May
2007
Table of Contents:
1. Study finds perception of health-care disparities for African-American veterans
2. Prothrow-Stith urges graduates to ‘make change’
3. Innovative calculus program at O’Bryant extended for one year
4. University welcomes Boston Public School Scholars to fall class
5. Northeastern students again organize prom for Carter school
6. Researcher eyes mother-daughter communication as key in delaying sex
7. Students hear about leadership, justice at Sport in Society forum
8. Insurance commissioner praises public service
Study finds perception of health-care disparities for African-American veterans
Heywood Fennell of Tri-Ad Veterans Council speaks at the unveiling of the Northeastern study in the Carter American Legion Post in Mattapan. Seated, from left, are Joseph Warren of Northeastern, assistant professor Nathan Rickles and Ron Armistead of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Veterans Brain Trust.
African-American veterans of the armed forces often struggle to get the health care they need, says a new report from Northeastern University’s Institute on Urban Health Research (IUHR).
The report, “Health Care Experiences and Health Status of African-American Veterans” was partially funded by the Boston Public Health Commission and the IUHR and was prepared in response to a request from the Tri Ad Veterans League Inc., a Boston-based grassroots group of African-American veterans.
Among the findings, Northeastern researchers reported that 78% of the respondents recalled having an experience of discrimination where they received health care services. Although on average, study participants were moderately satisfied with their health care, they indicated lack of confidence in the diagnosis given to them by their doctors. They also expressed dissatisfaction with access to medical specialists; the time their doctors spent with them; and getting medical care in a timely manner.
“Our study uncovered significant relationships between perceived discrimination from health care providers and the satisfaction with care in general,” says Nathaniel M. Rickles, assistant professor of pharmacy at Northeastern and lead author of the report.
“We also found that there is a strong connection between perceived discrimination and the level of physical functioning of our respondents, which may be due to a delay in getting the services they need.”
Additional findings include:
About two-thirds of the sample did not use VA as their sole provider, although only about 10 percent indicated a lack of willingness to use the VA in the future. The authors note that this indicates that the decision not to use VA services may have less to do with dissatisfaction with the VA system and more with their access to other sources of health care.
Many respondents expressed concern about their health care providers not asking them about their spiritual needs. The authors recommend future research to explore ways for VA providers to integrate chaplain services with medical care so African-American patients feel their spiritual needs are being met holistically by the medical team.
The report concludes that further research needs to be done to assess discrimination in health care of veterans. Recommendations of Joseph D. Warren, Ph.D. of Northeastern University’s Office of Public Affairs and one of the authors of the report, include:
Health care systems serving veterans, especially the VA, should solicit the assistance of veteran’s advocacy groups, like the Tri Ad Veterans, to monitor and assist the VA to address identifiable disparities with access, patient satisfaction and quality of care.
A comprehensive review and ongoing performance-based monitoring of policies and provider behavior is needed, as well as further education of administrators and service providers about health disparities, unconscious clinician bias and cultural competency.
Policy changes and provider-level interventions are needed to reduce discrimination in health care.
“The effectiveness of our mission largely depends upon academic institutions, like Northeastern University, providing the intellectual and scientific background to our work,” says Haywood Fennell, founder of the Tri Ad Veterans League Inc. “We are committed to providing the leadership to mobilize the necessary resources to implement the recommendations for future study.”
Prothrow-Stith urges graduates to ‘make change’
The nationally recognized leader in violence prevention research was not feeling so peaceable two weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, sitting fearful on a flight to Ohio.
“While I sat there, a thought occurred to me: I wanted to President Bush to bomb somebody. I didn’t recognize who this person was who would think this, me, ‘Miss Violence Prevention,’” said Harvard School of Public Health Professor Deborah Prothrow-Stith.
Prothrow-Stith, the keynote speaker for Northeastern’s afternoon commencement ceremony in Matthews Arena on May 5 said it took her six months to “return to herself,” and in the process she had one of those “aha moments” that helped shape her work in violence prevention.
