Emily Bowles
Emily graduated from the Murray State University undergraduate dietetics program in May 2017. After graduation she applied to a post-baccalaureate internship at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, an elite program with a competitive application process. After being accepted into the program, Emily was named the dietetic intern of the year for the entire state of South Carolina – a notable honor in the dietetics discipline.
After completing her internship she moved to Cincinnati, OH to be closer to her fiancé while he finishes his master’s degree. They met at Racer 101 during their freshmen year at Murray State University. She is now credentialed as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and works at a state psychiatric hospital.
“Since beginning the position, I have been working to change the meals and snacks the hospital offers in order to provide healthier options and reduce weight gain often caused by psychotropic medications. I also educate and counsel patients with conditions such as heart disease, cancer, non-healing wounds, diabetes, hypertension, eating disorders, malnutrition, and those with potential food-medication interactions and provide weight management counseling for patients who are underweight, overweight, or obese.”
Emily also plans and implements cooking classes for patients and teaches them life skills such as meal planning, budgeting and grocery shopping.
“The education I received at Murray State University provided me with the knowledge and confidence to excel in my field and reach my goals. I’m looking forward to see where my career takes me next!”
Murray Half Marathon
The Murray State University School of Nursing participated in the annual Murray Half Marathon in October. Student and faculty volunteers set up a first aid station in case runners needed assistance during the race. Their spirit team also encouraged runners to keep up the good work, as well as passed out water and Gatorade.
“The students were very enthusiastic and did a great job motivating the runners,” said Dr. Tonia Mailow, one of the faculty volunteers.
This year the School of Nursing was awarded a check for $150 for a 6th place tie. The Murray State School of Nursing has been participating in this event for several years and will continue to participate and support our community.
Education Abroad – Greece
On May 12th through the 26th, Dr. Jessica Naber and Dr. Miranda Terry will take approximately 20 students to study abroad in Athens and Ikaria, Greece. This education abroad program will focus on exploring the Blue Zone concept. Blue Zones are areas of the world where people live considerably longer, healthier lives than people in the United States. Ikaria, Greece is one of five such Blue Zones.
During the program students will focus on sociocultural practices such as diet, activity, exercise, religion and agriculture. The course will also focus on helping students to investigate unique healthcare techniques and practices, university education styles, hospital structures and healthcare systems throughout Greece.
For more information about our Education Abroad programs, visit http://murraystate.edu/academics/studyabroad/index.aspx
White Coat Ceremony
The White Coat Ceremony at Murray State University was started in 2014 and has become a rite of passage for newly admitted nursing students. The ceremony takes place during the student’s initial semester and serves to welcome them to healthcare practice. This semester's ceremony will take place on Friday, February 8th at 5:00 p.m. in the Mason Hall Auditorium.
One of the most important parts of the ceremony is the oath of compassion. Students recite the oath in front of their teachers, family members and peers to acknowledge their central obligation of caring for the patient. Students are also presented a pin that is donated by the Gold Foundation. The pins serve as a visual reminder to students that in order to deliver the best care to their patients, compassion and empathy must be the hallmark of their clinical practice.
In 2014, recognizing the vital role nurses play in the healthcare team, the Gold Foundation partnered with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to adopt a White Coat Ceremony for Nursing. More than 310 schools of nursing now participate and the number continues to grow (Gold Foundation, 2018).
Gold Foundation (2018). The white coat ceremony for nursing. Retrieved from https://www.gold-foundation.org/programs/white-coat-ceremony/.
Name that Newsletter
Names should be easy to remember, short (keep it under 35 characters, including spaces), relevant, and not already taken.
Please limit suggestions to one per person. Suggestions may be provided at https://bit.ly/2FLRemK
Dr. Azaher Molla
Dr. Azaher Molla is an MD and a PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy. He has served as an Assistant Professor of Public and Community Health in the Department of Applied Health Sciences at Murray State University since August 2017 where he teaches Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Personal Health, Healthcare Financing, Healthcare Planning, Healthcare Quality Management, and Research Methods. Dr. Molla also enjoys teaching quantitative Research Methods and supervising research students at the masters and doctoral levels. He previously worked as a tenured faculty (Associate Professor) in the Institute of Health Economics, University of Dhaka for 12 years.
He has had 12 research articles published in peer reviewed journals including BMC Health Services Research and BMC International Journal for Equity in Health. His present research includes Determinants of Access to Preventive Healthcare, Financial Hardship of Medicare Patients, and healthcare expenditure and poverty.
