It has been said that you do not need a passport to get involved in Global Health.  Five miles from Emory University is the City of Clarkston, GA. This small town has become home to thousands of refugees from all over the world.  The challenges facing refugees can appear insurmountable yet many agencies, and some remarkable individuals, seek to make resettlement easier. The School of Nursing has been working with a number of agencies to assist in the transition to life in America.  Through this work students learn about health of refugees but equally impressive are the lessons related to transcultural health, the power of committed individuals and the beauty of numerous cultures.

Clarkston Community Center

Senior Citizen refugees face unique challenges.  Our students work with the Senior Refugee Program at CCC on issues related to health literacy.

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The Fugees Family

This organization works with refugee children and  "builds upon the power of soccer to galvanize these kids by giving them the support and structure they need to realize their vast potential".  Students from the SON tutor, provide care and serve as role models for the Fugees.

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The Global Village School

This school aims to provide education to teenage girls whose education was interrupted by war.  Students from the SON work one on one with girls on English skills, reading, writing and math.  We discuss career opportunities and offer health education on a wide variety of topics.

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International Community School

The International Community School (ICS) is a DeKalb County charter school whose 400 children represent over 40 countries. The SON works with the ICS on health education.

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The purpose of the Gateway Project is to provide health care to a medically underserved, high-risk homeless client population at a large homeless services center in downtown Atlanta known as the Gateway Center.  Since 2005, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing has had a formal partnership with the Gateway Center which includes a faculty practice that utilizes the parish nurse model and service-learning and clinical experiences for the SON's undergraduate and graduate students.  The project focuses on health education, health counseling, health advocacy and referral and the integration of faith and health for the Gateway clients. The emphasis is on Holistic Health and all services include care of the body, mind and spirit.

The health care provided through the Gateway project, with assistance from faculty, students and volunteers targets the goal of eliminating health disparities as established by Healthy People 2020.  Services spotlight Healthy People 2020 high priority Focus Area diseases prevalent in homeless populations.  Health education classes on disease prevention and health promotion, screenings for hypertension, diabetes and obesity, one-on-one health promotion counseling sessions, group counseling sessions, art therapy, and cognitive-behavioral based courses for clients in recovery from drugs and alcohol are some of the services offered.

By incorporating health care services that are reality based and service-learning oriented into the project, the SON is preparing nurses who are comfortable in providing care to the underserved and are culturally sensitive in the delivery of that care.  This project seeks to encourage more nurses to move into careers that focus on meeting the needs of underserved populations and ultimately to improve the quality of care provided to vulnerable populations.  

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Cafe 458 has been a clinical site for our students since 1990.

The overall goal is to improve the quality of life for Café guests and strengthen their emotional, spiritual, mental & physical health through stress reduction, empowerment, communication techniques and health promotion interventions.

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Community Advanced Practice Nurses, Inc. (CAPN) is a free health clinic serving Atlanta’s homeless or economically disadvantaged women, children, and young adults.  Located in Genesis Shelter near the heart of Atlanta, CAPN provides direct health services, health education and prevention services, psychological counseling, and case management.  By providing free, basic, comprehensive care, CAPN facilitates access to school and helps prepare women and young adults to initiate or return to education, training, and work.

The mission of the Community Advanced Practice Nurses (CAPN) is to strengthen the lives of persons who are medically underserved and to help interrupt the cycle of poverty and homelessness for these individuals.  Healthy independence is promoted through health care delivered with acceptance, compassion, and sensitivity to an individual’s life circumstances.

Emory's School of Nursing has partnered with CAPN for many years.  Clinical rotations for nurse practitioner students are possible at CAPN's main clinic or at one of its 6 satellite shelter-based clinics or outreach sites.  Undergraduate and graduate students are currently assisting in CAPN health screenings and health education activities at the Atlanta Day Shelter, Genesis Shelter, Covenant House, Stand-Up for Kids, and Mary Hall Freedom House.  One of these activities is teaching an 8-session mindfulness meditation class at Covenant House Georgia, a shelter for homeless youth.

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