Rural health scholars from UNE's medical school provide health screening services to Chebeague Island community
Students from Maine’s medical school recently collaborated with peers from the University of Southern Maine to host a health screening fair on the island community of Chebeague Island.
Five first-year students in the UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine who participate in the Maine Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Care for the Underserved Pathways Scholars program braved a snowy morning and chilly ferry boat ride on Saturday, April 12 to meet with Chebeague residents.
Together with nursing students from USM’s Casco Bay Community Partnership Island Outreach program, the group provided supervised health screenings — including blood pressure checks, glucose and cholesterol monitoring, and hearing checks — and shared health promotion information at the island’s community center.
Partner organizers from Chebeague shared with the interprofessional team of students that their visit made an impact on the community.
They noted that some people prefer not to leave the island for appointments, and that, while there are people on the island who can conduct blood pressure checks, not everyone is comfortable doing so due to preferences related to privacy in the small community.
They also remarked that the time students took to listen was much appreciated.
This is the second year Maine AHEC, through UNE’s Center for Excellence in Public Health, has partnered to produce this outreach event, and the island participants welcomed students back with baked goods, volunteer drivers to shuttle them to and from the ferry dock, and expressions of gratitude.