A College of Nursing graduate student is among 18 selected for the 2015-16 class of Albert Schweitzer Fellows from Columbus and Athens. The Fellows will spend the next year learning to effectively address social factors that impact health and developing lifelong leadership skills, following the example set by famed physician-humanitarian Albert Schweitzer, the fellowship’s namesake.
Janet Masters, traditional master’s student in the adult gerontology primary care nurse practitioner specialty, is addressing infant mortality in the south side of Columbus through one-on-one health-coaching sessions with women of child-bearing age. Working with Church for All People, she is developing sustainable engagement and intervention strategies that will improve the health and well-being of women and positively impact the health of their children.
“Despite the demands of graduate programs, Albert Schweitzer Fellows are committed to service and to tackling complex health needs,” said Terry “Chip” Bahn, program director of the Columbus-Athens Schweitzer Fellows Program. “Our program is dedicated to improving the health of communities by preparing health and human service professionals to serve and empower vulnerable people to live healthier lives.”
Schweitzer Fellows develop and implement service projects that address the root causes of health disparities in underserved communities, while at the same time fulfilling their academic responsibilities. The 18 Fellows in the Columbus-Athens class join approximately 220 others working in 12 program sites — 11 in the U.S. and one in Gabon, at the site of the Albert Schweitzer Hospital, founded in 1913.
