The event is designed to give high school students first-hand understanding of college life and medical careers. MinnPost quotes Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow as saying,  “We want to give them a glimpse of what these careers look like, and something of a college experience that makes the possibility seem more real to them.”

In particular, Augsburg and its partners at the University of Minnesota Medical Center – Fairview focus on the many Somali students who live nearby with help from community organizations such as the the African Development Center and the West Bank Community Coalition.

Read “” on the MinnPost website.

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Augsburg College will welcome Mary K. Brainerd, a national leader known for her business acumen and unwavering commitment to the community, as the next featured presenter in the Clair and Gladys Strommen Executive Speaker Series on April 4.

Brainerd, who will speak on the topic of health care reform from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Sateren Auditorium, is the president and chief executive officer of Minnesota-based HealthPartners—the largest, consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the United States. Brainerd and HealthPartners are widely recognized for charitable community work.

“Mary is a leader whose values and skills are placed in service of the common good,” said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow, who views Brainerd as an important collaborator with the College.

“Recently, Mary has joined with colleagues from the health care and education institutions located along the new Central Corridor light rail line to explore how our ‘anchor institutions’ can help promote the economic well-being of the neighborhoods along the line,” Pribbenow said.

Brainerd has been actively involved in the Twin Cities community for several years, and she is one of the founding CEOs and former Chair of the Itasca Project, a group of 40 government, civic, and business leaders addressing the issues that impact long-term economic growth, including jobs, education, transportation, and economic disparities.

Brainerd has led of HealthPartners since 1992. During her tenure, the organization has received numerous accolades for outstanding patient care and its health plan service.

Presentation details

Light refreshments will be served prior to the event and a pizza dinner will be hosted at 6:30 p.m.

The Strommen Executive Speaker Series is a free presentation offered quarterly that brings local business leaders to Augsburg’s Minneapolis campus to share their insights and expertise.

About the presenter

Under Brainerd’s leadership and direction, HealthPartners has experienced record growth and is often recognized as a national leader in health care.

In her role, Brainerd leads more than 21,000 employees in the HealthPartners integrated system, which includes a care delivery system with more than 1,700 physicians at nearly 140 primary, specialty and urgent care clinics, five hospitals, a large dental practice, 1.4 million members in top-rated medical and dental health plans, and HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research.

Brainerd has received honors that include Executive of the Year from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, the Caux Roundtable Award for outstanding citizenship, and induction into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame.

She holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota.

Presentation Hashtags

Share your Strommen Executive Speaker Series experience using social media. The hashtag for the series is #AugStrom.

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Twelve second-year physician assistant students are preparing to travel to Guatemala for two weeks to study health care practices and to learn about indigenous culture. Part of their preparation has included raising money — two garage sales netted over $1,100 — that they’ve used to buy medical equipment and supplies to donate, small gifts and other health items — plus 44 pairs of reading glasses purchased at the dollar store.

Much of their time in Guatemala will be spent in Mayan communities, learning about traditional culture, spirituality, and medicine. The students will visit clinics and schools, and meet with healthcare workers. They’ll also present health education programs and conduct workshops for health promoters on topics such as hypertension and diabetes. Some of their purchased supplies are hygiene and health items for people to take home that reinforce these messages.

The Guatemala trip, from June 23-July 8, is a pilot course for PA students, led by Professor Donna DeGracia and coordinated by the Center for Global Education. While in Guatemala City, the group will stay at Augsburg’s guest house, Casa San José, for orientation and background on local history and culture. This will help the students understand how cultural differences, poverty, and a long civil war have deeply affected the Guatemalan people.

In the capital city, the students will visit poverty-stricken areas and meet with community workers to see first hand the deep disparities in culture. DeGracia says it’s a real eye-opener to actually see how little so many people have and how they find ways to live on and off of other people’s resources.

Traveling into the highlands, the center of Guatemala’s indigenous population, the students will visit Mayan communities in Chichicastenango and San Lucas Tolimán. From the Mayans, they’ll learn about traditional medicine, the use of medicinal plants and other healing practices. The students’ itinerary, planned by the CGE staff in Guatemala, also includes participation in a Mayan ceremony.

The PA students targeted hypertension and diabetes as two areas where they can provide both information and supplies to help local health promoters improve the community’s well-being. The students will donate basic medical equipment and supplies they’ve purchased, such as blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, and over-the-counter basics as vitamins and pain relievers, to the local communities.

The PA students hope to draw on this experience as they think about their own medical practice. This includes understanding better how people, especially in traditional cultures, approach medicine differently, and developing cultural sensitivity as they treat patients. They also hope to gain insight into making the best use of scarce resources, helpful for PAs who may practice in rural areas.

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This is the Augsburg Central Nursing Center, a place that provides instruction and practice for nurses as well as much-needed health care for members of the community. According to Dawn Bowker, a graduate nursing student at Augsburg, the center also provides growth for the nurses and their clients.

Since 1992, students in Augsburg’s nursing program have worked at the Center. Many of the clients are people who have been marginalized in some way — they are uninsured, under-insured, and sometimes homeless. “They are pushed to the periphery,” Dawn says.

Ruth Enestvedt, Augsburg nursing faculty member and co-coordinator of the Center, says their model of practice is framed by an understanding that people need healing rather than a diagnosis and a prescription for treatment. “We assume that people are experts in their own lives,” she said. “We provide useful, relevant service that respects what the person brings to the situation.”

One of the most important lessons Dawn learned through her work at the Center was to listen to clients’ stories and not to pre-judge them. “Like with homelessness,” she said, “we often assume the person has made poor choices. But people who develop a serious illness can lose everything because of the cost of their care or the symptoms of their illness,” she added. “They are still valued individuals, they still have pride.”

Linda Holt, the Center’s other co-coordinator and Augsburg faculty member, adds that people’s stories provide explanations for the choices they have made and insight into the best options for healing. “It is in listening to the stories that people have to tell that horizons are broadened and new, previously unimagined possibilities arise,” Holt wrote.

Dawn sees advocacy as a significant role of the nurses, one that requires creativity and open-mindedness. She said, “For example, if I tell you that you have an appointment next Tuesday at the Southdale clinic, I assume you will have no problem getting there. With the Center’s clients, I can’t make that assumption. I cannot take for granted that they have access to transportation, healthcare coverage, or the ability to keep that appointment.”

Listening and sharing helps nurses find solutions for their clients and creates the mutual respect that offers growth for both parties. Dawn says that she has learned about respect and embracing differences and has formed new friendships as a result of her work at the Center.

Oh, and the shampoo and tube socks? They were donated by the sunday school children at Central Lutheran. In addition to the donated space, these items from the church reinforce the message of caring to the Center’s clients.

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