Do you know someone who is a Nurse Practitioner (NP)? The Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program (NELRP) is reserving up to half of all funding for NPs and we need your help to get the word out.

NELRP offers NPs an opportunity to repay up to 85 percent of their outstanding qualifying educational loans in exchange for serving at a Critical Shortage Facility that is located in a Health Professional Shortage Area.

The deadline to apply to NELRP is February 15, 2012 at 5:00 pm EST.  NPs can apply to both NELRP and the National Health Service Corps, however if an applicant is selected to receive an award from both, they must select one.

Please join us in spreading the word to NPs who might be interested in applying to the program.  To learn more, visit: http://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/repayment/nursing/

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program (LRP ) offers primary health care providers loan repayment assistance in exchange for working (and possibly partial credit for teaching) in rural, urban, and frontier communities with limited access to care throughout the United States known as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).

For more information, please see the following:

NHSC Loan Repayment Program Announcement Flyer

2012 NHSC Loan Repayment Program At-A-Glance Fact Sheet

The Complete Application and Program Guidance

or visit the NHSC Website

Currently, in all of South Carolina,  only about 20 nurses are specially trained to examine sexual assault victims, said Pam Belkevitz, RN, BSN, SANE-A, CEN, the SANE Coordinator at Baptist Easley.  Ms. Belkevitz is the  instructor for an upcoming SANE course Jan. 23-27, 2012, sponsored by Upstate AHEC at Godshall Staffing in Downtown Greenville.

SANE nurses are trained in interviewing sexual assault victims and conducting forensic examinations, which includes taking pictures of injuries and collecting DNA evidence. The certification training for a SANE nurse involves 40 hours of classroom time, nine-12 months  of clinical experience.  Additionally,  another clinical year  is spent specializing in pediatric cases, plus clinical time with a local solicitors office, law enforcement and advocacy agencies, and six to eight hours of observing expert court testimony.

For more information about the upcoming SANE Training Seminar, call 864-349-1160 or click here for program information

The presenter, Nigel Howard, BA, BCIT, is a world-renown presenter of deaf-related topics, specializing in medical interpreting.  He is an ASL instructor at Douglas College, British Columbia, Canada in the Department of Sign Language Interpretation.  He also teaches in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.  A Deaf Interpreter for more than 15 years, he has conducted workshops on Interpreting development and professionalism in Canada, Japan, England, South Africa, and South America.  Additionally, he has co–authored ASL Medical Interpreting courses and presented them throughout Canada and the United States. Nigel is a member of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI).

Below are a few of the participant’s comments as noted on the program evaluations:

The speaker, Nigel Howard was an astounding speaker. His vast knowledge of Anatomy and Medical Procedures were incredible. I am looking forward to taking the Medical Settings Level 2 seminar.

Nigel was great. I have applied things I learned from the course during every interpreting assignment I’ve had since the course. This was the first time that most of the participants had any formal education in medical sign language. If the course had been another 3 days everyone would have stayed. We were being taught how to do correctly what we had been doing on our own for many years. It was priceless

The workshop was excellent.  I hope Nigel Howard will return to teach level 2 and 3.

This professional development opportunity was one of the most challenging and intense I have participated in. Nigel’s wealth of experience, creative teaching strategies and advanced knowledge of the content area are unparalleled.  Many thanks to AHEC for providing such an advanced level of training that is sorely lacking in such vital area. I left feeling confident, inspired and excited to implement the skills I acquired and an awareness of the areas of growth that need my attention. Nigel has my utmost respect and is an invaluable resource to the Deaf and interpreting communities!

This was one of the BEST workshops I have EVER attended!

Wow- this presenter and his workshop were absolutely fantastic – perhaps the best workshop I have ever taken! I hope he is able to come in the future for his ‘Level 2′ workshop.

More than 100 participants who attended the Sept. 30 event at the University Center in Greenville received the latest information on translating research findings into practice.  The target audience included nurses, academic faculty, educators, students and healthcare professionals interested in healthcare research.  The day’s agenda included ten speakers and 12 poster presenters.

Participants’ comments reflect the success of the symposium:

-       I really enjoyed the conference. The speakers were very competent and knowledgeable in their topics.  I learn a lot from the speakers and intend to use the information I received in my work.

-       Overall found this information useful and will definitely took away some usable learning points from this.

-       Dr. McSweeney was excellent. She really showed how to take research to the bedside.

-       This conference gets better every year- keep up the good work. I like the format of completed research presentations.

-       Dr. McSweeney was one of the best speakers I’ve ever heard. Not only did she impart novel information that we can all apply within our chosen careers, but she taught each of us “evidenced based” medicine that may help save our own life or that of a loved one. I feel privileged to have heard from someone who will likely help define “best practice” in regards to diagnosing cardiac disease in women.

-       I would love to hear an annual update from Dr. McSweeny.

-       What a wonderful way to spend a Friday: listening to dynamic speakers share their passion for research! It was a truly inspiring day and the efforts of AHEC and the organizing committee is greatly appreciated. Thanks for offering this annual event.

The South Carolina Student Experiences And Rotations in Community Health (SEARCH) Program offers health professional students the opportunity to train in interdisciplinary team environments and acquire the necessary skills to provide culturally responsive care to medically underserved populations in rural and urban areas of the state. The overall goal of the program is to enhance the recruitment and retention of primary care providers to underserved areas.

South Carolina SEARCH is funded through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and is administered by the South Carolina Primary Health Care Association (SCPHCA) in collaboration with its community partners, SC AHEC Recruitment & Retention Center/State Office of Rural Health and DHEC’s Office of Primary Care.

Who is Eligible to Participate?

You must be a U.S. citizen who has completed at least one year of medical school, or, one year training in a nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwifery, physician assistant, dental or mental health program (psychology, social work, psychiatric nursing, or marriage and family therapy). Special consideration is given to NHSC Scholars.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the SEARCH experience like?
  • A four or five week experience is arranged by staff with careful consideration of student and preceptor interests, needs and experience. Program participants are required to attend a general orientation session where they have the opportunity to meet project staff and fellow participants. This has also proven to be a valuable source of information exchange specific to the unique nature of the experiences. Participants spend 4 to 5 weeks clinical time under the direction of a training site preceptor. Prior to the end of the experience, students are expected to complete a community health project that meets the approval of their preceptor.

• Is housing assistance available?
  • The program does have a housing allowance budget which is utilized to pay housing expenses for program participants on an as needed and first come basis.

• Can I get Academic Course Credit?
  • The program has been utilized as an approved elective. However, it is not the primary goal of the SEARCH. As such it is the responsibility of the student with his/her faculty advisor to negotiate all arrangements relative to utilizing the program in this manner

• Do program participants get paid?
  • The program provides students a weekly disbursement allowance designed to offset expenses associated with travel and work in rural medically under served areas, The allowance is determined on an annual basis based on budget considerations.

How do I apply?

An application is required for all program applicants. Applications are accepted year round for four or five week rotations. Applications can be obtained by calling the South Carolina Primary Health Care Association, its community partners, training sites or through your college program director.

For more information or to receive an application packet, please email:

Nancie Stover (864.349.1175)  or  Tina Fulton (864.349.1168)

Student Testimonials:

“Getting to know the different leadership styles of the members of my team was a great experience. I don’t think it’s ever too early to start developing interprofessional skills and relationships. I would  highly  recommend the program to anyone who is interested.”

“The program went great – it fits in perfectly with our rotation requirements for MUSC (just need to do an additional daily log of activities) so does not require much extra time.”

- Kristen Arnold, 3rd yr MUSC student