Howell Foundation presents the field of research of the latest Cheryl Wilson Nursing Scholars

Pictured above from left to right Noelle Lipkin Leveque, Dr. Patricia Roth and Tina Campbell.

• The health of the caregiver tending to Alzheimer's and dementia patients, and training for the health care provider in human trafficking victims as the 2016 Hahn School of Nursing research projects.  

San Diego, CA - August, 2015.   The Doris A. Howell Foundation announced the recipients of the Cheryl A. Wilson Scholarships to Ph.D. candidates Noelle Lipkin Leveque, sponsored by Cynthia D. Connaly, Ph.D. RN FAAN, and Trista Campbell, sponsored by Jane Georges, PhD.   Lipkin will be addressing care for victims of human trafficking while Campbell will addressing the health issues of the caregivers of dementia and Alzheimer's patients.

In her project description, Lipkin mentions: " Published research shows between 68 and 97% of health care providers say they have had NO training in identifying or treating victims of human trafficking.

This dissertation focuses on the gap in nursing knowledge regarding the health care of people (particularly women) who have been/are victims of human trafficking.  A lack of awareness of human trafficking and lack of training on how to recognize and manage a trafficking situation have been identified as barriers to care for this population. This study offers a first glimpse into the physical and mental health needs and receipt of health   services of trafficked women in San Diego,  CA.

The aims of the study are to: (a) document the health conditions of trafficked women; (b) identify the social and economic determinants of health among these women; and (c)  assess whether or not receiving health care improves the health of the women and their children".

Campbell, on the other hand, describes the need to address the health of the caregiver tending to dementia and Alzheimer's patients: " According to the Alzheimer Association, there are about 10 million women currently providing  unpaid  24-hours a day care to someone with Alzheimer's or dementia.  They  are more likely than men to help with the more intense, personal aspects of care, such as bathing, dressing, toileting, and managing incontinence. They receive less family and friend support than male caregivers caring for wives in similar situations. This takes a toll on their health and well­ being. They are concerned about the ability to maintain their own health since becoming a  caregiver. These responsibilities are physically stressful, isolating and commonly linked to depression.

The aims of the study are to: (1) identify and provide the specific activation needs of the caregivers from the baseline assessment of the three instruments by referring the caregivers to the appropriate healthcare providers, (2) identify the dependent variable for best practices based on the measures of the TEI instrument, CB instrument and CIDI-SF instrument reflecting all major health care domains in caregiving, and (3) analyze the results of the surveys of the related constructs of the instruments identifying potential caregiver predictors of activation, predictors of depression and caregiver burden that should be useful as markers of caregiver needs for education and behavioral change coaching, and as the foundation for developing interventions to enhance caregiver activation and successful partnership with the formal caregivers".

The Cheryl A. Wilson Scholarship was established 6 years ago to honor the current CEO of St. Paul’s for all her work at the Howell Foundation.   She is the Chief Executive Officer of St. Paul's Senior Homes & Services in San Diego.  The application review process engages academic researchers at the Foundation and the Hahn School of Nursing who provide a critical review and score each proposal according to established criteria.  Proposals are assessed for their impact on women’s health, research design, scholar qualifications and feasibility of accomplishing study goals.  Each student must have a qualified research mentor to direct and guide them. 

We wish our scholars all the success, and are anxious to hear about the findings of their valuable research. 

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About the Doris A. Howell Foundation:

The Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women’s Health Research is committed to keeping the women we love healthy, advancing women’s health through research and educating women to be catalysts for improving family health in the community.

The organization does so by funding scholarships to scientists researching issues affecting women’s health; providing a forum for medical experts, scientists, doctors, researchers, and authors to convey the timely information on topics relevant to women’s health and the health of their families through its Lecture and Evening Series, and by funding research initiatives that will create women’s health awareness and advocacy in the community.

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