Lincoln West students shine in the city of Brotherly Love

(Plain Press, January 2014) In November of 2013, two Lincoln-West High School students, Kamelia Premsook and Amber Douglas, made presentations at the Family Medicine Education Consortium (FMEC) in Philadelphia, PA.

During the Poster Presentation segment of the three-day regional meeting, Amber Douglas, a Lincoln West Senior, presented Project Eliminating Discrimination Against Physical Disabilities (EDAPD) while Kamelia Premsook, also a Lincoln West Senior, presented Project Miracles.

“Although nervous, I welcomed the opportunity to report on what our committee learned about Eliminating Discrimination Against Physical Disabilities,” confidently said Douglas.  Highlights of the project were advocating on behalf of students with physical disabilities and bringing awareness of the daily barriers faced by wheelchair-bound students. 

“I was so excited to share the truth about alcoholism and the important role that love, education and success play in the recovery process,” said Premsook about her report on Project Miracles.  Her committee worked closely with Nereida Diaz, a Prevention Education Specialist from Hispanic UMADAOP, to understand the risk factors of alcoholism and to promote the protective factors for healthy lifestyles.

Over the past school year, Lincoln-West High School with the assistance of Northeast Ohio Medical University and the Hispanic Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program (UMADAOP) developed a Health Profession Affinity Community (HPAC) to promote and educate high school students about community health issues.

“As a result of this collaboration, our HPAC formed two committees and designed posters to educate students on Alcohol/Drug Abuse and Physical Disabilities,” said Elba Marcano, Bilingual Instruction Aid and HPAC Advisor at Lincoln-West High School.

Other HPAC students, who were unable to attend the regional meeting, but contributed to the success of the poster presentations, were Rogio Nerio, Danielle Harris, and Whitney Morgan.

The FMEC sponsors an annual meeting that brings together family physicians from academic and community-based practices, family medicine residents, and medical students.

“This 14-State northeast regional meeting provides a forum for participants to share information about educational, clinical, policy and research issues affecting primary health care,” said Gina Weisblat, Ph.D., Director of Education for Service, Northeast Ohio Medical University.