News and Events
U.S. Dept. of Defense awards Barry University $1.2 million grant |
The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Barry University’s College of Health Sciences a $1.2 million Congressionally-directed grant. Money from the grant will be used to fund a two-year project titled “Surveillance of water sources for pathogen contamination: an approach to provide informative maps for military deployment and humanitarian assistance planning.”
The project, under the guidance of Barry faculty members Dr. Gerhild Packert and Dr. Evelio Velis (co-principle investigators), and Stephen Dunham (project coordinator), is in conjunction with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to assist military and humanitarian needs by quickly testing water for safe use during emergency conditions. Barry researchers will be testing how accurate hand held water test kits are in finding bacteria and parasites in fresh water. Results of these tests will be verified with advanced laboratory instrumentation.
Additionally, the grant provides an opportunity for Barry students during their undergraduate work to participate in field sampling and laboratory testing. These students will receive training on advanced laboratory equipment and learn techniques that will prepare them for potential careers in research, hospitals and commercial laboratories.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to give undergraduate students an opportunity to have ‘hands on’ field experience in research. The grant award recognizes the capability of our faculty to contribute to scientific findings that will benefit the Department of Defense,” said Dr. Pegge Bell, dean of Barry’s College of Health Sciences.
Barry is also implementing an environmentally conscious policy during the project. With this “Green Lab” protocol, the university will be using methods and instruments in the laboratory to conserve energy, water usage and chemicals that are environmentally friendly (motion senor lighting, energy efficient lighting, equipment that exceeds federal energy efficient regulations).
College of Health Science master's student awarded $500 scholarship |
Daniel Navarro was awarded one of two South Florida Executive Board scholarships, a $500 award, to help with his tuition costs. Born and raised in South Florida, Navarro graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Science in May of 2006. He is scheduled to graduate with a dual graduate degree in Health Service Administration and Public Health from Barry in December.
In addition to academic studies, Navarro is employed with MedAssist LLC; a company that aids uninsured patients at several HCA Hospitals in applying for public benefits. He will soon transition into an internship opportunity with the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine in August.
During his undergraduate years at the University of Florida, Navarro served in many facets at the chapter and national level within his fraternity as well outside of the fraternal community; becoming a Forum Director for the Hispanic Latino Collegiate Forum. He was also actively involved in the Hispanic Student Association, Cuban American Student Association, NAACP, Multicultural Greek Council, and the Greek Judicial Board. Currently, he is involved with Upsilon Phi Delta Honor Society at Barry, and is a student member of MGMA, ACHE, and the SFHEF.
His ambitions in life are to complete his degrees and climb the corporate health administration ladder in hopes of making a positive impact in health care within the community.
The Barry University, College of Health Sciences exhibit at the 137th Annual American Public Health Association Conference in Philadelphia, PA. |
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The Barry University, College of Health Sciences exhibit at the 137th Annual American Public Health Association Conference in Philadelphia, PA. The individuals in the booth are Dr. Whiteman, Associate Dean, Division of Health Management; Dr. Velis, Associate Director, MSHSA; Desmond Jones, Graduate Assistant/MPH graduate student; Reena Permanan, MPH graduate student and Andrea Borns, MPH graduate student. |
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Dr. Velis presenting his poster in the peer reviewed session. |
John McFadden Receives National Award from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists |
PARK RIDGE, Ill. – John McFadden, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) from Hollywood, Fla., has been named the 2009 Program Director of the Year by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA).
The Program Director of the Year Award, established in 1991, is presented to a CRNA who has made a significant contribution as a program director to the educational process of student nurse anesthetists. The award recognizes the commitment of individuals to the profession of nurse anesthesia and to the advancement of educational standards that further the art and science of anesthesia and result in high-quality patient care. Currently, there are 106 nurse anesthesia programs, and more than 1,300 affiliated clinical sites in the United States. Nurse anesthesia programs are completed within 24-36 months, and students graduate with a master’s degree in nurse anesthesia.
McFadden is currently the associate dean and chair, Division of Graduate Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla.
