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Living the Schweitzer legacy

Posted on | January 4, 2012 | 490 views |

With the former Nobel laureate as a role model, this group of Columbus Fellows is out to change the world

By Jeff McCallister

Michelle Caster walked into the room full of Somali immigrants that first time without knowing exactly how much they needed what she was bringing them.

“When I first moved to Columbus, I didn’t realize how big the Somali refugee population here is,” said Caster, a medical student in Ohio State’s College of Medicine. “I’m passionate about global health, and I was intrigued by the thought of this population here and figured there must be some barriers they faced when it came to medical care and to life in general.”

When Caster first decided she might be in a good position to help, she was connected to the Focus Learning Academy, a charter school in north Columbus, and realized that this group — not only the students there, but also the parents — mostly recent Somali refugees or first-generation immigrants, had never been educated about good nutrition or the necessity of exercise and physical activity.

“The principal there told me he’d love to have a nutrition project, that was something that was lacking for a lot of reasons,” she said.

It was about that time, when she was collecting advice from OSU faculty and trying to get her project off the ground, she heard about the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship program.

ASF supports students who wish to follow in the footsteps of the pioneering humanitarian. Translating their passion and idealism into action, Schweitzer Fellows (primarily graduate or professional students) partner with community-based organizations to develop and implement yearlong, mentored service projects that meet the health needs of underserved populations.

The Schweitzer Fellowship, according to Terry Bahn, Columbus Schweitzer Fellows program director and director of Outreach and Engagement in the OSU College of Medicine, is the fact that it is not a “plug-in” volunteer opportunity, nor is it one that is undertaken while academic life is on hold.

“Instead of simply volunteering to fill a pre-set role, ‘‘ Bahn said, ‘‘fellows must partner with community-based organizations to identify an unmet health need, design a sustainable service project with an enduring impact and bring the project from idea to implementation. By doing so over the course of a year and on top of their regular academic responsibilities, Schweitzer Fellows learn to integrate service to vulnerable people into their everyday lives.’’

Upon completion of their initial year, they join an international alumni network of more than 2,000 Schweitzer Fellows for Life — individuals skilled in, and committed to, meeting the health needs of underserved people throughout their careers as professionals.

So at the time Caster was figuring out a way to serve the large and growing Somali population, Columbus had just been designated as the 12th ASF chapter in the US and was recruiting its inaugural class of fellows. She applied and was one of 15 chosen for the fellowship — including 12 from Ohio State.

“I suppose I could run my project without the fellowship, but it’s so much easier and smoother because it gives me so many more resources,” Caster said. “The Schweitzer Fellows are all such incredible people and I’m so lucky to have them to talk through issues with or bounce things off of if I need to.

“It also provides a good bit of accountability and makes me reflect on my progress.” She also works with a Schweitzer mentor, in this case Elizabeth Barker, associate professor of Clinical Nursing, who provided Caster her initial inroad into the community she now serves and helped devise and refine the parameters of the project. Barker also helps recruit undergraduate nursing students to volunteer on the project.

The fellowship requires 200 hours of direct service to the underserved community, and Caster is spending hers presiding over monthly dinnertime meetings about nutrition, exercise and other general health topics for 30 parents of students in the elementary grades at the school. She plans to begin a similar program for middle school ages soon.

“Albert Schweitzer really has been a role model of mine, so it’s really rewarding to be a part of this program, and I’m already looking forward to being a Fellow for Life, working both here and abroad to try and improve people’s lives.”

Albert Schweitzer and the Columbus fellows from OSU

Pioneering physician and humanitarian Albert Schweitzer founded his iconic hospital in Gabon, Africa in 1913. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952, and his philosophy of “Reverence for Life” inspired everything from environmentalism to the animal welfare movement. Today, Schweitzer Fellows are his living legacy.

In partnership with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, OhioHealthnine colleges at Ohio State and OSU’s Ofice of Outreach and Engagement, Ohio University’s Heritage College of Medicine, and Trinity Lutheran Seminary, the Columbus Schweitzer Fellows Program chose an initial class of 15 fellows, including Michelle Caster (see story, left), Bernard Cason from Trinity, Heather Datsko, and Kimberly Hermann from OU and the following 11 others from Ohio State:

Samantha Boch, OSU College of Nursing, is addressing the lack of comprehensive sex education in Columbus by creating and administering an age-appropriate, sustainable sexual health curriculum for middle- and high school-aged girls.

Elizabeth Coppelman, College of Veterinary Medicine, is expanding opportunities for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities to reap the benefits of animal therapy — partnering with Serendipity Stables. She also is coordinating a group of veterinary students from OSU to provide veterinary care to the horses used in the program.

Tamara Durr, College of Social Work, is addressing obesity-related issues among low-income families in Greater Linden through a culturally competent, threefold program that includes healthy eating, physical fitness and primary care components.

Allison Gibson, College of Social Work, is partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association to develop an education and support program for individuals and their families in the early stages of dementia. She also is working to expand Columbus-area support programs for individuals with Young Onset Alzheimer’s disease who have been diagnosed before the age of 65.

John Heffernan and Brittany Lipinsky, College of Dentistry, are addressing the oral health needs of children from low-income families in Columbus, working with local dentists and Head Start staff to establish a dental home for Head Start children, and to provide education that imparts the benefits of oral health to both children and parents.

Anne Marie Kessler, College of Medicine, is addressing maternal health and infant mortality in the Weinland Park neighborhood by facilitating a weekly peer support group for new mothers.

Kacie Kreifels, College of Optometry, is addressing culture and language barriers between optometrists and non-English speaking patients in Columbus.

Joan Randle, College of Nursing, is addressing the impact of low breastfeeding rates on maternal and infant health in Weinland Park. Partnering with the International Poverty Solutions Collaborative, she is establishing a mother-to-mother breastfeeding support group and a comprehensive lactation clinic to serve low-income and minority women.

Diana Tsai, College of Pharmacy, is addressing cultural and communication barriers to improved health literacy in Columbus by creating a program that teaches adults and children how to effectively communicate with health care providers.

Tessa Yoder, School of Allied Medical Professions, is addressing the health of adults with developmental disabilities by creating a student-run health and wellness program that focuses on personal health maintenance, prevention and participation in wellness activities.

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