National Blog

"As the Maternal and Child Health Care Coordinator at the UPMC Shadyside Family Health Center (which operates within the IMPLICIT Network), my primary role is to provide ICC case management to improve maternal and infant health. When a woman screens positive for one of the four risk factors, I provide health education to motivate behavior change, address barriers, and build meaningful relationships. I frequently encounter mothers who smoke, and in those situations, I utilize the 5 A’s model for smoking counseling: ask, advise, assess, assist, and arrange."

"During the first few weeks of service at my host site, I embarked on my first project — contacting patients who were due for their routine cancer screenings and vaccinations. I called patients on the phone to tell them that they were due for a mammogram, colonoscopy, dexa scan, or pap smear and asked them if they would like to schedule an appointment to complete the screening. In approaching outreach in this manner, many patients declined — particularly when they were due for a colonoscopy."