Still grappling with her own reaction to the terrorist attacks, Prothrow-Stith said she realized that the impact on violence on children is far beyond what she learned to treat in the emergency room. It was not just enough to stitch a child’s cuts.
“A little boy who watches his mother beaten on Sunday has a different set of needs in school on Monday morning,” she said, going to on to describe her creation of a curriculum aimed at conflict resolution.
Violence prevention was not deemed an appropriate pursuit for her when she was in her early residency years. She was actually advised against doing a residency talk she had planned on homicide at one point, she recalled.
But she didn’t back off her passion for long. She embarked on a career path that has led her to a pre-eminent role in violence prevention. As Massachusetts’ first female public health commissioner, she established the nation’s first Office of Violence Prevention in a statewide department of public health. During her tenure, she also expanded programs for HIV and AIDS prevention, as well as drug treatment and rehabilitation.
She encouraged graduates to take risks in their own careers, even if it means bucking established trends in their fields. “Things can change, and you can help make them change,” she said.
The afternoon ceremony was for graduate students and adult learners.
President Joseph Aoun said many receiving diplomas that day had “worked against all odds” to get a higher degree later in life, at a time when some may have felt it was “too late” to do so.
The attainment of a degree beyond the bachelor’s is a growing trend, given the increasing economic necessity of lifelong learning, he added.
Honorary degrees were conferred upon philanthropist and chemical engineering leader George Kostas, founder of Techno-Economics Services Inc., and upon Northeastern trustee George Chamillard, former CEO and chairman of Teradyne Inc.
Prothrow-Stith, who already holds an honorary degree from Northeastern, was presented with a certificate recognizing her service as commencement speaker.
Innovative calculus program at O’Bryant extended for one year
Northeastern, the Boston public schools and the Nellie Mae Foundation have agreed to extend the life of the Bridge to Calculus program by a year, said founder Robert Case.
But Case, a professor of mathematics at Northeastern, said the six-year tutoring program is still searching for longer-term funding, as it eyes not merely continuing but expanding its reach.
Bridge to Calculus has worked with students at Boston’s O’Bryant High School of Mathematics and Science, preparing them for calculus and specifically for the Advanced Placement exam for seniors, Case said.
Northeastern faculty and some undergraduates work with O’Bryant students and faculty after school, and through a related six-week summer program that also takes in students from other Boston-area high schools.
Bridge to Calculus has increased black and Hispanic participation in O’Bryant’s calculus program from single digits to 40 percent, Case noted, and O’Bryant students now have a 95 percent success rate on the AP exam. “That rivals any high school in the country,” he said.
The promise of extended funding came at a dinner to honor Nellie Mae, the student-loan organization that has supported Bridge for six years, Case noted. Northeastern President Joseph Aoun, Nellie Mae president Nick Donahue and Michael Contompasis, superintendent of the Boston public schools, each promised at that dinner to back the program through another school year.
Getting students interested in higher math is vital, said Case — “it’s the single most important determinant of whether a youngster will go on and persevere” in professions require hard science knowledge. “It’s an important social tool,” he said.
University welcomes Boston Public School Scholars to fall class
R
einforcing its commitment to educational access, Northeastern has awarded 20 full scholarships to incoming freshmen from Boston public high schools and another 14 full scholarships under the new Torch Scholars program.
This is the third year of the Boston program and second of the Torch program. Both target high school seniors with high potential who don’t necessarily fall within traditional application guidelines.
The university also awarded aid to 45 incoming freshmen under the 35-year-old Ujima Scholars program.
"We read admission applications to find those students who have truly achieved in their environments — many have faced incredible obstacles, others have taken advantage of every available opportunity to prepare for their futures,” said Ronné Turner, dean of admissions.
"We are always excited to provide opportunities to students who haven't had the same advantages as the vast majority of our students,” she said.
Scholars in all three programs are expected to maintain good standing in the university community; their academic progress is regularly monitored and reviewed at the end of each semester.
Boston Public High School Scholarship recipients additionally must participate in a mentoring program for other students in the Boston public schools. Torch Scholars are required to attend a summer immersion program prior to freshman year. The university makes mentoring, tutoring and other services available in concerted ways to all the students.
