2009 kickoff meeting notes

UWSOM APAMSA Kickoff Meeting Notes

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

T530, 5:30-7PM

• Introductions
• Background of APAMSA and Current Officers

APAMSA is a national organization, current officers this year are Amanda, Jena, Jeannie, Robin, and James.  The group is very flexible and open to ideas for events and projects.

• The APA community in Seattle – ICHS and beyond – James

 The main APA serving health agencies in Seattle are International Community Health Services, a community health center, and Asian Counseling and Referral Service, an agency that provides mental health, substance abuse, and citizenship services.

• Brief overview of APA health disparities – Jeannie and Jena

Hepatitis B (and therefore liver cancer), cervical cancer in Vietnamese women, smoking, diabetes

• APAMSA National Conference – Oct 9-11, 2009 – Amanda and Robin

National conference is coming up, see note from Amanda in previous post.

• Website – http://uwapamsa.blogspot.com - James
• Brief Overview of Events and Activities
• Autumn Quarter/Yearlong
• Hepatitis B Teaching Session – Robin and James

Will organize along with Hep B taskforce.  This will be a teaching session for medical students.  Speakers will include a physician that works with patients with Hep B and the Hep B taskforce coordinator.  Should be in November sometime.

• Hepatitis B Focus Group - James

Will take place mid-October - Oct 12 possibly.  ICHS and the Hep B Taskforce have received a grant from a national organization to start a public health campaign revolving around vaccinating for Hep B.  They are conducting focus groups with various groups around the city and would like one involving health professions students.  Nursing and pharmacy students will be at the focus group as well ideally.

• Diversity Advisory Board – Amanda and James

Advise OMCA regarding diversity issues.  James is the primary rep, Amanda is the backup.

• Hepatitis B Screenings Assistance – Jena, Robin, and James

APAMSA has helped provide translation at some screenings provided by the Hep B Taskforce in the past.  This year, we are looking to expand language capacity by working with premedical undergraduate groups that have more time.  We may act as a liaison those groups and the Taskforce and provide mentoring as incentive for undergraduates to volunteer their time.  We are unable to draw blood at these events because of liability issues.

How a screening typically is setup:

-A community member from a church or community center learns about Hep B and its prevalence in APA communities

-They get connected with the Hep B Taskforce

-Together they set up a screening for that community

APAMSA members are encouraged to leverage their contacts in churches and community centers to find communities that may benefit from this.  Grace mentioned a church in the area that may be a potential site to provide screenings.

• Winter Quarter
• Panel for premeds – Jeannie and Amanda

In the past, we have hosted a panel of medical students targeted towards premeds to provide advice and encouragement.

• Assist with bone marrow drive - Robin

Last year, we helped with a Bone Marrow Drive organized by SNMA that was part of a national push by medical students around the nation because of a medical student that needed a bone marrow transplant.

• Spring Quarter
• Minority Physician’s Panel – Robin

APAMSA helps host a Minority Physician's Panel during 2nd look weekend for both prospective students and current students.  We recruit panelists, physicians working with underserved communities, who speak to students about their experiences.  It has been very popular in the past and APAMSA has always had a large role in setting up the event.


AFERM (Alliance for Equal Representation in Medicine) is a group that APAMSA works closely with for events such as this.  the goal of AFERM is to increase diversity in the UWSOM.  Most APAMSA members are also AFERM members.  Contact Grace for more info about AFERM.

• Blood pressure screenings with ICHS - James

Coming up in Spring and the Summer.  See report on this blog for more info.  Need a 1st year to take over coordinating this.

• Other ideas
• ICHS - tour, preceptorships, shadowing

James used to work at ICHS and knows people there well.  If there is interest, APAMSA can set up a tour of ICHS.  Additionally, a family medicine preceptorship is available at ICHS and more informal shadowing sessions can be set up as well.

• Social events – bubble tea, dimsum, etc

Many expressed interest in more APAMSA social events such as group dimsum or bubble tea.

• Group volunteer events - Keiro Nursing Home
  

Many also expressed interest in more group volunteering events at places such as the Keiro Nursing Home, a nursing home that has mostly APA elders.  Jena has volunteered there in the past and enjoyed her experience there.

Next steps

• Outline details of additional projects and events
  
• Divide up tasks for the various projects between interested first and second years