The Public Health Projects course is 15 years old! Since it first launched in 2004, Larner College of Medicine students have completed 233 projects in partnership with the United Way of Northwest Vermont and dozens of community collaborators and published a total of nine papers and 123 peer-reviewed abstracts, including presentations at the American Public Health Association annual meeting.
Eli Goldberg '20 and Kirsten Martin '20 hold their Honorable Mention awards at the 2018 APHA meeting. (Courtesy photo)
Did you know the Public Health Projects course is 15 years old? Since it first launched in 2004, Larner College of Medicine students have completed 233 projects in partnership with the United Way of Northwest Vermont and dozens of community collaborators and published a total of nine papers and 123 peer-reviewed abstracts. At this year’s American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif., an impressive 11 Class of 2020 Public Health Projects were accepted for presentation and three projects received awards.
Two project presenters received honorable mentions in the Student Abstract Award category – Eli Goldberg for the “Radon, From the Ground into Our Schools: Parent/Guardian Awareness of Radon Levels in Vermont” project, and Kirsten Martin for the “Needs Assessment of Suicide Prevention in Vermont Middle and High Schools” project. The “Health Professionals and Public Awareness of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Vermont” poster - presented by Lee Hiromoto - won 2nd place.
In addition to Hiromoto's presentation, projects presented as posters included “Vermont Opioid Prescribing Rules: Prescriber Attitudes” (Zara Bowden); “Engagement and Disengagement in Art Interventions with Memory Impairment” (Lauren Gaffeney); “Role of the Dental Community in HPV Vaccination Promotion” (Laura Till); and “Patient Perspectives of the Doctor-at-Home Service” (Russell Himmelstein).
In addition to Martin and Goldberg’s presentations, students who delivered oral presentations included James Rowher, who discussed his group’s project, “Farm to Early Care and Education in Vermont;” Caleb Watkins, who presentedon “Assessing Barriers to Health Care Access for New Americans;” Caroline Vines, with “Barriers Encountered by Syringe Exchange Clients in Vermont;” and Harris Syed, who discussed “Transportation Barriers to Healthcare in Adults 65+.”