It gives me great pleasure to announce that our ERHD 2014 Alumni Study Report is officially completed. This ERHD Alumni study actually began last year – fall semester 2013. With the assistance of our then – graduate assistant – Shanekia Blackshear Joyner – we conducted a university-based research study. Once we completed the design of the alumni study, Shanekia sent the alumni survey out to all available alumni. Several weeks later, we received all of the completed surveys and then conducted our analysis.
This university-based research study was a study of our graduates. The major objectives of the Ethnic and Rural Health Disparities (ERHD) Alumni study were: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of the ERHD program; and (2) to assess new strategies for improving our ERHD program. To evaluate the effectiveness of the ERHD program, we developed a semi-structured ERHD Alumni survey which included quantitative and qualitative open-ended questions. The ERHD Alumni survey was conducted using web-based Qualtrics software. Quantitative and qualitative results from alumni survey indicate that the ERHD program is a major success with over seventy-five (75%) stated that they strongly agreed that the ERHD met their expectations as a certificate program and that eighty-eight (88%) percent strongly agreed the ERHD program provided them with additional insight and skills related to ethnic and rural health disparities. Moreover, the five qualitative themes provided reliable personal accounts from our ERHD alumnus as to the significance and positive impact of this program to their professional public health and medical careers.
I want to thank Shanekia Blackshear Joyner for all of her assistance, suggestions and effort during this study. She is now one of our ERHD graduates.
I also want to thank Dr. Justin Moore – Co-Director (University of South Carolina) for his input throughout the alumni study.
Finally, I want to thank ECU’s Department of Public Health, Brody School of Medicine, ECU’s Center for Health Disparities, and our former Department Chairperson Dr. Lloyd Novick for all of their support for our ERHD program since the very beginning in 2009.
To receive a copy of our 2014 ERHD Alumni Study report, just email me at: baileye@ecu.edu.