Dr. Molla was the presenter at the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Conference in 2017. Dr. Molla was also the recipient of Lana Porter Open Access Award in 2018, and is an active member of International Health Economics Association (iHEA), APHA, and the Global Forum for Health Research.
Born and raised in Bangladesh, he and his wife, Meherun Nessa, have two sons. Their older son is married and works in Germany as a Deputy General Manager. Their younger son is a master’s student in Microbiology at Wagner College in New York. He has one adorable granddaughter who lives with her parents in Germany.
In his spare time Dr. Molla likes to read historical articles, play chess, read and recite poems, as well as listen to classical music and songs from all over the globe that highlight the human condition.
Mike Terry Memorial Scholarship for Public Health
The Mike Terry Memorial Scholarship for Public Health was established by his daughter, Dr. Miranda Terry, as a way to honor Mike and assist students at Murray State University to prepare for a career in the field of Public & Community Health. Students may apply for the scholarship through the general scholarship application through the university.
Mike Terry graduated from Buckley-Loda High School (Illinois) in 1976. He was a mechanic and talented artist who instilled in his daughter, Miranda, a sense of humor, the ability to laugh at herself, the love of play, and an appreciation of the small things in life. It is Miranda’s desire to give others these same opportunities by creating a scholarship in her father’s name.
Mike Terry died of melanoma in 1994, but made provisions to ensure Miranda could attend college upon his death. Melanoma is a preventable cancer, which inspired Miranda to pursue a doctorate in community health. One of her areas of research is examining the utilization of healthcare services for preventive medicine.
Anyone interested in donating may do so through the Murray State University Foundation website: www.murraystate.edu/giving/. Select “School of Nursing & Health
Professions,” and in the Comments box write “Mike Terry
Memorial Scholarship for Public Health.”
Photo of Mike Terry and his sisters, from left to right, Kathy Grohler (d. 2004), Mike Terry (d. 1994), and Sharon Terry Heavilin.
Bailey Holt Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Murray State University’s School of Nursing and Health Professions has partnered with the Kentucky Nurses Association in creating the Bailey Holt Memorial Nursing Scholarship to honor Holt, one of two Marshall County High School students who lost their lives during the tragic events at Marshall County High School in January 2018.
“After hearing about Bailey's desire to be an obstetrical nurse, we decided to join forces to honor her by creating a scholarship in her memory,” Dr. Nancy Armstrong, nursing faculty member at Murray State and chair of the west Kentucky chapter of the Kentucky Nurses Association. “It is our hope that this scholarship will provide comfort to Bailey's family and allow her desire to serve and care for others to continue through the work of future nurses from the Marshall County community.”
So far over $12,000 toward the $25,000 goal for endowment has been collected.
www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=40&v=4urXigK8FeI
Anyone interested in making a donation to the Bailey Holt Memorial Nursing Scholarship can visit www.murraystate.edu/giving or call 1-877-282-0033. Checks can be sent to the Murray State University Foundation, should include “Bailey Holt Scholarship” in the subject/memo line, and can be mailed to Murray State’s Office of Development, 200 Heritage Hall, Murray, KY 42071.
Our New Occupational Therapy Program
The Occupational Therapy (OT) Program is off to a great start for the Spring 2019 semester! The first cohort of students in the OT Program were honored by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) with Gold Level Status due to 100% student membership.
Kristen Hale, the Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) president, received an award from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) for one free student registration for the AOTA Conference in New Orleans, April 4-7, 2019. The OT Program has also been entered into a drawing to win $250.00.
Kristin is leading the first OT cohort by initiating fundraising to help other students attend the AOTA conference, increasing community relationships by inviting OT clinicians with specialized practice for guest speaking opportunities at meetings, and was selected for and is currently completing her AHEC scholars requirements. https://bit.ly/2WA8ikz
The Second OT cohort application process ended January 15, 2019. Qualified applicants will be invited for interviews in February, and notifications for possible seat acceptance will be sent in March.
For information about the Occupational Therapy student donut fundraiser, or to donate, see the link to the flyer below. Funds raised will assist with registration fees for other OT students wishing to attend the AOTA Conference.
Information about the Occupational Therapy program can be found at www.murraystate.edu/OT
School of Nursing & Health Professions
Website: www.murraystate.edu/sonhp
Location: 120 Mason Hall, Murray, KY 42071
Phone: 270-809-2193