Center for Community Health Partnerships
Community Engaged Scholars Program, College of Nursing

The Community Engaged Scholars Program is an education and training initiative of the Center for Community Health Partnerships in the College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina. This program provides training, pilot funds, and mentorship for teams consisting of an academic and community partner who have interests in community-based participatory research (CBPR).  The goal of this program is to increase the capacity of academic-community partnerships to conduct research with mutual ownership of the processes and products, and ultimately, improve the health of our communities in South Carolina and beyond. The Community Engaged Scholars Program is held annually with applications for teams released in April each year.  Funding for the CES program is provided by the South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Institute and the Southeastern Virtual Institute for Health Equity and Wellness (SE VIEW). 

The program provides didactic training on the definitions, principles, theories and methods of community-based participatory research (CBPR), building and sustaining partnerships, evaluation and career development. In addition to training and mentorship, teams are awarded $10,000 in pilot grant funds to implement a CBPR initiative.  After completing the CES program, participants will meet the following competencies:

1. Understand the concepts and components of community based participatory research.  
2. Apply CBPR principals in the conduct of research.
3. Incorporate CBPR principals and approaches in grant proposals.
4. Demonstrate CBPR efforts in a career portfolio.
5. Communicate with audiences in both academic and community settings about CBPR principals and components.  
6. Implement a pilot CBPR initiative.  

Six teams participated in the inaugural year of the CES program during the 2009-2010 academic year.  Results of the partnership sand projects of the first year include NIH and private foundation grant submissions, community co-authored manuscripts and national presentations. More information is provided on the CCHP website. 

Five teams have been selected to participate in the second year of the program.  These teams represent academic disciplines from across the MUSC campus and partners from various community sectors.  The teams that have been selected to participate are the following:

1. Elisabeth Pickelsimer, MUSC Biostatistics & Epidemiology
   Patricia Kelly, A Family Affair HIV Ministry
   Addressing the needs of incarcerated persons living with HIV/AIDS as they prepare for community re-entry
    
2. Roger Newman, MUSC Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
   Jermel President, The DAE Foundation
   Addressing childhood obesity in Title I schools in Charleston County
    
3. Carol Lambourne, MUSC Department of Family Medicine
   Myra Pinckney, St. James-Santee Family Health Center
   Addressing quality improvement in a rural, federally qualified community health center 
    
4. Amy Painter, MUSC College of Nursing
   Stacy Gaillard, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center
   Vanessa Gant-Clark, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center
   Virginia King, Lowcountry AIDS Services
   Prevention of HIV/AIDS among Lowcountry Veterans
    
   
5. Elaine Amella, MUSC College of Nursing
   Laura Stefanelli, Respite Care Ministries
   Addressing the needs of persons with dementia and their caregivers

For more information about the Center for Community Health Partnerships:
Melissa Cox
Telephone: (843) 792-2215
Email: coxme@musc.edu