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Health and Human Services News

Shaping future nurses with the Mid-America Transplant Scholarship

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The Mid-America Transplant (MAT) Scholarship funds 10 nursing students annually with $1,000 each. Beyond financial aid, the scholarship’s mission is to spread awareness about organ donation and transplantation.  

According to Dr. Kathryn Patterson, director of the School of Nursing at Missouri State University, the focus is on educating nursing students about organ donation. 

“It’s about introducing students to a specialized field within nursing, making them realize the significance of organ donation,” Patterson said.  

A transformative experience 

The scholarship extends beyond textbooks and lectures, offering an immersive tour of the Mid-America Transplant facility in St. Louis.  

“The tour opened our eyes to the intricacies of organ procurement and the advancements in medical technology,” Patterson said. “It was an educational encounter that gave the students’ perspective on this domain of nursing.” 

The tour showcased the facility’s comprehensive setup, from the operational rooms and laboratories to the protocols and equipment.  

“The experience wasn’t just about seeing the facility,” Patterson said. “It was about witnessing the empathy of the staff, the respect for donors and their families and the cutting-edge technology driving this life-saving mission.” 

Scholarship information 

The Mid-America Transplant Scholarship stands as a testament to the transformative power of educational initiatives.  

By blending financial support with hands-on experiences, the scholarship not only helps students, but also shapes their understanding of the profound impact nurses can have in the world of organ donation and transplantation.  

Nursing students interested in applying must submit an essay. It must include:   

  • A discussion of organ donation.  
  • The role nurses play in the organ donor process, including the impact of grief on donor families.   
  • The role MAT plays in southwest Missouri communities.   

Learn more about the School of Nursing 

Dietetics student gives back

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KY3 recently featured Andrew Falk, exercise and movement science major, for his work at Ozarks Food Harvest (OFH).

Falk found OFH because he needed to fulfill the requirements in a dietetics class — a community engagement project that requires students to volunteer.

Watch the clip

The KY3 segment shows OFH prepping for the Thanksgiving season and Falk discusses his personal story; he’s found his volunteer efforts at OFH are a great way to give back and help “build a better community.”

“When I was a kid, we went through a hard time and had to go to pantries and stuff like that,” Falk said. “It feels like everything’s come full circle and it’s nice to give back.”

OFH serves over 270 different charities across 28 counties in the Ozarks, providing 1.5 to 2 million meals per month. They’re expected to spend an additional $500,000 on holiday meals this year.

Learn more about the exercise and movement science program

Outstanding mentor in MCHHS

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Dr. Ashley Payne, assistant professor of psychology, mentors in multiple capacities at Missouri State University. This has earned her recognition in the form of the Bear Bridge Outstanding Faculty-Student Mentoring Award. 

Bear Bridge places an important emphasis on creating mentoring programs for faculty and students; diversity, equity and inclusion are central to its mission. 

Learn more about Bear Bridge

Black Girl Talks 

As an advocate for Black voices, Payne is the creator and lead researcher of the Black Girl Talks Mentoring program. This identity-affirming program pairs Black high school girls in Springfield with Black college women at MSU.  

Students enjoy space to discuss issues related to Black girl and womanhood, education, identity and relationships with their mentor.  

This program is also a research site for students interested in learning about the experiences of diverse populations, youth participatory action research and program development.  

Additionally, Payne is the faculty advisor of five student organizations:  

  • Sister Circle. 
  • Psychology Club and Psi Chi. 
  • Sigma Lambda Gamma. 
  • Association of Black Collegians.  
  • MSU NAACP. 

Mentor philosophy  

Payne is passionate about being a mentor to Black girls and women who participate in the program or research, as she provides guidance in education, identity or other psychosocial needs. 

“I feel a drive to be the representation and change students need to grow and evolve,” Payne said.  

“As a woman and faculty member of color, I strive to make sure students see themselves in ways they may never have dreamed and support them to reach new heights.” 

Payne tries to equip all her students with the knowledge and expertise to get where they want to go and to push themselves to reach what may feel like impossible levels.  

By being heavily involved on campus and spending one-on-one time with students, Payne has the opportunity to build relationships and share her journey. 

“It’s important for me to let my students know that anything is possible, if you use your resources and put the work in.” 

Explore psychology

New alliance will transform health care education in the region 

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Four of our region’s leading institutions announced the creation of the Alliance for Healthcare Education on Aug. 29.

The Alliance is a bold, collaborative approach that will develop the talent to meet – and exceed – our region’s health care workforce needs for decades to come.

The new entity is an unprecedented partnership among CoxHealth, Missouri State University (MSU), Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) and Springfield Public Schools (SPS). Leaders at these institutions recognize that by working together, they can achieve more than any one of them could alone.

When the partnership is fully realized, the Alliance will be the largest producer of health sciences professionals in the Midwest.

The joint announcement took place at Cox College, where the leaders of the four partnering institutions – Max Buetow, president and CEO of CoxHealth; Dr. Hal Higdon, chancellor of OTC; Dr. Grenita Lathan, superintendent of SPS; and Clif Smart, president of MSU – came together to share the news.

“The Alliance for Healthcare Education will benefit an array of stakeholders — students, the health care sector and patients,” the leaders of the four institutions said in a joint statement. “This pioneering collaboration promises to improve access to training opportunities while maintaining affordability. By refining and simplifying these educational pathways, our community’s medical providers will have access to a larger pool of well-qualified professionals capable of fulfilling vital roles from administration to the operating room.

“Despite its composition as a consortium of educational institutions, the collective gains are far-reaching, for we will all inevitably engage with the health care profession at some point. This collaboration will enhance patient experience and outcomes, yielding mutual advantages for everyone involved.”

The health care landscape

Across the country, the health care sector is grappling with a notable workforce challenge, and our region is no exception. In southwest Missouri, we are uniquely positioned for collaboration with strong educational and health care professionals who are accustomed to working together.

The creation of the Alliance will allow each institution to bring their strengths to more students than ever before.

The Alliance will inspire and prepare future health care experts by providing unsurpassed access to the highest quality interdisciplinary education and industry experiences. Students will achieve their full professional potential through seamless pathways that support them at every stage of their careers.

As part of the change, Cox College will be fully integrated into the Alliance. Current Cox College students will complete their programs. Pending approval of the Higher Learning Commission and other accrediting organizations, over time, Cox College will transition its bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs to MSU, and its associate programs to OTC.

In addition, OTC and SPS will work to establish a pathway through which high school juniors and seniors can participate in health education programs offered by OTC. These programs will allow students to simultaneously complete their high school diploma while earning an associate degree.

Ultimately, the Alliance will create pipelines that allow students early access to the industry and professional opportunities.

In the future, the Alliance hopes to attract other participants, including additional high schools.

Alliance administration

The Alliance will be housed at Cox North, including space where Cox College is currently located.

The Alliance will be established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, owned by the four parties. The Alliance will be administered by a governing board comprised of the chief executive officers of the owner-participants, and one or more community board members as determined by the owner-participants. Day-to-day operational decisions will be vetted and recommended by an Operations Council of representatives from each of the owner-participants.

In the coming months, all four organizations will work through details, and provide updates to the public on this exciting new chapter in workforce development for our region.