NCS South Region Spring 2014 Newsletter Spring 2014 | Page 2

S TAFF

SPOTLIGHT

Local Leadership is Key to Effective
Community Engagement

Field data collectors are
important members of the NCS
The NCS South Region would like to welcome two new members to the RCEAC: Nicole
South Region Team. They are
Ortega from Bexar County, TX and Dr. Juan Olivares from Harris County, TX
the “face of the Study” to
participant families and
The success of both projects could not have been
he Regional Community Engagement
community members. We would
realized without RCEAC support. The
Advisory Committee (RCEAC) is an
like to introduce our four data
Communications Team has many upcoming events in
important part of the NCS. Each person
collectors from Harris County,
2014 and will be reaching out to RCEAC members in
that serves on this committee brings a
TX. They have been successfully
other Study Locations heir help and support. We are
unique leadership quality that connects the Study to
building trust and positive
thankful to the RCEAC for their continued
communities and provides important support. Over the
relationships with participants.
commitment.
last few months, the Communications Team has relied
on members of the RCEAC for planning and holding
community events. Community events increase
awareness of the Study and encourage participants to
stay in the NCS.

T

Miguelina Benitez, BA
Miguelina joined the NCS South
Region Team in 2013 and
currently works with 70
participants. Miguelina is from
the Dominican Republic and
speaks both English and
Spanish. Previously, Miguelina
helped adult and child survivors
of domestic and sexual violence.
She has research experience at
Westat, Mathematics Policy
Research, and the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC). At the
CDC she worked on a study
titled Preventing Violence during
Pregnancy. Miguelina continues
her volunteer work helping
women and children in crisis.

A special thanks goes to Kerry Dunlavey, RN in
Baker County, FL who helped us organize and hold
the first “NCS Mobile Unit Open House,” and to Judie
Forte-Huff in Lamar County, TX for her work with
our “Be a Healthy Superhero” coloring contest. Ms.
Huff helped organize the participation of children in
four schools in the Paris Independent School District.

Watch an interview with RCEAC member,
Zonzie McLaurin, on the Hinds County
Facebook Page: facebook.com/NCSHindsCo

The NCS Goes Mobile

The NCS South Region Team is using vans to serve as
mobile offices for participants when they have an inperson Study visit. These fully equipped vans are very
unique and will bring a comfortable and convenient
data collection experience to where participants live,
work and play. We have both large
and small van models. Both models
were designed with NCS
participants in mind.

The second, smaller van is a Ford Transit. This van has
the same freezers and refrigerators for storing
specimens and samples as the larger model. The Ford
Transit van will be used in Study Locations that have
field offices where participants can come for
appointments, except Orleans
Parish, which does not have an
office. Orleans Parish has a smaller
number of participants and the
smaller van will help our data
collector stay better connected. The
other locations that will be receiving
this van model are Baldwin County,
GA, Hinds County, MS and Lamar
County, TX.

The larger van is the Sprinter 3500.
This van will be used in Study
Locations that do not have a field
office. This van provides a quiet
environment that is free from
distractions for holding interviews.
The data collection mobile units will
There is an area to sit comfortably
Janet Gaetje, BA
be arriving at their Study Locations
during the visit as well as a
over the next few months. The first
bathroom. The Sprinter van also has
Prior to joining the NCS South
Baker County Data Collectors, Shelly van arrived in Baker County, FL,
an area for taking body
Region Team in August 2013,
Crawford and Lori Hodges, showing where a “Mobile Unit Open House”
Janet worked as a social worker measurements like height, weight
the new Sprinter 3500 van.
and, most recently, as a data
was held on January 13, 2014. It
and blood pressure and for
collector for the NCS Harris
was a huge success! Participants,
collecting biological specimens
County Study Center. Janet
the media and the community were
such as blood or urine. Field data
enjoys volunteer work with
invited. As part of the open house, the NCS South
collectors have enough room to process and prepare
animals and giving her time at her
Region Team presented a Study update to the Healthy
specimens for shipment. The van has freezers and
local church gathering books and
Baker coalition. A crowd of approximately 30 people
refrigerators for storage of specimens and samples, and
clothing for needy families. She
stayed after the presentation and our two local data
it is completely secure with a modern locking system.
has been married for 8 years and
collectors led tours of the Sprinter 3500 van. Check out
The Sprinter 3500 van will be used in Baker County,
has a 4 year old daughter.
your Study Location Facebook page to learn where our
FL, Benton County, AR, Davidson County, TN,
NCS mobile units are headed next.
Valencia County, NM, Bexar and Harris Counties, TX.

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