The University of Arizona Pediatric Pulmonary Center has received a five-year, $1.69 million renewal grant from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
First funded in 2000, the UA Pediatric Pulmonary Center (UA PPC) serves as a regional and national resource center for training and educating the next generation of leaders who care for children with chronic pulmonary disorders within the disciplines of medicine, nursing, nutrition, social work, pharmacy and family advocacy.
“In addition to training the next generation of leaders, this important grant allows the UA PPC to provide technical assistance to governmental and non-governmental agencies involved in maternal and child health,” said Mark Brown, MD, professor, UA Department of Pediatrics and director of the UA Pediatric Pulmonary Center. “We also provide continuing education to maternal and child health professionals in our region—Arizona, Nevada, California, Hawaii and the six U.S. Pacific Island Territories.”
PPC training programs promote comprehensive, family-centered and culturally sensitive interprofessional systems of health care that serve the diverse needs of families within their communities. PPC traineeships are available in pulmonary medicine, nursing, nutrition, pharmacy, family advocacy and social work.
“This program was an amazing introduction to an interdisciplinary health-care approach for working with children and adults,” said former PPC trainee Dane Clark, MSW. “The curriculum was well-designed, with a variety of learning activities, community site visits and cutting-edge lectures. The hands-on approach of working directly with patients, collaborating with professionals and creating new ideas was beneficial. Most importantly, I felt like I was actually making a difference in the lives of the people we were helping.”