The Research Foundation

Programs: See schedule o. Injury prevention for youth:thinkfirst of greater kansas city the research foundation serves as the kansas city chapter for thinkfirst, a national, award-winning injury prevention program that teaches youth, grades k-12, how to avoid traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries through a free school-based assembly. The program is delivered by speakers who have sustained a brain or spinal cord injury. Through their moving testimony, they supply young adults and children with valuable information about seat belt safety, safe driving practices such as not driving distracted, helmet use, pedestrian and bicycle safety, preventing diving injuries, and avoiding guns and violence. The kansas city chapter serves clay, platte, jackson and cass counties in missouri, and johnson and wyandotte counties in kansas. A total of 148 programs were held, reaching 37,062 youth in the greater kansas city area during the 2016/2017 school year. Young traffic offenders programin addition, the research foundation continued to coordinate and manage the young traffic offenders program (ytop). This program offers judges a way to deter young people from speeding, drunken driving, inattentive driving behaviors and other related driving offenses. During the ytop program, participants follow the path they would take after being seriously injured in a car crash. Approximately 478 young drivers attended ytop during 2016. Roadwise program roadwise focus is discussing distracted driving with teens. The program for young drivers 14-19, emphasizes the importance of wearing a seat belt, making good decisions behind the wheel and not driving distracted. Participants follow the path they would take at a trauma center after being seriously injured in a car crash by visiting the emergency room, radiology, intensive care and physical therapy. Lunch is spent with young people who have sustained a permanent brain or spinal cord injury as a result of a motor-vehicle crash. The missouri state highway patrol also visits to talk about working crash sites and the daunting task of making death notifications to families. Concussion programthe foundation piloted a thinkfirst about concussions program in 2016. The program aims to lower risk for sports-related concussions and head injuries. The goal is to help student athletes and their support teams of coaches, trainers, managers, school administrators, parents and guardians understand the signs and symptoms of concussions. Health related scholarships:scholarships were provided to undergraduate nursing students who attend avila university, research college of nursing/rockhurst university joint nursing program and william jewell college. A total of 43 scholarships were awarded to nursing students totaling $197,925. A total of 13 scholarships were provided to students studying radiology technology or nuclear medicine. Scholarships were provided to 11 area high school students to attend the summer nursing experience camp at research college of nursing/rockhurst university and explore nursing as a career. The foundation expanded its health related scholarship program to include doctoral of physical therapy (dpt) student scholarships. These scholarships are to encourage and support doctor of physical therapy students. The criteria and the scholarship application was developed in fall 2016 with the first scholarship awards made in 2017. Nursing faculty awards and scholarships: awards and scholarships were provided for nursing faculty members at avila university, research college of nursing/rockhurst university and william jewell college who were seeking to improve their knowledge. Doctoral study scholarships these scholarships enhance the recruitment and retention of doctoral prepared nurse educators in the greater kansas city area through the funding of doctoral study for individuals pursuing a phd or doctor of nursing practice (dnp). Continuing education for faculty these scholarships encourage continuing education opportunities for nursing faculty. Additional awards are provided for teaching excellence, scholarly achievement, and outstanding community service. Continuing medical educationthe research foundation coordinated and sponsored three full-day continuing medical education symposiums in partnership with the ed bixby institute for postgraduate medical education and institute for international medicine. Symposiums focused on primary care, infectious disease, and chronic pain/cancer pain and were attended by physicians, nurses and allied health professionals throughout the greater kansas city metro and surrounding areas. Support for low income patientssupport was provided for medicines, nutritional supplements and utility/food assistance for low income patients who are battling cancer.