KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 29. 2010 / NEWS / 3A
HEALTH
Medical clinic awarded grant
BY JUSTINE PATTON jpatton@kansan.com
The Heartland Medical Clinic at the Leo Center, 1 Riverfront Plaza, recently received a grant to provide nine Americorps members, most of whom have either graduated from or are currently enrolled at the University of Kansas, with the opportunity for real-life experience and training in the medical field.
Stewart said 74 percent of patients who visit their doctors have something more than just physical illness and Americorps members strive to fill in the needs left after the 15 minutes with their doctors have elapsed.
Jon Stewart, the executive director of the Leo Center, said the grant would allow the Americorps members to try to change the way their patients look at health care. Often people go to the doctor because they are sick. However, Stewart said it's important to educate patients that the best way to treat sickness is to stop it before it starts.
The Heartland Medical Clinic is staffed with individuals whose goal is to provide medical care to those with poor or no insurance.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," Stewart said.
Jenny Davidson, a KU student who works in the diabetes care and prevention program, said the clinic staff tried to provide support that goes beyond the prescription. She said often patients who have just received a diabetes diagnosis come to her
stressed and confused.
"It's a feeling of 'What do I do now?' and that's sort of where we fit in." Davidson said. "To provide that support for them."
Megan Foster, another KU student and Americorps member who works at the diabetes care and prevention program, said one of her favorite parts of her job was providing medications to patients who were having trouble affording it previously.
"It's really awesome to see how grateful they are for a place to go and get these supplies," Foster said. "They're kind of in amazement when we walk in with a bag of stuff worth hundreds of dollars a month, and it's really cool to see."
Mavarro often interacts with patients who want to quit smoking. The patients she works with are often under a lot of stress and have a lot of other things going on in their lives, she said. Mavarro said she was constantly amazed by the motivation she observes in her patients.
Sonya Mavarro, who is a student at the University of Kansas Medical Center and works in the wellness program, said the experiences she had at the Heartland Medical Clinic go beyond anything she could get anywhere else.
"Sometimes I think I might even be a little more excited than them when they stop smoking," Mavarro said with a laugh.
- Edited by Tim Dwyer
Plan funds higher education at KU
BOARD OF REGENTS
BY STEPHEN GRAY sgray@kansan.com
In response to the growing need for a more educated workforce, the Kansas Board of Regents proposed a $21.2 million program on Sept. 15 to help solve critical engineering and nursing shortages in Kansas.
The program is calling for $14.15 million to be provided to higher education through state funds. The remaining $7.1 million would come from participating college and universities.
If the plan is passed by the Kansas Legislature in 2011, it will include a much-needed investment in the expansion of engineering graduates from the University of Kansas, Wichita State University and Kansas State University. This expansion will increase to 1,365 graduates annually, a 56 percent increase from the average 875 graduates.
Stuart Bell, dean of the School of Engineering, said the strength of the Kansas economy was dependent on the engineering field. He said the additional funding would serve the needs of the state.
Bell said that the money from the plan would likely be allocated toward larger classrooms and additional faculty and staff. This would help accommodate the expected increase in engineering students at the University.
"Engineering continues to be a driving factor in Kansas' economic health," Bell said.
As technology becomes more integrated into our lives, Bell said, the reliance on engineering, technical and information sectors will only increase. The need for higher education will become even more essential, he said.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, increasing the nation's average level of education by one year could increase economic growth by 6 to 15 percent. This would add between $600 billion and $1.5 trillion to the U.S. economic output. This was one factor in the Regents' decision to raise funding for higher education, since the board believes the effect would be similar in Kansas.
Engineering, which is very important to the state of Kansas, plays a large role in the education funding movement. In 2006, one third of Kansas' $39 billion workforce payroll was tied to the engineering and technology fields, according to the Kansas Abstract.
In addition, two-thirds of Kansas' top 25 exports in 2008 were engineering-related commodities.
Michael Wade Smith, student body president, said the program was a great step for student success, and that it should help support many of Kansas' main economic producers.
"If we commit more money to our programs, firms will be able to hire more Kansas graduates and improve the state's labor force." Smith said.
The other major Universityrelated aspect of the Regents' proposal is the benefit to the University of Kansas Medical Center. In addition to adding 50 more slots for nursing students, the initiative will also expand the Kansas Medical Student Loan Program by 22 slots.
Barbara Atkinson, executive vice chancellor of the Medical Center, said the plan would increase the number of primary care physicians in Kansas and provide more nurses to counter a statewide shortage.
It has been projected that the state will need more than 6,000 new nursing jobs by 2014, and Atkinson said actions like this are vital going forward.
"Every little bit helps," she said.
Edited by Roshni Oommen
Environment enlightenment
Matt Phillips, a junior from Wichita, is an education major who spends significant time near JRP. He said he was always cautious when he crosses the street. He called the intersection "a blatant free for all."
CROSSWALK (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
Jenna Mittelmeier, a senior from lola, said she walked to school from the other side of the Triangle house — from Ninth Street and Michigan Street — which limits her route options.
“There’s no other way besides crossing this road,” she said. “It makes you a little nervous.”
In 2004, through the Campus Safety Advisory board, students requested that the University of Kansas figure out a different crosswalk or good alternative.
Since that time, the University has been working on and off with the city, which is responsible for the streets, to find a solution. Last month, the University sent a letter to Dave Corliss, Lawrence's city manager, asking the him to initiate a study of the area to "determine
safe alternatives for pedestrian crossing."
"We want them to evaluate it with a fresh set of eyes," said Jim Modig, director of design and construction management at the University.
The original 2004 student request asked the University to provide a lit path beyond the Triangle fraternity, as if West Campus Road extended straight for walkers. Modig said that never materialized because of the complications of trying to install University lighting and material on private property — the fraternity.
prioritize how important this intersection is to address. This information was included in last month's letter to the city.
The City Commission has sent the task to staff, meaning the city is only beginning to schedule when they will have an answer by.
In 2008, officials from the University, city and local neighborhood met to discuss crosswalk options along both roads. As a result, the city asked the University for pedestrian counts. The University then used an engineering student to generate the count, which will be used by the city to analyze traffic, as well as to
Modig said the process can take a long time, and not only on the city's end. For example, once the University knew it needed pedestrian counts, it had to wait for the next semester to start, so that assessments would be correct.
Waiting is further compounded by the neighborhood, which will have input with any decision the city makes. In the original 2004 request, nearby people opposed the new lamps as light pollution.
Now that the University has sent in the pedestrian count and requested city attention, it's up to the city to propose a plan for the intersection.
Edited by Emily McCoy
ASSOCIATED PRESS
More drunken drivers charged with murder
SANTA ANA, Calif. — While rookie Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was pitching six scoreless innings in the game of his career, Andrew Gallo spent hours bar-hopping.
Gallo, 23, had a prior drunken driving conviction when he killed Adenhart and two of his friends
in a high-speed crash in Orange County. He also had received a written warning from the court that if he drove again and killed someone while under the influence, he could be charged with murder.
That made all the difference for jurors, who took little more than a day to find Gallo guilty of three counts of second-degree murder
rather than manslaughter.
It was the 11th time in two years that a defendant was convicted of murder in the county for killing someone while driving drunk.
The verdict Monday against Gallo cemented the conservative county's reputation as a leader in the nationwide trend of prosecuting drunken drivers for murder.