ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ receives Education Partner Award from FedCap Rehabilitation Services

FedCap Biddeford Site Manager Sianeh Omeze presents ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ with the Education Partner Award, accepted by Ian Imbert, M.P.H.
FedCap Biddeford Site Manager Sianeh Omeze presents ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ with the Education Partner Award, accepted by Ian Imbert, M.P.H.

FedCap Rehabilitation Services in Biddeford has recognized the ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ for its commitment to providing health education lessons to people seeking employment and economic wellbeing.

FedCap, a program providing people with education and resources to achieve sustainable employment, recently presented ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ with the Education Partner Award for a series of seminars focusing on health and wellness education.

The seminars, presented annually, were developed by public health students in the School of Population Health within the Westbrook College of Health Professions. They focused on timely topics that FedCap clients can incorporate into their personal and professional lives, such as cold and flu prevention, smoking cessation, and winter preparedness.

Health professions students in the Care for the Underserved Pathway (CUP) Maine Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Scholar Honors Distinction Program presented the seminars. The CUP AHEC Scholars program provides opportunities for ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ health professions students to work with underserved populations in rural Maine communities. It is part of the Maine AHEC Network, a workforce development program aimed at alleviating health care workforce shortages.

β€œThe health and wellness seminars provide an opportunity for students to meet the community-based service learning requirements of the CUP AHEC Scholar program,” said Ian Imbert, M.P.H., CUP AHEC Scholars program manager, who received the award on behalf of ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ and Maine AHEC. β€œFedCap clients also have curricular requirements that they need to meet, so the partnership is a win-win for both ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ and FedCap.”

FedCap Site Manager Sianeh Omeeze presented the Education and Training Partner Award to ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ on March 11. FedCap was launched in Maine in 2017. The Biddeford office is one of 16 FedCap Opportunity Centers across the state.

Once enrolled in the FedCap program, clients are expected to participate in a prescribed curriculum of workforce development trainings, which have included ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ’s health and wellness education seminars for the past two years.

Students who participated in presenting the seminars said the lessons have relevance beyond their specific topics.

β€œAs an osteopathic medical student, I understand that there is a strong relationship between building economic wellbeing and living a healthy lifestyle,” said Anna McLean (D.O., ’22). β€œI helped deliver the influenza lessons in the fall and discussed many of the same prevention techniques that we are hearing we should practice to prevent spread of the COVID-19 disease.”

Additional students who participated include Courtney Stern (D.O., ’22), Annie McGregor (D.O., ’23), Kristen Kelliher (D.O., ’23), Adrian Hale (D.O., ’23), Esra Omeroglu (D.O., ’23), Katherine Buscemi (Dental Hygiene, ’21), Kristyn Gordon (Dental Hygiene, ’21), and Taylor Usko, B.S. ’19 (Public Health).

About the ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ

The ΒιΆΉΒγΑΔ is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.