News 2018: Professor awarded for creating transatlantic health education project

Partnership between Massachusetts and the Azores looks to improve health globally

UMass Dartmouth Assistant Professor of Nursing, Maryellen Brisbois, Ph.D., APHN-BC, has been selected to participate in an international medical education conference. Brisbois’ project, Bridging the Atlantic: An international alliance in community health among American and Azorean nursing students & faculty, completed with Dr. Helder Rocha Pereira from the University of the Azores School of Health, has the chance to reach an even larger global audience.

The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER)’s “Projects That Work” competition sought projects from around the globe to improve health education and impact. Brisbois’ winning entry, Bridging the Atlantic, looks to create a sustainable international alliance in community health among American and Azorean nursing faculty and students by fostering professional relationships, enhancing cultural awareness, identifying health and health care roles from a global perspective, and exploring collaborative research opportunities. Funding for this project comes from a generous pledge by the DeMello Charitable Foundation.

An active student and faculty exchange between UMass Dartmouth and the University of the Azores has seen the participation of 84 students and 26 faculty over the past four years. Faculty and students have worked with vulnerable groups in both the U.S. and Portugal to collect research data and implement health promotion and education projects to address health issues and disparities.

Professor Brisbois and students will be presenting the project at Network: Toward Unity For Health conference in Limerick, Ireland August 16 -20, 2018. The theme of the conference is “Community Empowerment for Health: A Multi-sector Approach.