International service-learning becomes a decade-long tradition in UC’s College of Allied Health Sciences

The UC College of Allied Health Sciences’ (CAHS) is often described as being made up of a variety of “helping professions” and one of the things that rings true for all graduates is that they do not just get a degree, they start a fulfilling career in which they can make a difference in the lives of people every day. 

This can be seen in the university clinics and community work that our students engage in throughout their coursework. These experiences are crucial to becoming a well-rounded future practitioner. 

Serving the Cincinnati regional community is certainly a part of the college’s focus, but faculty and staff are also interested in expanding our reach and serving communities across the globe.  

As a result, two international service-learning experiences have become an annual part of the College of Allied Health Sciences curriculum thanks to partnerships with the Palace Foundation in México and Viva Nicaragua Abroad in Costa Rica.  

These opportunities add an international layer to the students’ experiences and allow graduates to become more culturally competent and aware. 

“Service-learning programs allow our students and CAHS team to enhance their clinical and professional skills, further develop their intercultural competence, and work as part of an interprofessional team says College of Allied Health Sciences Dean, Charity Accurso, PhD. “We are proud of the impact that we make in the community but are deeply appreciative of the impact the experience has on training our future allied health professionals. 

In 2013, the College of Allied Health Sciences embarked on an interprofessional program where Allied Health students could receive real-world experience in allied health fields by serving as volunteers with the Palace Foundation, a non-profit organization located in Cancún, México. The Palace Foundation strives to provide “health care, education opportunities, social services, and wellness programs for our employees, their families, and community members in need.” 

The Palace Foundation/UC Collaboration has been supported by UC International and aims to transform the lives of staff members, patients, and students through a unique exchange of cultural and medical knowledge. Participation in this service-learning program exposes students to the perspectives and needs of patients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Volunteers in this program are challenged professionally to provide expert levels of care and knowledge of research and medical practices.   

In the past, students from the Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Audiology, Social Work, Medical Laboratory Science and Nutrition and Dietetics programs have participated as part of "CAHS Team México." 

Faculty, staff, and students in the college travel to México multiple times per year and each comment about how life-changing the experience is for them personally and professionally. ”The México experience has really helped affirm and solidify that, yes, I’ve chosen the right path and I’m doing the right thing, not only for myself, but for other people,” reflects Clarissa Ortiz, a third-year student in the Doctor of Audiology program.

The most recent visit was in May 2023, when 20 students (ten from audiology, seven from physical therapy, and three from medical laboratory science) traveled to México along with 5 faculty (one from audiology, three from physical therapy, and one from medical laboratory science) and two community members (one community audiologist/speech-language pathologist and one liaison/historian). Together with the Palace Foundation, CAHS Team Mexico provided over 1,300 patient consultations that included hearing assessments, hearing aid fittings, hearing aid follow-ups, physical therapy assessments, physical therapy treatments, and glucose & cholesterol screenings.

CAHS Team México is grateful to have received Palace Foundation’s invitation to return in May 2024 to begin their second decade of collaboration.

In celebration of 10 years of University of Cincinnati/Palace Foundation México collaboration, Luisa Castro, Manager of the Palace Foundation, and Dulce Ayala, Palace Foundation Health Committee Coordinator, recently visited the University of Cincinnati. As part of their visit, they presented on the themes of Inclusivity for Individuals with Disabilities and Sustaining Social Impact Programs. 

The visit marked the first-time members of the Palace Foundation traveled to the University of Cincinnati and was supported by the College of Allied Health Sciences' Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. They were able to meet with students and give presentations on the Academic Health Center and main campus. 

The following presentations were given during their visit: 

• Luisa Castro, From Awareness to Action: Palace Foundation's Journey Towards a Culture of Inclusion for Individuals with Disabilities 

• Dulce Ayala, For the Love of Helping Others: A Review of Strategies and Challenges to Sustain a Project of Social Impact.

In 2012, Xan Boone, faculty member in the School of Social Work started offering service-learning experiences for CAHS students with Viva Nicaragua Abroad, a non-governmental organization (NGO) partner. At the time, they traveled to Nicaragua but civil unrest in the country made travel unsafe, so they cultivated a relationship with a community in Costa Rica and have been visiting multiple times per year since.  

Students complete the experience as part of a course where they can see first-hand concepts like cross-cultural empathy, the impact of service learning, unique cultural healthcare challenges and an understanding of poverty. 

“My goal as an educator and a social worker is to allow students to have personal, one-on one, hands-on experience living and working with people from another country/culture” says Boone. “ The importance of this is to develop empathy and presence so that professional clinical work is enhanced.”

During the visit, the students practice building trusting relationships with clients/patients so that they receive adequate information during an assessment.  The better and more detailed assessment info they get, the better, more specific person-centered plans they can create for that client/patient.  “The more patient-centered and specific plan we make, the better the outcome” says Boone. 

Students have on average 70-80 touchpoints with people of a variety of age groups during each visit. They provide a curriculum that fits with the current needs of the community. From handwashing to nutrition to proper tooth-brushing, each lesson plan is carefully prepared with local resources in mind. 

A secondary benefit of the experience is that students learn to work with health care students outside of their scope of practice. “It was really fun to work with students from all across our college and use our different approaches and skills to overcome problems together” says Sam Kroeger, a third-year student in the speech language hearing sciences program. Kroeger was a part of the most recent spring 2023 program.

“Over the last 11 years, we have seen students in just about every CAHS major participate: health sciences, medical laboratory, speech-language hearing sciences, social work, nutrition and dietetics, and even graduate students in social work and physical therapy,” says Boone.

Boone plans to return to Costa Rica with another team of CAHS students during spring break in 2024 and again in May. “We have built a strong relationship in Central America and having our presence there multiple times per year allows us have an impact in an ethical, sustainable way,” says Boone. 

Featured image at top: College of Allied Health Sciences' students pose with children in Costa Rica during the 2023 program with Viva Nicaragua Abroad.  Photo/Provided