School of Medicine, Community Service Collaborative Efforts

Collaborative Partnerships Through the School's Perinatal/Pediatric Outreach Education Program, obstetrical, neonatal and pediatric experts from The Children's Hospital, University Hospital and the CU Health Sciences Center have joined forces in a collaborative effort to enhance maternal/child health care. This program's goal is to encourage optimal health care for pregnant women, newborns, children and their families across the state. Outreach visits are scheduled throughout the Rocky Mountain region for case review and consultation on perinatal and pediatric issues for local medical staff and/or entire perinatal/pediatric committees. Traineeships, such as the Rural Pediatric Nursing Traineeship Program, provide small groups of professionals with an in-depth focus on the anticipation, recognition, assessment and stabilization of the pregnant woman, newborn and pediatric client. Local and regional physicians also can spend time at The Children's Hospital and affiliated institution for continuing professional development through the MD Visiting Fellowship Program.

The School's Center for Human Nutrition links with Colorado State University to provide community outreach relative to human nutrition. The Center has active links with other universities in Colorado and with city, state, and regional food assistance and community nutrition education programs. An integrated nutrition education program has been operative at three inner city Denver public elementary schools since 1993. A centerpiece of the model is the resource science teacher who interfaces closely with the Center's public health nutrition educator. The Nutrition Center partners with Denver Public Schools Student Services in the development of a Comprehensive Health Initiative and collaborates with the Denver School Based Health Centers. In partnership with the CU Cancer Center and other community funders, the School's Center for Human Nutrition manages the Seeds for Health program, which targets Colorado 3rd graders for its "5 a Day" program. Follow up is done in their 4th grade year to see if students remember what they were taught the year before. Other major outreach initiatives include community nutrition education programs in metropolitan Denver and collaborative programs to develop the Colorado Nutrition Network, the goal of which is to provide nutrition education for Medicaid recipients.

Working in concert with the Denver sickle cell community and the Rod Smith Foundation, medical students established the Buff Buddy program, pairing a student with a child with sickle cell to learn more about the chronic illness while providing the children with some added attention and positive mentoring. Siblings are also included in the program because often home life is centered around the needs of the child with the disease and the other sibling overlooked. Since its inception in 1998, 30 to 40 medical students have actively participated.

Together with the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute and The Children's Hospital, the school's Department of Pediatrics has provided outreach through the Junglemobile a retrofitted ambulance replete with internet capabilities and injury prevention information and interactive programs for kids. The goal of the program is to travel throughout Colorado to provide injury prevention interventions.