A unit of the Center for Health Professions Education in the medical school's Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, SEATEC will continue to be part of the National AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) Program. AETC is a Health Resources and Services Administration-funded network of 15 regional centers located throughout the 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
SEATEC will continue its work to increase the number of health professionals who are effectively educated and motivated to counsel, diagnose, treat and manage individuals with HIV infection and to assist in the prevention of high-risk behaviors that may lead to infection. SEATEC also will continue to conduct multidisciplinary education and training for health care providers as well as health professions faculty and students in Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina.
"Our new name reflects this renewed commitment to urban, suburban and rural communities throughout our region," said SEATEC Director Ira Schwartz, who pointed out that SEATEC's academic home at Emory "underscores our dedication to serve primary care providers with accurate and up-to-date educational events. But SEATEC is really a partnership of clinically oriented educators located at other institutions of excellence throughout the Southeast."
The ninth annual summer institute, which takes place June 12-July 14 in Atlanta, was founded in honor of Ralph Bunche, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and former APSA president.
Catherine E. Rudder, current APSA executive director and an Emory trustee, said that the summer institute participants are selected on a competitive basis from colleges across the country. "These exceptional students have demonstrated a potential in the field of political science and are interested in pursuing a career in the field," said Rudder. "During the institute the students take two graduate-level courses and are introduced to the life of scholarship.
"The success of the institute is a direct result of the extraordinary dedication of faculty and staff at the five participating Atlanta institutions," she added. Emory faculty involved in the summer institute include Professor of Political Science Alan Abramowitz, Dobbs Professor of Political Science Harvey Klehr and Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies Eleanor Main.
The institute is supported by the Graduate School, the Coca-Cola Foundation, and the Georgia State University Foundation, in addition to the APSA.
Since 1993, graduate nursing students in the Pediatric Advanced Nursing Program have provided comprehensive health assessments and health education for children 6 to 18 at metro area Boys and Girls Clubs. "The partnership allows nursing students an opportunity for hands-on nursing practice while giving care to those who might otherwise never receive it," said Assistant Professor Kathy Pittman, who coordinates the program.
Mike Skrynecki of the Boys and Girls Clubs agreed with Pittman's assessment. "For the most part, the kids we deal with come from single-parent households at poverty level. These families seek medical attention only in an emergency. Collaborations between organizations such as ours and Emory really help us make a difference in our community."
The HIV prevention project is led by Professor Colleen DiIorio, principal investigator for a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded project studying how parents' attitudes and knowledge about HIV influence their children in terms of HIV prevention. During the past two years, DiIorio and her project team have interviewed 400 adolescents and their mothers about their awareness and attitudes about HIV transmission and prevention. After analyzing the data, DiIorio plans to establish an intervention program on HIV prevention through the Boys and Girls Clubs.