RICHLAND, Wash. – Two nonprofits that provide free medical and social services to community members in the regional Tri-Cities now have iPads to help expand access to translation and interpreting services. The access to the technology was made possible by a partnership with Washington State University Tri-Cities nursing students and the .

provides free medical, dental and mental health services to uninsured individuals. The provides a free place to sleep, as well as social and medical support services, to regional homeless individuals.

Avonte Jackson, director of Grace Clinic, said the clinic serves a large population of individuals whose primary language is one other than English. She said it can be challenging to find volunteers who can interpret medical terminology. This is especially��difficult for family members who may be asked to translate medical jargon for relatives at their appointments, she said.

Giving back to the community as part of education

In a class focusing on community health practices, ���سԹ� nursing students examined what they could do to help expand medical access in areas where it was crucially needed. While completing clinical experiences at Grace Clinic, the group noticed the need for translation for patients that don’t speak English.

“As a group, we chose to focus on the immigrant and refugee population in the Tri-Cities area,” said Magaly Torres, a senior ���سԹ� nursing student at the time and now alumna. “While completing clinicals at Grace Clinic, we found that many patients do not speak English and the majority required an interpreter.”

Torres and fellow students Bridget Hohl and Beth Phillips came up with the idea to use iPads to provide the service, as they provided great versatility at a relatively small price point. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the group faced challenges with raising the funds needed to finalize the project.

���سԹ� student Mikaela Thepvongsa said where they would normally host public fundraising events, such as a bake sale, those opportunities were no longer an option, as of last spring. Their instructor, Jennifer Larson, came up with the idea to submit a proposal to the Kadlec Foundation this fall.

“The Kadlec Foundation graciously donated funds to purchase two refurbished iPads for Grace Clinic and the Union Gospel Mission,” Thepvongsa said.

Expanding translation and interpreting services

Jackson said the donation of an iPad will allow Grace Clinic to expand access to medical services in a large way.

“We serve a large Spanish-speaking population, but also individuals who speak a variety of other languages,” she said. “This technology will help us in communicating with patients and their family members as we seek to expand access to medical care in the Tri-Cities for those who otherwise couldn’t afford it due to lack of insurance or other factors.”

Similar to Grace Clinic, the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission serves clients whose original home countries span the globe. Chariss Warner, the ministry director, said an iPad will also allow their staff and volunteers to address issues in a culturally-sensitive manner.

“I can think of specific examples where words we use can cause fear or misunderstandings,” Warner said. “Having this ability to meet the clients where they are at will be life-changing for many. It will help us build trust and understanding between clients and the health care industry, as a whole.”

“I would just like to thank (���سԹ� nursing students) for seeing a need and then meeting the need,” Warner said. “It takes a special group of people to not just see a problem and walk away in judgement, but to come alongside and in partnership to raise the standard of care. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Support from Kadlec Foundation

Rebecca Thornton, development manager at the Kadlec Foundation, said Kadlec has made a targeted effort this year, especially amid the pandemic, to offer more community-facing programming and services outside of what they provide through the traditional clinical setting.

“That has been extra important, given the last year and limitations for in-person access to medical services,” she said. “Technology like iPads has allowed us to grow patient access to seeing medical professionals, as well as breaking down additional barriers to medical services. We are thrilled to be able to partner with the ���سԹ� nursing program to provide this resource to Grace Clinic and the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission.”

For more information about the ���سԹ� nursing program and ways to partner, visit tricities.wsu.edu/nursing.

 

Media contacts:

Avonte Jackson, Grace Clinic director, 509-735-2300, avontej@gracecliniconline.org

Chariss Warner, Tri-City Union Gospel Mission ministries director, 509-547-2112 Ext. 112, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

Mikaela Thepvongsa, ���سԹ� nursing student, mikaela.thepvongsa@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� director of marketing and communication, 619-403-3617 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Adam Halvorsen knows that providing the best possible patient care is crucial in the health field, which is why he is using his degree in nursing from Washington State University Tri-Cities to advocate for better care for patients and for his nursing colleagues across the state.

