At the Core of Care Pennsylvania Action Coalition

In this special episode, we hear how school nurses are supporting their students and each other during this pandemic. First, we speak to Lori Kelley, a school nurse in southwestern Pennsylvania and the current president of the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners (PASNAP). In response to the pandemic, the organization has been supporting its members around the state with regular regional Zoom meetings, free online continuing education resources, and advocating for their members to be part of the planning process in their communities to help reopen schools. We then speak to Lynn Heard, a school nurse in northeastern Pennsylvania and PASNAP’s 2019 School Nurse of the Year. Lynn shares what her job was like pre-pandemic and her thoughts and concerns about returning to school.

We are occasionally coordinating our coverage with the Amplify Nursing podcast and will release related episodes around the same time. Each of our shows will cover the same topic but from various perspectives to give a full view of the issue at hand. Amplify Nursing is produced by the University of Pennsylvania's School of Nursing and explores nurses leading the way in nursing science, policy, and innovation.

Make sure to listen, subscribe, and rate At the Core of Care and Amplify Nursing so you won't miss our coordinated coverage.

In this episode, we travel to Erie, Pennsylvania to spend time at the Multicultural Health Evaluation Delivery System (MHEDS). MHEDS is the primary care provider for incoming newly resettled refugees and immigrants, and effectively provides culturally competent care because of their unique staff. We meet refugees working as medical assistants, patient coordinators, and interpreters and hear from the organization’s nurses and healthcare administrators about what it takes to run a clinic that addresses the specific needs for a population with limited resources.

This story is the first of two episodes that focus on refugee healthcare and how nurses are improving their healthcare experience.

We are occasionally coordinating our coverage with the Amplify Nursing podcast and will release related episodes around the same time. Each of our shows will cover the same topic but from various perspectives to give a full view of the issue at hand.

Amplify Nursing is produced by the University of Pennsylvania's School of Nursing and explores nurses leading the way in nursing science, policy, and innovation.

Make sure to listen, subscribe, and rate At the Core of Care and Amplify Nursing so you won't miss our coordinated coverage.

In this special episode we speak to Jennifer Gil, an emergency trauma nurse in Philadelphia. She contracted and recovered from COVID-19, and is now returning to work. Hear what her experience was like and how the pandemic has furthered her commitment to health leadership and public health.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re devoting some episodes on At the Core of Care to hear from nurses who have volunteered to share their personal experiences with us. We hope you’ll consider sharing your story too. You can do so by recording a voice memo on your smartphone about your experience or observation. For more information about how to create and submit a voice memo, visit our website at paactioncoalition.org

More than ever, we’re hearing stories about nurses at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’re currently working on new At the Core of Care episodes to share some of those experiences with you.

And for all of you out there who are nurses, we hope you’ll consider sharing your story with us. You can do so by recording a voice memo on your smartphone about your experience or observation. For more information about how to create and submit a voice memo, visit our homepage at paactioncoalition.org.

We are also coordinating coverage with Amplify Nursing, a podcast from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Nursing.

This episode features stories of migrant farmworkers in Kennett Square, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and the unique challenges of delivering quality, culturally competent care to the men and women who do this work. We speak with José Maciel and Antonio Renteria, winners of the University of Pennsylvania's 2019 President’s Engagement Prize and founders of Cultivando Juntos.

Listen to our interview with Adrian Shanker, Founder & Executive Director of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown, PA and editor of Bodies and Barriers: Queer Activists on Health.

Adrian and Sarah talk about LGBT health, how healthcare providers can provide culturally competent care, and Adrian's new book.