FAU launches Health Equity Nursing Scholars Program

The first-of-its-kind Health Equity Nursing Scholars (HENS) program is designed to improve health equity in communities nationwide.

Florida Atlantic UniversityS Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Recently, the Florida Blue Foundation and the Frederick A. The DeLuca Foundation has launched a new scholarship program. The first-of-its-kind Health Equity Nursing Scholars (HENS) program It is designed to improve health equity in communities nationwide.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), racial and ethnic minority groups across the US experience higher rates of morbidity and mortality from a variety of health conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and asthma. , and heart disease, compared to their white counterparts. Additionally, non-Hispanic/black Americans are four years less likely to live than white Americans. The COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate impact among racial and ethnic minority populations is another notable example of these persistent health disparities.

Through a three-pronged approach, FAU’s College of Nursing and the Florida Blue Foundation are poised to change the landscape in health care communities in South Florida and beyond. HENS supports eight different, exemplary Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree students and two Master of Science in Nursing students each year. Through scholarships and programming, Florida Blue Foundation is providing student resources to help create opportunities and remove barriers for students and community members.

Co-directors of the HENS program at FAU are the College of Nursing. Christine Toledo, PhD, APRN, Assistant Professor and Bilingual Nurse Practitioner and Certified Nurse Practitioner; And Nadine Phillipsinstructor and nurse at Broward Health for over 23 years in various capacities.

“Our HENS Scholars will intentionally learn about the social issues of health, how to ensure health equity, and how to implement integrated health care in the integration of primary care and behavioral health, and understand the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration and interprofessional practice,” said Toledo.

HENS Scholarship recipients receive $5,000 per year for up to four years and serve as student representatives on the College’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Task Force. Each student completes clinical rotations at local facilities, including FAU and the Northwest Community Health Alliance Community Health Center.FAU/NCHA CHC) operated by the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing.

FAU/NCHA CHC provides comprehensive primary, behavioral health and preventive care to patients in underserved and rural areas of Palm Beach County. The HENS curriculum and on-site immersion clinical training enabled the FAU/NCHA CHC to serve more than 1,700 underserved patients in a six-month period.

HENS scholars are also trained and mentored by faculty advisors and preceptors. attend monthly seminars on health equity topics with other health equity peers; and developing a quality improvement or evidence-based practice project.

“We are very grateful to the Florida Blues Foundation and the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation for supporting outstanding nursing students and the College of Nursing’s important service to underserved communities in South Florida,” he said. Morning George, PhD, Dean, FAU Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. “The Future of Nursing 2020-2030”. It calls upon the entire nursing industry, including health care facilities, organizations, government agencies, and nursing programs, to support the critical role of nurses in achieving health equity. The Health Equity Nursing Scholars Program creates immediate societal impact in primary and pediatric medicine, chronic disease management, telehealth, and behavioral health and transforms the approach to addressing health inequities to ensure patients receive better care.

According to the CDC, black men are 70 percent more likely to die from stroke. As a result of underdiagnosis, millennials from most black and Hispanic communities have lower rates of major depression diagnosis, compared to white communities at 31 and 55 percent, respectively. Black adults are 60 percent more likely to have diabetes than non-Hispanic white adults; And black mothers have three times the death rate and twice the morbidity rate of white mothers.

– FAU