Halvorsen got involved in advocating for nursing policy as a student at ���سԹ�. Little did he know, his efforts would lead him to become the WSU College of Nursing Outstanding Undergraduate Student this fall.

“It’s been an amazing ride so far,” he said. “I’ve been very humbled by this profession and by my incredible colleagues, and I’m excited to see where it leads me.”

Inspired by service

Halvorsen’s passion for service grew out of his start in the military. The day after 9/11, he signed up for the U.S. Marine Corps and spent four years active-duty with time in Okinawa, Japan, as well as through a tour in Iraq.

“Sept. 11 happened and on Sept. 12, I signed up,” he said. “I saw a need and I went for it. My core philosophy is service. I believe in service to others before self.”

After he left the armed forces, Halvorsen continued his career in service in two jobs: as an emergency management technician for Medstar Ambulance and as a firefighter for the Gallup Fire Department in Gallup, New Mexico. He enjoyed those roles, he said, but he wanted to be a part of the long-term care and recuperation of his patients, rather than just being a part of their initial care in his emergency care roles.

“The thing with nursing is you don’t see a person at their height of being – you see people at their base,” he said. “To be able to be allowed in that moment of their lives and to try to have a positive impact, it is a blessing to be able to do that.”

He enrolled in the ���سԹ� nursing program, which is where he was introduced to opportunities that would allow him to use his passion to better nursing and patient care for Washington state.

Leadership in nursing

In addition to the hands-on training he received from his experienced professors and instructors in the ���سԹ� nursing program, Halvorsen received the opportunity to take on leadership roles within several state nursing organizations.

He served as president of Nursing Students of Washington State. His experience at WSU also led him to serve as part of the Washington State Nurses Association, as well as attend a national conference through the National Student Nurses’ Association. Through these affiliations, Halvorsen had the opportunity to provide input on association policy, expand communication efforts through video, as well as generally advocate for his peers and future colleagues in nursing.

Last year, Halvorsen also joined his WSU peers to represent WSU at Nursing Day at the Capitol in Olympia, which allowed him to interact with prominent government figures to advocate for patient care and speak publically about the importance of nursing education and the nursing profession.

Halvorsen said he hadn’t initially planned on getting involved with these types of leadership roles or that it would lead him earning the WSU College of Nursing Outstanding Undergraduate Student award.

“I honestly didn’t expect it, but I’m honored to represent my incredible peers for the work we have accomplished together,” he said.

Future as a nursing leader��

Halvorsen said the primary reason behind his activism in the nursing field is that he is able to have a positive impact, not only on the current state of health care, but also its future.

“If we could get more students interested in being proactive, not only in policy, but in their communities, we could have a much better impact in nursing, compared with what we think our limits are as student nurses,” he said. “Washington has amazing potential – we have a lot of schools and students out there. There’s an amazing opportunity to grow nursing and help people.”

After graduating this fall, Halvorsen now has the opportunity to exude even more leadership through his role as a director for the National Student Nurse’s Association where he is also head of the ethics and goverance committee for the organization. Additionally, he has accepted a position as a full-time nurse in the cardiac department of the Kadlec Regional Medical Center.

After spending a few years as a full-time nurse, he plans to obtain his doctorate of nursing practice. He hopes to use his career experience and academic credentials to continue with advocacy work and volunteer opportunities. His long-term goal is to work with the American Nursing Association to develop and refine nursing policy.

“It’s been incredible experience so far, both through my education with incredible professors at WSU, in addition to what I’ve been able to participate in through state and national organizations,” he said. “I hope to keep having an impact in nursing so that everyone can benefit.”

Halvorsen said he couldn’t have accomplished his feats without the mentorship he received from the the nurses at WSU, WSNA and those within the NSNA.

“Their guidance and leadership has taught me so much that I will continue to use throughout the rest of my career,” he said.