Funded Projects

Problem:

The US Virgin Islands, a mainly African-American community in the Caribbean, ranks lower than the rest of the United States on numerous MCH care measures. Rigorous studies and local health care leaders agree that the lack of educational opportunities and continuing education is a significant cause.

Goals and Objectives:

Goal 1: To provide a dynamic learning experience for trainees that makes effective use of distance learning principles and practices. Objective 1: Create a detailed curriculum for both the first and second years of the training program that applies generally accepted principles of adult learning to meeting the stated goals of this program Objective 2: Create courseware, including both text and non-text artifacts, that can be re-used with modifications for graduate and continuing education for other MCH professionals in remote areas Goal 2: To prepare health professionals who have the leadership skills necessary to improve and enhance systems of care for children with disabilities and their families. Objective 1: Each core trainee will participate in on-line webinars to build skills in searching and summarizing the scholarly literature and in applying the findings to individual evidence-based projects. Objective 2: Each core trainee will complete an evidence-based project that addresses a key need of the MCH population in the USVI and is related to Title V and CSHCN Program objectives in the USVI. Objective 3: Each core trainee will meet regularly with their mentor on assignments related to the evidence-based project and will have multiple opportunities to make presentations and receive feedback on them. Goal 3: To prepare health professionals who have the knowledge, skills, and values to work in partnership with families Objective 1: Each core trainee will include family centeredness and family partnership as a required element of planning and carrying out the evidence-based project Objective 2: Each core trainee will complete and report back to the group on the required Family Resource Development Project, Objective 3: Each core trainee will complete and report back to the group on the required Family Mentorship Project visits to family mentors and to community organizations. Goal 4: To prepare professionals who have the knowledge, skills, and values to provide culturally competent health care to children with disabilities and their families. Objective 1: Each core trainee will include cultural competence as an essential element of planning and carrying out their evidence-based project. Objective 2: Each core trainee will receive training in cultural competence knowledge and skills such as self-assessment of cultural competence and possible bias and in developing culturally competent organizations and programs Objective 3: Each core trainee will assure that their evidence-based project plan involves consideration of the cultural and linguistic diversity of the USVI Goal 5: To prepare MCH professionals to be life-long learners and leaders Objective 1: Each core trainee will develop skills required to remain a life-long learner, including being an informed consumer of the scholarly literature. Objective 2: Each core trainee will present a poster summarizing work on the evidence-based project and charting "next steps" Objective 3: Each core trainee will make and be evaluated on several oral presentations in order to improve presentation skills Activities/Methodology undertaken to meet project goals: This three-year project is developing a model distance-learning based graduate and continuing education program for MCH professionals in the US Virgin Islands (USVI). We devoted the first six months to preparing a detailed curriculum, obtaining and developing program documents and materials and ensuring an adequate technological infrastructure. The first 3 of 4 training semesters are almost complete. We will devote the final 6 months to evaluation, dissemination of results, developing sustainability plans and seeking uses of our model, methods and materials to serve other similar communities. All trainees are health care professionals practicing in the USVI. Our 6 core trainees (physicians, nurses, social worker) are earning a 12-credit certificate in the NYMC School of Public Health and an additional 20-60 USVI MCH professionals per year participate in our workshops for continuing education credits. The main instructional components of the program are: (1) Online instructional modules offered through both real time sessions via WebEx and asynchronous self-study and discussion offered via a Course Management System (MCH Moodle). (2) Regular meetings with IWHD faculty mentors (via telephone, net meeting software, VoIP system or video-conferencing) (3) "Extended Weekend" Sessions: 15 hour workshops lasting two evenings and one day, and focusing on a specific theme such as "cultural competence" or "communication skills" offered face to face.

Coordination:

We are working with the following institutions and agencies: University of the Virgin Islands; Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities; USVI Department of Health (including MCH and CSHCN programs); Virgin Islands Technical Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA); University of Florida MCH training support team.

Evaluation:

Primary evaluation has two main components: (1) Kirkpatrick's four-level model and (2) point by point evaluation of all objectives related to each of the ten stated program goals. We also create and apply the following: Individual training plans for each core trainee; Use of the distance learning model, of the curriculum and of materials developed for this program for similar distance learning programs in other locations.

Experience to Date:

The accomplishments of the first 2 years of the grant are substantial. They include: continuing involvement of 6 core trainees (from both major islands and 4 health professions) who will earn the 12 credit LEADD Certificate; participation of 70 additional MCH professionals in the 3 live extended weekend sessions for continuing education credit; identification or acquisition of systems and software as infrastructure for this project including videoconferencing system, monitors, course management system, and synchronous elearning platform; development of curriculum for all 4 LEADD courses; creation of program evaluation and assessment instruments; arrangements to award CEU credits to nurses, physicians, and psychologists for extended weekend workshops; creation of all modules, discussion boards, online quizzes and course documents for the first 3 of 4 LEADD 3-credit courses; creation and delivery of 3 LEADD courses; and development of asynchronous course sites on MCH Moodle. In addition, we have established and maintained a collaborative working relationship with VIUCEDD and with the USVI Department of Health, especially its MCH and CSHCN Programs. Perhaps most importantly we have developed a method for delivering graduate and continuing education to MCH professionals in remote areas who would otherwise not have easy access to such offerings, using a blended method of synchronous and asynchronous distance techniques and a small number of face-to-face hours.