Interprofessional teams’ journeys end with a celebration

On April 11, 2023, teams of MUSC students presented their work on Presidential Scholars Day during a program that ended with a Recognition Ceremony.

Students from all six colleges and the Charleston School of Law were selected at the start of the year for participation in the Dr. Raymond S. Greenberg Presidential Scholars Program. The teams explored the complex social, political, and human issues that shape the delivery of health care services through projects that partnered with the community.

“The program is a great opportunity for our students to work on interprofessional teams doing something that connects them to the community in a meaningful way,” said Philip Hall, dean of MUSC College of Pharmacy. “They benefit from the experience and the organizations they partner with benefit from the creativity, insight, and hands-on work they provide.”

College of Pharmacy honorees included faculty member Marc Lapointe ’95 as Faculty Scholar, Brane’a Hardie as Fellow, and Presidential Scholars Lauren Adams, Cassidy Bates, Erin Dougherty, Abigail Frier, Ashley Holloway, Kathleen Polkowski, and Angeleki Zecopoulos.

Projects

• Lauren Adams and Ashley Holloway were on a team that connected with MUSC’s student-run CARES Clinic, which provides free medical care to uninsured residents of South Carolina. The team helped revise the clinic’s onboarding process to make it more effective, including training videos on translation services, taking vitals, and other necessary skills.
• Erin Dougherty’s team partnered with Tri-County Speaks Sexual Assault Center, which provides services to victims and survivors of sexual violence, to spread awareness about Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault. The teams’ outreach was targeted to local bars, creating opportunities for education and training the staff on active intervention.
• Cassidy Bates and Abigail Frier were on a team that partnered with Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina, a 124-year old institution that offers care to low-income, disadvantaged pregnant and parenting mothers in need. The team addressed food insecurity and its many health and social ramifications by teaching the residents of the Florence Crittenton House to grow their own fresh food via container gardens.
• Kathleen Polkowski and Angeleki Zecopoulos focused on inclusion for non-English speaking populations. Their team partnered with the Dream Center Clinic, a faith-based free medical clinic, revising their clinic resources handouts with updated information, expanded resources, adding more clinics, and translating it into Spanish. With the help of a Spanish speaker, they distributed the information at a local food market.