From the Desk of Diversity
Northwestern's Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter
Summer of Service Issue
- In the Spirit of Service
- Words to Live By
- Did You Know?
- Nominate a Dignity & Respect Champion
- Random Acts of Kindness (RAK)
- Links to Explore
- Days to Remember
- Topics in Diversity: Keeping the T Visible in LGBT Advocacy
- Title IX Training
- Community Engagement
- Past Events
- Get Involved
- Learning & Training Opportunities
- Apply for a Scholarship
In the Spirit of Service
While I was visiting, I spoke to an elder while we watched the Price is Right. We chatted about her earrings that her mother gave her. Her room was decorated with her life and you could see that it was full of love. She said she was not lonely because she had frequent visitors, but it was clear from our conversation that she wanted to spend time with people from outside of the community more regularly. I also spoke with another elder who told me about her work in a school. Her family also visited her frequently and she told me about her friend who she enjoyed spending her time, but did not have as many visitors as she did. After we chatted, I was called to spend some time with a group of residents and Northwestern volunteers playing a ball game. Shortly after that, our volunteer group had to return to campus for the luncheon and afternoon festivities. I shared with the resident manager my regrets of not being available to visit longer because I had to go, but hopefully they understood.
I wondered about visit frequency. The research says that residents in senior living communities are visited frequently (check here for a good literature review), but I saw otherwise. I was told that the visits are not as frequent as the community members would like and some are not visited at all. Visiting, as social support, is key to human health. In fact, research has shown that loneliness and social isolation predict mortality, even while controlling for health, demographics, and mobility.
So how do we reconcile this?
We could go back on our own time to do the work, even if it is hard to schedule. Also, although Service and Appreciation Day only comes once a year at Northwestern, it should be every day because that is why we are at Northwestern - to Live Healthy, Learn Healthy, and Serve Healthy.
Service, in the form of service learning, is beneficial to students' curriculum and work-life balance at the university because it provides a new dimension of learning that a classroom cannot teach. It is active learning that establishes roots in a community that grow far and long into sustainable networks. Students learn several concepts:
- how to meet community needs in an academic environment;
- how to critically reflect on service experiences while meeting community needs in order to build new learning opportunities for themselves and others; and
- how to balance personal responsibilities and prioritize appropriately to sustain health.
The goal is to provide a pathway for students to become stewards of healthful living and civic engagement. Additionally, through service learning, we can create a community service footprint that makes our university stand out from the rest.
In order to keep Northwestern's spirit of service going, I want to build and do more service learning projects for our community to go beyond just one day a year. The benefits for our students and community are numerous, as you can see. Would you join me in this work? If you are interested, send me a note and let's get this started.
In service,
Alejandra Dashe, adashe@nwhealth.edu
Words to Live By
"If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody." - Chinese Proverb
Did You Know?
In 2012, 64.5 million Americans (26.5% of the population) contributed 7.9 billion hours of volunteer service worth an estimated $175 billion of service.
Information from United Way of Greater New Haven, CT
Nominate a Dignity & Respect Champion
Please take five minutes to nominate your Champion. Thank you.
Random Acts of Kindness (RAK)
If you see something, say something.
Please email Sara Cooper, scooper@nwhealth.edu, to nominate someone and make their day.
Days to Remember
Ramadan Mubarak! Ramadan is ongoing from the evening of June 17 through the evening of July 17. July 17 is Eid-al-Fitr, celebrating the end of Ramadan.
Happy Summer Solstice! Click here to understand more about why June 19th was the longest day of the year.
Canada Day is July 1! Enjoy some cake in the foyer on this day.
Happy Independence Day! July 4 is Independence Day. Enjoy the fireworks and festive weekend.
Topics in Diversity: Keeping the T Visible in LGBT Advocacy
June is designated as LGBT Pride Month which serves as both a celebration of the unique history and culture of the LGBT community as well as a reminder about current human rights issues in the United States and abroad. Fittingly, the recent issue of Vanity Fair which hit newsstands earlier this month shines the light on the often overlooked individuals in the LGBT community. Dubbed by some as the “final frontier of the LGBT movement” transgender rights and health are increasingly coming under focus of the American people and media.