“Nothing is quite as rewarding as receiving this honor from my peers. It is humbling to join the long list of distinguished colleagues who were previously named,” said McFadden. “Nurse anesthetists are committed to education and life-long learning. Being an educator is an opportunity to help shape the future. Education not only enhances our own growth, but provides us with the means to provide the best anesthesia care possible to our patients.”
McFadden began teaching nurses in 1991 and has served the nurse anesthesia profession as an educator since 1998. Frequently recognized for heading a large anesthesiology program, creating new ways to decrease attrition, or representing CRNAs as an educational leader in an associate dean’s role, he has dedicated more than two decades to his profession. Through his diligence, McFadden’s enhancement of the distance learning curriculum at Barry University has made it possible for many to attend nurse anesthesia school closer to home.
McFadden received his PhD in nursing from Barry University, College of Heath Sciences and a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee in Memphis. In addition, he received a master ’s degrees in nurse anesthesia and health care administration from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Penn., and earned both a bachelor’s degree and associate’s degree in nursing from Gwynedd-Mercy College in Gwynedd Valley, Penn.
About the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA)
Founded in 1931 and located in Park Ridge, Ill., the AANA is the professional organization for more than 90 percent of the nation’s CRNAs. As advanced practice nurses, CRNAs administer approximately 30 million anesthetics in the United States each year. CRNAs practice in every setting where anesthesia is available and are the sole anesthesia providers in more than two-thirds of all rural hospitals.
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On June 25, 2009, the Perfusion Advisory Council met at Barry University. Dr. Richard Perryman, the medical advisor for the Cardiovascular Perfusion Program (CVP), Dr. Pegge Bell, Dean for CHS, and other perfusion community partners representing many local open heart programs were present. This was the Advisory Council's inaugural meeting. Cindy Cervantes, the newly appointed director of the CVP program, opened the meeting with a brief discussion of the history of the CVP program at Barry University and its current status. The responsibility of the Advisory Council, as outlined in the standards and guidelines published by the Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, is to assist the program with appropriate goals and learning domains and to monitor the needs and expectations of the perfusion community, thereby ensuring the program's responsiveness to the changes and advancements in the field. Discussion for the meeting centered around changing the admission requirements for incoming students, updating the current didactic material to reflect new trends and technology in perfusion, and piloting a more comprehensive clinical experience for our students by working with different members of the open heart surgical team, such as the anesthesiologist and the physician's assistant. The surgical team at Memorial Regional Hospital, under the leadership of Dr. Perryman and Sean Murtha, the Director for Perfusion Services, has volunteered to partner with us as we implement this initiative into our curriculum. The meeting concluded with the Perfusion Advisory Council addressing strategic planning for the upcoming academic year. The Council will meet again in the fall to determine the program's progress.
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November 7-11, 2009 The American Public Health Association is the oldest, largest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world and has been working to improve public health since 1872. The Association aims to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats and strives to assure community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities and preventive health services are universally accessible in the United States. APHA represents a broad array of health professionals and others who care about their own health and the health of their communities. The APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition is the oldest and largest gathering of public health professionals in the world, attracting more than 13,000 national and international physicians, administrators, nurses, educators, researchers, epidemiologists, and related health specialists. APHA's meeting program addresses current and emerging health science, policy, and practice issues in an effort to prevent disease and promote health. APHA has a world of public health in store for you. Water and Public Health: the 21st Century Challenge: Water is a limited resource, the demands for which are fast increasing. In the United States, utility workers, scientists, sanitarians, engineers, government officials and many others work around the clock to provide safe and clean drinking water to America's homes and businesses and are struggling to keep up with demand without compromising water supplies for future generations. Their efforts impact numerous aspects of society, including but not limited to the health of individuals and ecosystems to the health of the nation's economy. Modern water systems face such challenges as chemical contaminations, waterborne diseases, supply shortages, water treatment and sanitation and deteriorating, outdated infrastructures. Worldwide, over one billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Join us as we explore the latest public health challenges and learn about what can be done to protect our resources, our health and our world. Information provided by http://www.apha.org/
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On June 19, 2009 the first "Sickle Cell Day" was recognized at the United Nations Office in New York at an event organized in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), UNAIDS, and the World Bank. Dr. Jordan was part of a round table discussion related to the prevention and spread of the sickle cell gene. She also summarized best practices for disease management and improving transfusion services for patients. After recognizing sickle cell disease as a public health problem, the General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously adopted resolution A/63/237 in December of 2008 to designate June 19 of each year as "Sickle Cell Day" to increase awareness of this problem at the national and international level. Collaboration among the Sickle Cell Disease International Organization (SCDIO), the delegation of the Congo and 24 Member States made the recognition possible. Participants at the event included the UN General Assembly, UN Economic and Social Council, UN Security Council, heads of states and government, royal highnesses, regional institutions such as the African Union and European Union and first ladies. Guests enjoyed many events including an exhibition of associations and international organizations at the United Nations building, an art exhibition on sickle cell disease, and a festival organized by the Sickle Cell & Thalassemia Patients Network (SCTPN) in areas around the United Nations.
