My Sisters' Place has bestowed its Volunteer of the
Year award upon two Project Horizon
nurses.
Lisa Roy BSN, RN and Carol
Woltersdorf BSN, RN were honored recently at My Sisters'
Place annual meeting, held at The Pond House at West Hartford's
Elizabeth Park.
Working in conjunction with academic faculty, Roy and Woltersdorf
undertook the project, My Sister’s Health – An Educational
Program to Raise Awareness of Preventative Health Care and
Immunization Schedules for Displaced, Urban
Women. To increase knowledge of
recommended health guidelines, student registered nurses presented
educational sessions and open discussions on sexually-transmitted
diseases, health-screening recommendations, and self-breast
examinations. Wallet-sized reminder cards were created for women to
record preventative health screening and immunization dates. A
health-screening schedule handbook was left with agency
staff.
"We feel that we got so much more out of the experience than
we gave," Woltersdorf says. "We hope that the preventative
health information that was taught made an impact and will be
sustained through the handbook and future Project Horizon
nurses."
Project Horizon is a community outreach project of
ENHP's Center for Health, Care, and Well-being. For more than a
quarter century, registered nurses pursuing their baccalaureate
degree from the University have brought a range of health education
initiatives to the Hartford community through schools and
neighborhood agencies. In 1988, these services were expanded to
include Hartford’s homeless population.