“Northeastern is exceptionally proud of the programs we offer students who we feel will need additional personal and academic support as they enter their freshman year,” said Philomena Mantella, senior vice president for enrollment management and student affairs. “The three programs — BPHS, Ujima and Torch — were founded with the goal of making Northeastern accessible to students while providing great structures for support.”
Said Turner: “With a little support, we know they will become truly successful Northeastern students.”
This year’s Boston Public High School Scholarship recipients are:
Jillian Rose, Monument High; Erin Maiullari, Boston Collegiate High; Jiahui Liao, Health Careers Academy; April Lamrock, Health Careers Academy; Jean Loreus, Urban Science Academy; Timon Cooney, Boston Latin School;
Shanell Parson, Noonan Business Academy; My Chi Tran, East Boston High; Luis Escobar, East Boston High; Anh Chung, Excel High; Kamil Supronik, Excel High; Eris Bame, Brook Farm Academy; Juan Santos, Snowden International High; Elfreida Campbell, Community Academy of Science and Health; Yanelin Salerno, The Engineering School; Sebastian Witkowski, Boston Community Leadership Academy; Genta Spaho, Boston Community Leadership Academy; Badewa Fashote, Boston Latin Academy; Peter Georgiev, John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science; and Wendy Chan, Academy of the Pacific Rim.
This year’s Torch Scholars are:
Jessica Anderson, Meredith, N.H.; Ryan Arias, San Francisco, Calif.; Monyrath Chan, Lowell, Mass.; Raquisha Charles, Bronx, N.Y.; Valerie Grant-Davis, Bronx; Kellyse Hood, Washington, D.C.; Unice Karmue, Providence, R.I.;
Travis Kratman, Winthrop, Mass.; Roberto Lorenzo, Providence, R.I.; Jordan Martins, Fall River, Mass.; Samuel Ortega, Lawrence, Mass.; Glenny Reynoso, Boston; Chynah Tyler, Boston; and Simona Varekaite, Bronx.
This year’s Ujima Scholars are:
Yasmee Abdel-Ghaffer, Medford, Mass.; Samuel Arocho, Boston; Aliazar Asefa, Cambridge, Mass.; Matiop Ayuel, Winchester, Mass.; Dashawn Bristol, Boston; Randolph Brown III, Temple Hills, Md.; Lindsey Carrasquillo, Boston; Michael Carter, Springfield, Mass.; Ricardo Castillo, Sharon, Mass.; Jessica Cetoute, Boston; Jorge Delatorre, Los Angeles; Stephanie Drainville, Providence, R.I.; Kimberly Ellcock, Brockton, Mass.; Claudia Garcia, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico; Melody Giron, Belmont, Mass.; Nicole Gray, Ossining, N.Y.; Davina Griffith, Boston; Evelyn Gyasi, Bronx, N.Y.; Jenee Hampton, Boston; Dyrelle Haynes, Washington, D.C.; Mercedes Hightower, Joppa, Md.; Omari Huguley, Marietta, Ga.; Terrell Hunt, District Heights, Md.; Yelena Jeune, Milton, Mass.; David Kamara, Boston; Charissa McMullen, Boston; Yesenia Mercado, Providence; Jairo Montero, Boston; Brittany Moye, Teaneck, N.J.; Ebuwa Otagho, Springfield Gardens, N.J.; Ryan Payne, Annandale, Va.; Yennifer Pedraza, Boston; Daniel Pino, Sugar Land, Texas; Steven Polanco, Bronx; Julissa Polanco, Providence; Aliesha Porcena, Boston; Jennifer Quintero, Boston; Cameron Reyes, Pacific Palisades, Calif.; Diana Salem, Oakland, Calif.; Shane Smith, Hackensack, N.J.; Camilly Sousa, Medford; Beverly Teixeira, Stoughton, Mass.; Kettyna Vieira, Northfield, Mass.; Martin Vivier, Cumberland, R.I.; and Yvonne Wilkins, Providence.
