherapy, students worked with patients one-on-one, with a supervisor watching from another room. On Zoom, they lead sessions in small groups.

Amber Holko, an SLP graduate student, loved the newfound collaboration with her peers.

“It was the most positive and constructive group assignment I’ve ever done,” Holko said. “We all gave 110% because we knew our assignment had a direct effect on our patients.”

Changes for the better

While group therapy is a temporary change for the clinic in the age of COVID-19, some changes may stick around.

Teletherapy is increasing in demand. Jones hopes the clinic can continue to offer the experience to students and patients, even after COVID-19.

“This situation opened our eyes to the importance of meeting the needs of our patients,” Jones said. “When the COVID situation improves, we’ll bring people back on site, but we are looking at offering more hybrid models in the future.”

Overall, the experience and the changes pair often with one word: positive.

“My takeaway from this time is asking, ‘Would we have done this if we hadn’t been forced?’” Pratt said. “It’s exciting to think about our opportunities for the future, and to see something good come out of this.”

MCHHS student organizations spotlight: Student Nurse Organization

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Nursing school is a big commitment. The Student Nurse Organization (SNO) at MSU wants to make sure no one goes through nursing school alone.   

SNO’s mission: To empower future nurses by promoting community engagement through service events and providing a system of support through the undergraduate nursing experience.  

“We hope members take away that nursing is a community-centered profession,” said Madelyn Cooper, SNO president. “We hope they graduate with a sense of compassion and care for all members of the community.” 

SNO members practice community engagement through different service ventures, like making care packages for Harmony House, meeting with nursing home residents and donating to local food banks.  

SNO during COVID-19 

In the time of COVID-19, SNO looks different but is still available to provide a community for nursing students. 

“Right now, we are choosing service events that minimize exposure as much as possible,” Cooper said. “We are encouraging members to utilize resources that allow community service to be done from home.” 

All meetings will be held over Zoom.  

Want to join? 

The first meetings of the fall 2020 semester are Sept. 3. Zoom links are on SNO’s Campus Link.  

  • Current nursing students meet at 1 p.m.  
  • Pre-nursing students meet at 4 p.m. 
  • For more information, join the SNO group on Facebook and follow SNO on Twitter.  

Learn more about SNO

COVID-19 and physical education: Working it out

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Sean Nevills, physical education and sports management alumnus, is ready to help schools across America work around COVID-19.

At the start of August, he was appointed project director for the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America‘s COVID-19 project, funded by the Centers for Disease Control.

In his role, a year-long cooperative agreement, Nevills will lead efforts to create resources focused on distance learning, trauma-informed practice, teacher self-care and cultural sensitivity in physical education.

Listen to Nevills discuss more about his new role with Missouri SHAPE’s Chris Stehle.

 

MCHHS back to campus guide

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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Missouri State released a Return to Campus Guide on July 6. Since then, they’ve added some updates and additions. 

This guide is here to let MCHHS students know what to expect when they return on August 17. 

Masks: 

Masks must be worn in all buildings on campus this fall.

Read the full masking policy. 

Masking exceptions: 

In the event that an individual cannot wear a Mask due to an underlying disability, they may initiate the university’s interactive accommodations process in order to request a “reasonable accommodation. Students who wish to request an accommodation may contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Meyer Library, Suite 111, and available at DRC@MissouriState.edu; 417-836-4192; or TTY (417) 836-2792.

Mask enforcement: 

Students who have not been granted an accommodation and who refuse to wear a mask while in the classroom or other academic settings are subject to administrative withdrawal, consistent with Op3.04-11 Class Disruption. Additionally, students who fail to comply with this policy in areas outside the classroom or other academic settings are subject to disciplinary action consistent with the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

If you show symptoms and need to get tested:

You must first be assessed by a physician. Options for assessment by a physician include:

  • Contact Magers at 417-836-4000.
  • After hours, contact the Mercy Nurse On-Call at 417-820-6055.
  • Contact your primary care provider.
  • In case of medical emergency, go to a local hospital emergency room or call 911.

COVID-19 testing is available on campus at Magers for students, faculty and staff who have been referred by a physician for testing. If you have insurance, your insurance company will be billed for the test. If you do not have insurance or if your insurance does not pay for the entire cost of the test, the university will not bill you for the balance.

Additional information about testing, including information about other testing locations in the Springfield area, can be found on the Springfield-Greene County Health Department’s webpage.

Missouri State is also tracking confirmed cases on campus. 

Keep an eye on your class schedule.

Your method of instruction may have changed since you registered, so do a check of your detailed schedule. You can find your detailed schedule under the registration tab in My Missouri State.

Any relevant updates will be added to this guide as we approach the first day of class. 

Additional information can be found on Missouri State’s COVID-19 webpage.