Individuals who identify as transgender face their own set of unique healthcare concerns which are particularly relevant to current and future healthcare providers who are largely, grossly uninformed as to the health-care needs of this population. As a future healthcare provider, I was interested in the reaction by my peers and fellow students to the national discussion prompted by Caitlyn Jenner’s “coming out”. While many handled the conversation with the professionalism and tact one would expect from a healthcare provider, I was truly disappointed by the conduct of some of my peers and other members of the university. When faced with a sensitive topic and important conversation with many health and wellness ramifications, it appears like our professions, and society as a whole, have a long way to go.
Transgender health and wellness is virtually absent in the mainstream healthcare arenas and educational institutions in the United States. This not only is an injustice to transgender individuals but also healthcare providers who often lack the baseline knowledge to effectively communicate and interact with these patients who often feel ostracized by medicine and the healthcare system. Luckily, several opportunities exist on-campus for further education on LGBT issues and health sponsored by a number of student clubs including Justice, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion club (JEDI club) and the Gender and Sexuality Alliance club (GSA).
As healthcare providers we are expected to practice “patient-first” medicine focusing on the individual needs and wants of our patients. Our professions in-particular pride ourselves on our ability to establish trust and connect with our patients to promote mental and physical health and improve their overall quality of life. This trust and understanding is incredibly needed and important in dealing with underprivileged and historically marginalized populations including individuals identifying as transgender. We can all be better if we seek out educational opportunities to grow and better understand the people around us.
Submitted by Nathan Servey, Diversity Scholar, nservey@nwhealth.edu
Title IX Training
Northwestern Health Sciences University is committed to creating a learning and working environment free from all forms of discrimination, including harassment, sexual assault, and relationship violence which are also prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. It is important that all members of our community know where to turn if they have a concern, need assistance or support, or would like to file a complaint. We hope that through policies, printed and online materials, as well as annual training opportunities we will have provided a compilation of information which students, employees and other members of the NWHSU community will find helpful.
As such, all students and employees are required to take Title IX training. The purpose of this requirement is to raise awareness on college campuses nationwide. Furthermore, we want to empower students and employees to report harassment, sexual assault, and relationship violence, provide resources and procedures for when it does occur, and how to go about reporting it.
Described here are the training requirements that need to be met before 2015 Fall Trimester for students and within 30 days for employees:
For Students: Online training, entitled Student Empower, has now become a required training course for all students at NWHSU. This training must be completed by each student prior to registration for the 2015 Fall trimester. Currently, registration is set to open July 12th. Your online training must be completed prior to you registering for the next term of classes. A 'Hold' will be placed on your account preventing you from registering if your training is not completed.
For Employees: Online training, entitled Preventing Discrimination and Sexual Violence, has now become a required training course for all employees at NWHSU. This training must be completed by each employee within 30 days. There are certain campus authorities that will be required to complete additional training specific to their roles within our policies.
For all Employees and Students: To complete your training, please find the email you receive from WorkPlace Answers with the subject: Required Course Registration. This email will contain the link to your training and should take you less than 1 hour to complete. This first registration email was sent to your Northwestern email address on June 23, 2015. Please check your Northwestern email inbox and junk mail folders in case you did not see it right away.
Northwestern’s Title IX Training resources are available online, as well as in print in the Student Affairs and Human Resources offices. You can find the newly adopted policy within the Student Handbook and Employee Policy and Procedure Manual. Additional face-to-face trainings will be presented on an annual basis to remind our community on the importance of remaining aware of these policies, resources and topics.
If there are any questions or concerns, please feel welcome to contact either Human Resources or Student Affairs.
Submitted by Lisa Franczak lfranczak@nwhealth.edu and Alejandra Dashe adashe@nwhealth.edu
Community Engagement
The “We Are Hmong Minnesota” Exhibit will be at the Minnesota History Center from March 7-November 29, 2015. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Hmong migration to Minnesota.