Northeastern students again organize prom for Carter school
Assistant teacher Tina Brown dances with Akeem; Jeanna, at right, gets whirled around the floor while Maggie, at left, dances with teacher Abby Marsa as her mother looks on.
Pupils at Boston’s Carter Development Center suffer profound cognitive and physical challenges.
But Northeastern University students decided years ago that those challenges shouldn’t stand in the way of prom night.
For the fifth year, physical-therapy students from Northeastern’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences organized and hosted a year-end prom for the 22 students of the Carter, a Boston public school for severely disabled students aged 10 to 22.
The “1970s disco”-themed dance filled the Cabral Center at Northeastern’s O’Bryant African-American Institute one afternoon in May.
Ann Golub-Victor, an associate clinical specialist and adviser to Northeastern’s Physical Therapy Club, said the prom was the brainchild of a physical-therapy student who was volunteering at Carter on her own time.
Now four to six physical therapy students fulfill their service-learning requirements at the Carter each year, Golub-Victor said, and the undergraduate student club has taken over prom planning. This year’s “prom chairmen” were Northeastern sophomores Michael Gorman, Danielle Rooney and Rachel Tabak.
The year-end party has become “an important occasion in the lives of our students and their families,” said Marianne Kopaczynski, principal of the Lower Roxbury school adjacent to Northeastern’s campus.
They provide a lot of enthusiasm and energy,” said Kopaczynski. “We are very grateful to the Northeastern physical therapy department and their wonderful students.”
The principal said the event has also become important to Carter students’ families.
“They have been overjoyed to ‘have to’ look for fancy dress clothes for their special-needs youngsters, never expecting that there would be an opportunity for their handicapped child to get dressed up for a prom,” Kopaczynski said.
Many family members or friends attend the prom with the student, she noted.
Golub-Victor said her students are “inspired by and influenced by the adults working with the students at Carter.”
The work is “challenging, but really, really rewarding,” she said.
Researcher eyes mother-daughter communication as key in delaying sex
Adolescents represent one of the fastest growing risk groups for HIV in the United States. For girls between 15 and 24, African-Americans make up 70 percent of the cases of HIV. Reducing the number of HIV infections in adolescents is the highest priority on the national HIV agenda.
There is an urgent need to develop and evaluate HIV prevention interventions targeted to early adolescent African-American girls in a family-focused intervention, said Teri Aronowitz, an assistant professor of nursing.
Aronowitz wants more African-American mothers and daughters to talk openly about sex. This kind of communication, she believes, could be critical in the decision-making process of adolescents considering their first sexual experiences, at a time when a disproportionate number of African-Americans are contracting HIV, she said.
“More open discussions about sex, and helping these girls have a positive outlook on their futures, will help,” she said.
In her research with impoverished, urban preadolescent African-American girls and their mothers, Aronowitz found that girls with a connected relationship with their mothers, who inspired hope of a positive future, were less likely to engage in risky behavior. Mothers in impoverished communities, themselves struggling to make a life for themselves, often have a difficult time envisioning a positive future for their daughters, she added.
Yet, it is so critical for girls ages 9 to 14 to get positive feedback from a responsible adult in their lives — one who can help show that even seemingly small decisions can have a great influence, “It’s so important for a parent to be able to discuss things like what kind of person the girl would like to date. How do you want to be treated in a relationship? It’s a question that gives the daughter the opportunity to think about what she values and how she wants to be treated,” Aronowitz said.
Questions like these are at the heart of a research effort designed to encourage intimacy between mother and daughter. Building on earlier work studying the sexual attitudes of preadolescent girls and their mothers in Syracuse, N.Y., and Boston, Aronowitz hopes to launch a two-year study with 60 mothers and daughters in the Boston area. This research project will test a program for mothers and their preadolescent daughters aimed at engendering connectedness and open communication about sex. It will initiate a wide range of discussions between mothers and daughters on a variety of topics, including musical lyrics and decision-making about sex, she said.
“These groups will deal primarily with information, motivational issues and behavior skills related to open sexual communication,” she said. “The most important aspect of the program is to enhance connectedness and skills to talk openly about sex.