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She will work in the Birth Defects and Disabilities Division, Center for Blood Disorders. Specifically, Ms. Borns will conduct an analysis of both inpatient and outpatient data related to Sickle-cell disease. She will focus on trending longitudinal data, cost data and comprehensive care data. Ms. Borns will be mentored throughout her internship by Dr. Lanetta Jordan, Associate Director/Associate Professor of the Barry University Master of Public Health program. Dr. Jordan is a nationally recognized medical expert on Sickle-cell disease. The Center for Disease Control anticipates a professional, published research paper to be presented as the final outcome of this internship.
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John McFadden also discusses proposed cuts to Florida Resident Access Grant
McFadden received the invitation through his role as the president of the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists, a position he has held since October 2007. The meeting took place in the Governor’s Suite in Tallahassee, where McFadden was also able to bring the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists Board of Directors, including several other Barry personnel – Director of the Anesthesiology program, Tony Umadhay, recent graduate Kathleen Sullivan, clinical instructors Mike Steighner and Bruce Weiner and current Barry student Gwen Randall. “This was not a year in which we were lobbying for specific issues,” McFadden said. “This was an opportunity to reach out to policy makers about how we as nurse anesthetists can help, and how we can all work together to improve health care in Florida.”John McFadden, program administrator for the Barry University Master of Science in Anesthesiology program, was invited to meet with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist March 19, discussing one-on-one current issues in both health care and higher education. McFadden received the invitation through his role as the president of the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists, a position he has held since October 2007. The meeting took place in the Governor’s Suite in Tallahassee, where McFadden was also able to bring the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists Board of Directors, including several other Barry personnel – Director of the Anesthesiology program, Tony Umadhay, recent graduate Kathleen Sullivan, clinical instructors Mike Steighner and Bruce Weiner and current Barry student Gwen Randall. “This was not a year in which we were lobbying for specific issues,” McFadden said. “This was an opportunity to reach out to policy makers about how we as nurse anesthetists can help, and how we can all work together to improve health care in Florida.” John McFadden, program administrator for the Barry University Master of Science in Anesthesiology program, was invited to meet with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist March 19, discussing one-on-one current issues in both health care and higher education. McFadden received the invitation through his role as the president of the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists, a position he has held since October 2007. The meeting took place in the Governor’s Suite in Tallahassee, where McFadden was also able to bring the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists Board of Directors, including several other Barry personnel – Director of the Anesthesiology program, Tony Umadhay, recent graduate Kathleen Sullivan, clinical instructors Mike Steighner and Bruce Weiner and current Barry student Gwen Randall. “This was not a year in which we were lobbying for specific issues,” McFadden said. “This was an opportunity to reach out to policy makers about how we as nurse anesthetists can help, and how we can all work together to improve health care in Florida.”
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Dr. Evelio Velis poster presentation “Homicide Victims in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, 2004 to 2009” has been selected for presentation at the 137th American Public Health Association Annual Meeting (Nov 7-11, 2009) to be held in Philadelphia, PA and the Florida Health Annual Educational Conference (Aug 6-7, 2009) at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Andrea Borns, a student in the Barry University Professional Master of Public Health program, has been awarded a prestigious eight week internship with the Center for Disease Control.
