Jefferson Nursing Graduate Myrlita Clark Honored As Paul Ambrose Scholar

Clark to Attend Health Care Symposium; Applying Mini-Grant to
Chronic Kidney Disease Education for Underserved Populations

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — June 15, 2007 — As Jefferson’s nursing graduates proudly received their diplomas at Commencement this month, one graduate had an additional honor to celebrate.  Philadelphia native Myrlita Clark graduated with a master’s in nursing degree (MSN) with specialization as a family nurse practitioner (FNP).  Adding to her list of accolades, Myrlita was recently selected as one of 40 national Paul Ambrose Scholars.

The Paul Ambrose Scholars Program provides leadership training and education to graduate clinical students interested in public health, prevention, healthcare policy, and medical and health sciences education, with the intention of cultivating student leaders capable of expanding the focus of health professions education.

Mary Powell, PhD, CRNP, Jefferson School of Nursing faculty member and Myrlita’s advisor, has bright hopes for Myrlita’s future as a nurse practitioner.  “Myrlita has an important contribution to make in improving patient outcomes.  As a Jefferson nursing student, she demonstrated continuous growth in her ability to provide primary care.  Patients ask for her and I have no doubt she will make a difference in patients’ lives.”

As part of the Paul Ambrose Scholars Program, Myrlita will attend a three-day symposium in Washington D.C. in July.  Following the symposium, Myrlita plans to create a chronic kidney disease education newsletter with the $200 micro-grant she was awarded as a Scholar.  “I believe healthcare information given to all patients needs to be in plain language to help assure patients’ understanding of healthcare facts ---doing so may slow the progression of chronic kidney disease,” explains Myrlita.  “I anticipate the newsletter will be published four times annually with funds provided through this program.  My hope is that it might prevent even one person from progressing to end stage renal disease and improve outcomes for the high proportion of African Americans in urban clinics with hypertension and early kidney disease.”

Myrlita has expressed gratitude for the opportunity to continue her work in underserved urban communities. “I’m grateful to the Paul Ambrose Scholar Program for allowing me to share my passion for working to prevent end-stage renal disease among the urban poor.  According to Healthy People 2010, 600,000 people will have chronic kidney disease by the end of this decade.  We must not ignore these numbers if we are to ever address healthcare discrepancies.  Even small steps may make a difference to help address healthcare inequities.”

The Paul Ambrose Scholar Program is sponsored by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the American Medical Student Association and Community-Campus Partnerships for Health. 

The Jefferson School of Nursing is part of Jefferson College of Health Professions (JCHP), an integral part of one of the nation’s first academic health centers, Thomas Jefferson University. The University also includes Jefferson Medical College and Jefferson College of Graduate Studies. JCHP has two schools in addition to the School of Nursing: a School of Health Professions (consisting of Departments of Bioscience Technologies, General Studies, Couple and Family Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Radiologic Sciences), and a School of Pharmacy.

Contact:
Jacqueline Paquet
215-503-1918
Jacqueline.Paquet@jefferson.edu

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