“The mothers’ groups will be led by a mother from the community and the girls’ group will be led by a college-aged African American female. Mother and daughter groups will be separate for the first part of the group and then will reunite in the last 30 minutes. This is when they’ll get a chance to share their experiences and observations through intensive role playing exercises.”
Students hear about leadership, justice at Sport in Society forum
“There’s this notion that, if it’s not happening in your’ hood, it doesn’t concern you,” Emmett Price told more than 500 area high-school students and teachers.
“Do we care?” the assistant professor of African-American studies and music asked a packed house in Blackman Auditorium. “If we’re leaders, we have to care. You can’t just be a leader on your street.”
Price keynoted the Center for the Study of Sport in Society’s annual Human Rights Leadership Forum, which focused this year on problems in Africa.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” Price reminded them, in the words of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. “If you’re serious about it, it has to happen globally — justice cannot just be for you and your crew … If you’re serious about human rights, it can’t just be for the humans you care about.”
After hearing Price and watching an African dance troupe, the students — from high schools throughout Greater Boston — took part in group activities and an awards ceremony.
The Raphael Hernandez Middle School of Boston and West Boylston High School were presented with the Daryl Williams Award. Williams, a member of Sport in Society’s Project TEAMWORK, was shot more than 20 years ago in a racially motivated attack while playing high school football in Boston. Now paralyzed, Williams, speaks to youth across the nation about discrimination.
The COMPASS School of Boston was presented the Jackson Katz Award and Norwood High School was presented the Byron Hurt Award.
Sport in Society’s former trainer and outreach specialist Shola Kadiri was presented the Mentors in Violence Prevention Leadership Award.
Insurance commissioner praises public service
At their May commencement ceremony, Northeastern University School of Law graduates heard from one of their predecessors: someone deeply committed to social justice, civil rights and good lawyering.
“Every day, lawyers are offered the opportunity to advance the public good,” said state Insurance Commissioner Nonnie Burnes, a former longtime Massachusetts judge. “You just have to train yourself to look for the opportunity … Seize that opportunity and be a great lawyer.”
Burnes, who graduated from the School of Law in 1978, was named to the top insurance post by Gov. Deval Patrick in February. A former attorney with the Boston firm Hill & Barlow, she had served as a superior court judge since 1996.
“It’s been a wild ride,” Burnes told graduates about her life and career.
At Hill & Barlow, Burnes specialized in civil rights and employment law. She has also been active in the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts; the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, a statewide legal-services support center for the elderly, disabled, immigrants and poor; and the Center for Law and Education (she chaired the board in 1985-1986), which works to reform public school systems to improve education, particularly for low-income children.
Burnes served as a commissioner of the State Ethics Commission, a fellow of the Boston Bar Foundation and vice chair of the Boston Bar Association. She is on the visiting committee of the Kennedy School of Government and serves as a trustee of Northeastern.
When she was named insurance commissioner, Dan O’Connell, Patrick’s secretary of housing and urban development, called her “the right choice at this critical time for the commonwealth.”
Burnes, he said, “will ensure that Massachusetts maintains its economic competitive edge by ensuring that insurance products are both affordable and fair for consumers.”
Burnes herself said she was up to the task, after years as a lawyer and judge. “I bring the ability to sort through the facts, to follow where the facts lead,” she told Insurance Journal. “It’s what I do.”
At the May commencement, Burnes praised her alma mater for its “dedication to the role of law in advancing the public good.”
She presented the class of 213 future lawyers with stories of lawyers who performed ethically and in the public interest despite pressure, including those forced out of the Nixon administration during the “Saturday Night Massacre” of October 1973 and those who fight for the rights of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
Among those tales of courage, she presented that of her law school classmate, Monica Halas, a senior lawyer with Greater Boston Legal Services. Halas, she said, fought tirelessly to change state law to allow extended unemployment benefits for Bay State citizens.
“To be a great lawyer, you have to have an attitude — the right attitude,” Burnes said. “Don’t look at the hazards; look at the opportunities.”
