The Pulse
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Greetings from Milledgeville!
The new year has been accompanied with good news for the College of Health Sciences. First, our BSN program was ranked by US News and World Report as the #1 nursing program in Georgia only to be followed by a #1 ranking for our online MS in nursing in Georgia and named in the top 30 nationally!
On the Health and Human Performance side, we have submitted our paperwork to have our BS in public health accredited by Council of Education for Public Health (CEPH).
We continue to work on fundraising for our mobile clinic. This month, we had two foundations contribute to our efforts with a $100,000 check from Aflac’s CareGrant program, making Georgia College & State University the first recipient of this grant in Georgia. President of Aflac, Mr. Virgil Miller, a Georgia College alumnus was on campus to speak and participated in various homecoming events as well. In addition, the Truist Bank’s foundation also contributed $50,000! Special thanks to our Leadership Board for connecting us to key people in both foundations.
As we look toward fall term, the university is expecting another strong enrollment of freshmen, and we will welcome another group of Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholars into the BSN program. In addition, we expect to see growth in both of our schools across the board, so we are working hard to plan for those increases in students in both online and on campus programs.
The month of February will also bring a site visit from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools late in the month and our college is preparing for that visit as our university readies itself for the visit and reaccreditation process.
As always, if you are in Milly and have time, please drop by, and say hello! We are always happy to see what our alums are up to and talk more about what is going on in the College of Health Sciences.
The Body Project
This past month, the School of Health & Human Performance hosted a peer leader training for the eating disorder prevention program, The Body Project. Students from a variety of majors including Public Health, Psychology, Nursing, and Chemistry were chosen to participate in this training. The training was facilitated by Dr. Chris Ann Meno, an experienced clinical psychologist with over 13 years of involvement in implementing the program at Indiana University.
In a few short weeks, these trained leaders will guide groups of Georgia College & State University students through this impactful program, known for enhancing body image and self-esteem while reducing the risk of eating disorders among college women. Congrats to these women on their achieving certification as Body Project Peer Leaders!
Grant-Funded Program Improving Diversity In Research
At Georgia College & State University, a three-year program is in motion to provide underrepresented minority students access to research and mentorship in the biomedical field.
The Diversity in Cancer Research Institutional Development Grant, funded by the American Cancer Society, encourages students to join research activities, attend graduate school and either pursue careers in research or the biomedical workforce.
“The goal is to address the lack of diversity in the biomedical workforce by first engaging students early on in their educational pursuit,” said co-investigator of the program and Associate Professor of public health, Dr. Ernie Kaninjing. “By giving them the opportunity to participate in research and be mentored, we hope they will be pursuing careers, leading them into biomedical research.”
“So, they can actually become researchers themselves,” he said.
Initially the grant was offered to the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, but the school extended the program to Georgia College through a collaboration.
Outside Consulting with Dr. Mike Martino
Dr. Mike Martino has continued his research and outside consulting with NASCAR's Team Penske, headquartered in Mooresville, NC. He has been working on several projects including developing a High-Performance Training Model along with Jeremy Boone, who is an internationally recognized performance coach, best- selling author, published researcher, and the creator of the LeaderKit™ Program.
Dr. Martino and Mr. Boone have been working together for over twenty years. Team Penske has won back-to-back NASCAR Cup Championships with drivers Joey Logano (#22) and Ryan Blaney (#12).
Federal Emergency Mangement Agency (FEMA) Training
EMRA- Emergency Medical Response Awareness for CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and/or Explosive) Incidents
Through this course, the student gains knowledge and practical experience in the triage and treatment of CBRNE mass casualty victims. The student reviews the CBRNE threat and associated symptoms of exposure and contamination; on-site and hospital triage and treatment of victims; and performs scenario-based triaging decision games to provide experience in the critical thinking skills required to quickly triage and treat CBRNE mass casualty victims. Below are some of the objectives or topics discussed and performed during this training:
- Identify a biological hazard
- Identify a chemical hazard
- Identify a radiological or nuclear hazard
- Identify an explosive hazard
- Interpret triage tags
- Identify procedures for the SALT (Sort, Assess, Lifesaving Interventions, and Treatment and/or Transport) Mass Casualty Triage Algorithm
- Identify treatment protocols for victims of chemical exposure
- Identify treatment protocols for victims of biological agent exposure
- Identify treatment protocols for victims of radiation exposure
- Identify treatment protocols for explosive blast and trauma victims
In January, the Georgia College Association of Nursing Students (GCANS) kicked off the semester at our monthly meeting with speaker Dr. Corey Claxton. He discussed his background as a psychiatric nurse practitioner and his research on mental illness. Recently, our members volunteered at The Cottages Nursing Home for their monthly birthday party! They helped hand out food and drinks, played trivia with the residents, and had a chance to sit and talk with them. More information on point opportunities, upcoming events, and how to join can be found on our Instagram @gcsu_gcans or visit our Facebook page. For any questions, please email the GCANS President eliza.berry@bobcats.gcsu.edu.