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                        JeffNEWS, November 15, 1994
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College of Allied Health Sciences Awarded $340,000 Grant to Train 
Interdisciplinary Health Teams for Underserved Populations
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The College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS), through its Center for 
Collaborative Research (CCR), has received a $340,000 grant from the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Professions, for 
a three-year project to develop, implement and evaluate a model to train 
interdisciplinary health teams for underserved populations.

The College's program will target homeless individuals who live in four 
shelters in the City of Philadelphia and who represent an underserved, 
culturally diverse population including the elderly, women and children, 
minorities and those with complex physical and mental healthcare needs.

To meet the needs of the homeless, the project will develop a 
partnership among allied health and nursing faculty, physicians from 
Jefferson Medical College, community leaders, healthcare providers and 
representatives from the homeless community.

The partnership in turn will plan and implement a new program of 
didactic and clinical experiences as well as interdisciplinary service 
strategies for Jefferson graduate students in nursing, physical therapy and 
occupational therapy and for dental hygienists.  

During the implementation phase, under the supervision of academic 
faculty and community-based health providers, allied health and nursing 
students will be joined by medical students and work as a team to develop 
and implement interdisciplinary health promotion and restoration strategies 
in the four shelters for the homeless.

"This grant is particularly significant for two reasons," said program 
co-director Kevin J. Lyons, PhD, CAHS associate dean and CCR director.  
"Not only is it interdisciplinary among allied health and nursing 
professionals but it also includes medicine and community involvement.  
Secondly, it is a potential model for use with other underserved 
populations," Dr. Lyons explained.


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Information provided by:  Editor, JeffNEWS
                          (215) 955-6204
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