Community in Action

Partnerships, community service hallmark of Pacific clinical work

While many of Pacific’s health care efforts the past year focused on COVID-19 safety and vaccinations, new partnerships were formed and traditional clinical outreach continued in other areas.

Transforming diabetes care with partner Abbott Fund: Pacific and the Abbott Fund, the philanthropic foundation of the global health care company Abbott, are in their third year working in partnership to change the trajectory of the diabetes epidemic in Stockton, where nearly 60 percent of the adult population has diabetes or prediabetes.

The partnership is part of Abbott’s Future Well Communities initiative, a program to tackle the chronic disease crisis by addressing the social and economic barriers to good health.

To address the impact of diabetes in Stockton, a primary focus of the Future Well Communities initiative is to build a pipeline of trained health care workers to provide diabetes care. Specifically, through the collaboration, the goals are to develop the university’s diabetes curriculum, establish new programs and ensure access through scholarships to support students who are committed to serving patients in Stockton after completing their coursework.

“Without the Abbott Fund scholarship, it would have made it impossible for me to continue my goals and my dreams of becoming a social worker,” said Abbott Fund Scholar Leacha Clark ’21. “Having the diabetes concentration is going to open many doors for me and many others.

“The difference that I hope to make in Stockton is to increase awareness about diabetes, especially within the African American community,” she said.

Since partnering with the Abbott Fund in 2019, the university has launched clinical and non-clinical certificates in diabetes essentials through Benerd College and a master of social work degree program with a subspecialization in diabetes care and management in the new School of Health Sciences. The Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy added mobile diabetes patient clinics in priority neighborhoods throughout Stockton this fall, and an entry-level master of science in nursing program is planned to launch in 2022.

Kaiser supports pharmacy school’s Medicare Part D outreach: Students in Pacific’s Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy are helping Medicare beneficiaries save money and improve health outcomes through Pacific’s Medicare Part D outreach clinics.

During the clinics, pharmacy students work with beneficiaries to identify drug plan offerings that minimize out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, ensure medications are safe and effective to take together, and provide comprehensive health screenings and vaccinations.

Kaiser Permanente has been a longtime partner and supporter of the clinics, which have assisted more than 10,000 beneficiaries, most of whom are seniors, with their Medicare Part D drug plan, helping them save an estimated total of $9.35 million.

Dugoni dentistry clinics serve many: Pacific’s Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry continues its rich tradition of serving communities with pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, dental hygiene and special care. More than 17,200 patients were served during 77,330 visits in 2019–20.

The Dugoni School is a pioneer in teaching future dentists how to treat patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities or other issues.

The efforts are led by Professor Allen Wong, director of the school’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency programs, who was named an advocate hero by the magazine Exceptional Parent.

Some patients travel more than 100 miles to be seen at the Dugoni School’s Special Care clinic, which offers a full range of dental services to patients with medical and psychosocial considerations.

CARESTAR Foundation boosts McGeorge programs: Pacific’s Mc- George School of Law students are gaining valuable experience by providing legal services to formerly incarcerated people who are experiencing homelessness in the Sacramento area, thanks to a multiyear, $420,000 grant from the nonprofit CARESTAR Foundation.

McGeorge law students and attorneys are helping clients by providing legal services that include the expungement of criminal records, reduction of fines and fees, access to public benefits, child support modification, credit counseling and more. The grant will support a medical legal partnership with WellSpace Health, a regional health care provider in the Sacramento area, and the project will operate as a part of the law school’s clinics.

“McGeorge staff attorneys and law students, working with a community health center, can make significant headway with some of the most intractable problems facing this vulnerable population,” said McGeorge School of Law Dean Michael Hunter Schwartz.

Students learn through experience in civic action program

University of the Pacific has almost tripled its student commitment to the California Civic Action Fellowship program, which blends field and classroom learning opportunities with high-impact community service.

Thirty-seven fellows will have participated in the program by the end of this school year, including 10 in 2020. There are 17 student participants this fall and 10 more scheduled for spring.

The program is a collaboration among AmeriCorps, California Volunteers and eight California universities, including Pacific.

“The Civic Action Fellowship program is possible because eight universities, including Pacific, have leaders who recognize that we must call our young people to serve while keeping them on track to graduate on time, and helping them pay for college,” said Josh Fryday, California’s chief service officer.

“This will be work with specific organizations for large potential impacts,” said Darlene Meza ’22, who will work with El Concilio, one of the region’s leading support organizations for Latinos. “I really would like to work on immigration or behavioral mental health services for the Latinx community.”

The four local agencies (El Concilio, PUENTES, Little Manila Rising and Public Health Advocates), which were represented at the swearing-in, are grateful for the expertise and diligent work of the fellows.

“It’s very important for us to work with local college students,” said Hannah Rhea Divino, holistic health director for Little Manila Rising, which advocates for the Filipino community in Stockton. “We benefit from the commitment they have to the community and, in turn, the students are able to develop leadership skills.”

Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Edie Sparks directs the program for Pacific. Dari Tran, professor of political science, and instructor Marylou Bagus-Hansen are co-program managers who teach class sessions and help coordinate field work.

“We are thrilled to have resources from the university combined with resources from the state and federal government. It has been a joy to put the program together the past two years,” Tran said. “Experiential learning is one of my passions. We scaffold the learning through classroom and field experiences for the students. And while they are doing their service work, they are thinking about the social or political consequences, in addition to the policy implications.”

Lauren Crook ’21, who was a 2020 fellow, said the program helped guide her into graduate school through Benerd College and into her student teaching at Weston Ranch High School.

“Even as a future teacher, I’m going to use service learning in my lesson plans,” Crook said. “Being immersed is completely different than reading it in a textbook. You are living what you are learning.”

Pacific President Christopher Callahan, who spoke at the swearing-in ceremony, said the program is an important blending of in-depth learning and community service.

Those thoughts were echoed by California Rep. Carlos Villapudua, D-Stockton.

“We face challenges in our communities, many of which we never thought we would fall victim to,” Villapudua said. “It is inspiring to see all of you prepared to go out there and answer the call to help others.”

PACIFIC FELLOWS WILL BE ASSIGNED TO FOUR LOCAL AGENCIES:

El Concilio for nutrition education program

PUENTES for building sustainable communities

Little Manila Rising for social justice issues

Public Health Advocates for health issues