NWHSU's Appreciation & Service Day - June 4
Spring Roll Event - June 24 - Sponsored by the Asian Culture Club
Twin Cities Pride Festival - June 27-June 28 at Loring Park - visit NWHSU's booth at YO78 (map).
Diversity Scavenger Hunt - July 8 - Stay tuned for more details!
Dragon Festival - July 11-July 12 - See Dr. Jim Hulbert at jhulbert@nwhealth.edu to get on NWHSU's Dragon Boat Racing Team: InteGREAT! Enter in the Dragon Boat Racing Team T-Shirt Design Contest by sending designs to Bao at bxiong@nwhealth.edu and Wei Wei at wxia@nwhealth.edu by June 26.
Chronic Pain Matters Symposium - July 25, 10am-3pm. The Chronic Pain Matters Symposium is a free and public event hosted at Northwestern Health Sciences University that is open to all populations. The goal of this gathering is to address the pressing issue of chronic pain, as well as the disparity in gaining access to quality pain care. The career programs offered at NWHSU are based on a holistic and problem focused approach, rather than masking the pain through medication. This conference will focus on educating attendees on the various techniques and modalities taught at NWHSU, as wells ways to ensure quality care is made accessible to all. Register here at Eventbrite: http://tinyurl.com/chronicpainNWHSU.
Minnesota Multicultural Student Leadership Conference will be held November 14th, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm at the Coffman Memorial Union on the East Bank Campus of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Early-Bird Registration August 1st - September 21st at $35.00 per person. After, registration will go up to $50.00 per person. Attendance is limited to 200 participants. Please see Dr. Dashe at adashe@nwhealth.edu if you are interested in presenting, attending, and/or volunteering.
The Office of Diversity & Inclusion is looking for health care shadowing opportunities with professionals who work with populations that have documented health care disparities.
For all outreach events, please share your interest and opportunities with diversity@nwhealth.edu.
Submitted by Alejandra Dashe, adashe@nwhealth.edu
Past Events
Minnesota AIDS Walk
Our walk team was sponsored by the Gender and Sexuality Alliance and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. There were nine walkers including Dr. Renee DeVries, Faculty Senate President.
The university was an in-kind sponsor this year. We had a booth with massage therapy and kinesiotaping for the walkers. More pictures are here.
Submitted by Beau Foshee, wfoshee@nwhealth.edu
May Day Girls in Action I Am Luncheon
Get Involved with Diversity & Inclusion
- Take training! See "Learning and Training Opportunities" below. Most trainings are free or low cost and can get you CEUs.
- Take the Dignity & Respect pledge.
- Join one of our cultural clubs.
- Want to write for From the Desk of Diversity? Book Club book suggestion? Engaging diversity activity idea? Contact Dr. Dashe, Beau Foshee, or Celia Peters.
Learning & Training Opportunities
- A Physician's Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care
- Health Resources and Services Administration: Effective Communication Tools for Healthcare Professionals 100
- Immigrant and Refugee Health Online Course by the U of M Medical School Department of Global Health (and other opportunities)
- YWCA of Minneapolis Racial Justice Workshops & Events
- Rainbow Health Initiative Trainings & Presentations
- Minnesota AIDS Project
Office of Diversity & Inclusion
Email: diversity@nwhealth.edu
Website: http://nwhealth.edu/diversity/
Location: Northwestern Health Sciences, West 84th Street, Bloomington, MN, United States
Phone: 952-888-4777 235
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Northwestern-Diversity-Inclusion/678001138890536
Twitter: @NWHSU_Diversity
Senior Editor
Director, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Assistant Professor, College of Undergraduate Health Sciences
Email: adashe@nwhealth.edu
Website: http://www.nwhealth.edu/undergraduate-studies/faculty-directory/estrindashealejandra/
Editor
Student, College of Chiropractic
Email: wfoshee@nwhealth.edu
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/beau-foshee/a/58b/493
Assistant Editor
Student, College of Chiropractic
Diversity Scholar
Email: cpeters@nwhealth.edu
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/celia-peters/9b/b28/b74