Fairmont State Receives Grant to Fund Community Health Program

Fairmont State University has been awarded $20,000 in grant funding from the Milan Puskar Foundation to implement the College of Nursing’s Caring for Our Neighbors and Beyond – The Underserved Populationproject. This project aims to help individuals who lack access to healthcare services in six counties in North Central West Virginia.

Fairmont State’s College of Nursing will work to promote the mission of the Milan Puskar Foundation by providing healthcare, training, and educational benefits to improve lives in West Virginia.

Through this project, nursing faculty and students will provide healthcare services, which include screenings, referrals, educational resources, community-based health fairs, and hygiene and health promotion kits to support at least 500 community members in need. Faculty and students aim to expand the project’s impact on the community through continued collaboration with local organizations and individuals.

“We aim to foster stronger community engagement by involving local organizations, volunteers, and students in our initiatives,” said Lisa Eades, the project lead and Assistant Professor of Nursing. “This collaboration will enhance community awareness about the challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness and underserved populations, encouraging a more empathetic and proactive community response.”

The project proposal was developed by a team of Fairmont State’s College of Nursing faculty, including Eades, and Laura Clayton, Dean of the College of Nursing. It is an expansion of the College of Nursing’s 2022 Caring for Our Neighbors: The Homeless Population project, which was also funded by the Milan Puskar Foundation.

“The expansion of the grant to include surrounding counties beyond Marion County allows us to address the needs of a wider and more diverse population,” said Eades. “By being inclusive with the definition of homelessness, we can now support individuals and families who may have been previously overlooked, such as those living in temporary accommodations or facing imminent risk of homelessness.”

The goal of this project is to not only assist community members in need, but also to create an environment in which nursing students can develop their skills in health care services.

“Through community engagement, nursing students gain experience understanding the unique health needs and socioeconomic concerns of the underserved population. This translates into improved clinical competency and advocacy skills in providing care to all individuals, thus improving the health of those impacted by their care,” said Clayton.

“The hope is to empower individuals towards long-term stability and self-sufficiency,” said Eades.