ST. BONAVENTURE — A cadre of students in the Dennis R. DePerro School of Health Professions at St. Bonaventure University have partnered with the Cattaraugus County Health Department for the past two semesters to help improve the health of local residents.
Last fall, the university received a $250,000 grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to provide healthcare education in Cattaraugus County, a region with some of the highest rates of preventable diseases in New York state.
Through the internship program, 10 students during the spring semester and four students during the summer helped develop educational outreach for various populations from youth to seniors in the county. A team of 10 interns have begun outreach this fall.
The students, whose majors have included Public Health, Health Science, Nursing, and Occupational Therapy, are trained and mentored by Health Department staff and grant director Natalie Marasco.
Among the wellness initiatives were presentations on heart-healthy living, eating healthy on a budget, fall prevention, diabetes/arthritis education, mindfulness, and summer safety health tips. The college students also completed a series of topics focused on the teen population at the Olean library, including healthy relationships, smoking and vaping, stress management, nutrition and healthy eating, and self-care.
Dr. Claire Watson, founding director of the Public Health, Health Science, and Master of Public Health programs at St. Bonaventure, said connecting classroom lessons and theory to application within a community is vital to ensure SBU students are prepared for health careers.
“Since education is the cornerstone of medicine and health promotion, these opportunities provide an enhanced understanding of what the health needs are in our county and feasible strategies of how to address them,” Watson said. “Our students are embracing these experiences and we are very proud of the work they accomplished in the first two semesters of the grant.”
Marasco sees how the Mother Cabrini Grant provides the students with the opportunity to gain real-world learning experiences while improving the health of community members in Cattaraugus County.
“The student interns have truly exceeded my expectations with their positive energy and passion to influence the health behaviors of the community members we served,” Marasco said.
The students delivered programming to all age and socioeconomic levels at libraries, senior centers, assisted living organizations, day programs for people with developmental disabilities, the Olean YMCA, senior wellness and nutrition sites, Catholic Charities, community centers, and on campus.
Public Health major Kevin Eberth enjoyed his summer internship so much he asked to continue it this fall.
“Through my internship I have learned a lot about public health in general and the health challenges in Cattaraugus County specifically. I am especially grateful to the team at the Cattaraugus County Health Department for sharing their expertise and mentorship as this relationship continues,” he said.
For Public Health major Brooke Dudek, who is a senior at SBU, delivering wellness outreach at Intandem in Olean was a rewarding experience that opened her eyes to working with people with different health conditions.
“The Cabrini grant has allowed me to have these life-changing experiences and opportunities and I am forever grateful,” Dudek said.
Senior Ciara Farley, a Health Science major, described the internship as a remarkable experience that allowed her to see programs and events that are the backbone of Cattaraugus County.
“Visiting assisted living residences, after-school programs, rehabilitation centers, and outreach events in the area provided me with a different perspective of the community and how it functions,” Farley said.
Public Health major Benjamin Vitale also enjoyed working with a range of organizations and populations.
“Being able to help improve lives makes the work feel rewarding,” he said. He has also developed stronger presentation and communication skills during the internship.
Marasco is proud of the students and has received a lot of positive feedback about their interactions in local communities.
“I have received a number of emails and calls from the coordinators and organizations praising how pleased they’ve been with the students delivering the outreaches. They are making such a positive impact in the communities focusing on improving the health of others,” she said.
“They’ve been hard-working, reliable, and, most of all, passionate about educating and delivering these programs to the underserved populations.”
