CCU Conway Medical Center College of Health & Human Performance

The impact of Friendship Medical Clinic on our local community inspired Rebecca Barton to pursue an internship with the organization.

Located just minutes from campus, the volunteer-run free clinic helps break down barriers to care by providing essential healthcare services to uninsured individuals in the area.

"Being part of an organization that serves vulnerable populations aligns with my passion for healthcare, public health, and giving back to the community," she said.

The public health major strengthened her clinical skills this spring by improving her patient communication, learning to take vitals, and gaining a better understanding of the primary care workflow.

"From a public health perspective, I gained experience completing reports and working with health data, which helped me understand how documentation and reporting support prevention and community health efforts," she added.

During her internship, Barton also completed the Roadmap to Health Equity Report by collecting clinic demographic data and developing healthcare measurement reports to support the clinic's efforts in pursuing future funding and grants.

Congratulations to Kate Labate, Josh Tennant, Chris Espinosa, and Dr. Kelly Elliott on the publication of "Examining the influence of NCAA subdivision on internship structure and access in sport management curricula."

The research, published in the Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education, looks at how student internships vary across NCAA Division I athletics by examining internship structures, compensation models, eligibility, and academic alignment across 152 athletic departments.

Who's ready to celebrate the spirit, pride, and traditions that brings together? Mark your calendars for and stay tuned for more details. 👌

🚨 Last chance to vote! 🚨

The CORE Center is nominated for Best Alternative Fitness Class/Center in the 2026 Best of the Beach contest, hosted by The Sun News.

Voting ends TOMORROW, June 19 at VotetheBeach.com! Don't miss out on your opportunity to support the CORE Center and its mission!

The CORE Center has been nominated for Best Alternative Fitness Class/Center in the 2026 Best of the Beach contest, hosted by The Sun News!

The CORE Center provides accessible health and fitness assessments, educational programs, and community health outreach opportunities for residents of Horry and Georgetown Counties. Explore available assessments and educational events at coastal.edu/corecenter.

Support the CORE Center by voting now through Friday, June 19 at VotetheBeach.com! Votes are limited to one per day.

Health sciences major Abby Vincent took her Maymester global in Morocco.

Abby traveled abroad with fellow Chanticleers as part of "Maymester in Morocco: Food, Policy, and Global Health Perspectives." The hands-on course exploring global health systems and healthcare delivery was led in part by Dr. Fredanna McGough, professor of public health and interim dean of CCU's College for Graduate and Continuing Studies.

During their time abroad, the group met with several high-ranking epidemiologists, experts, and health officials at Morocco's Ministry of Health and Social Protection, including Dr. Salima Saâsaâ. Each guest speaker shared insights into the country's efforts to reduce health disparities and promote economic inclusion.

Students deeply engaged with Moroccan culture by participating in a cooking class, exploring medinas and souks in Rabat and Fez, experiencing a hammam, and even navigating the local healthcare system firsthand when a few group members became ill.

Every student should follow their passions, just like Rahilly Abernathy.

Abernathy, a health sciences major, interned at Nye’s Pharmacy this spring to get an inside look at the profession she hopes to someday join.

Throughout her internship, Abernathy learned about being a non-sterile compound pharmacist and what the job looks like on a day-to-day basis. She learned about the functions of various medications and how to organize and package them. She also created fine powders from medications and added them to prescription bottles and cream or ointment bases.

“I would say that my best moment was when I was able to basically compound a medication on my own because I felt like I was being able to put into action what I had learned, and because it made me feel proud of myself that someone else believed I was capable of completing the steps correctly.”

This opportunity gave Abernathy the confidence to pursue her dreams and one day make a difference in many people’s lives.

Learn more about earning a B.S. in health sciences: https://bit.ly/440Z70y

Congratulations to Dr. Rachael Schmitz, assistant professor of nursing, on an award-winning conference presentation and on two recent publications related to issues and nurse-led intervention strategies for parental postpartum depression.

Her poster presentation, “The Lived Experiences of Fathers with Postpartum Depression: Implications for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Practice,” earned first place honors in the Advancing Equity & Inclusion: Trauma-Informed & Culturally Responsive Psychiatric Nursing category at the International Society of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurses annual conference in Seattle, Washington. Ten U.S.-based fathers with self-reported or clinically diagnosed PPD participated in the study, which highlighted emotional, relational, and social challenges that can go unrecognized in clinical settings. The study’s findings underscore the importance of early recognition and nurse-led intervention to reduce stigma and strengthen family resilience.

Dr. Schmitz recently published “Reciprocal adaptation in postpartum fathers: A mid-range theory of role negotiation, relational reciprocity, and family adjustment” in Advances in Nursing in Science. The work examines the importance of nurses recognizing paternal distress, promoting early screening, and encouraging care that supports both fathers and families.

She also authored “Paternal alienation, paternal strain, generativity, adjustment, and resilience (P-APGAR): A conceptual framework for fathers’ perinatal psychosocial adjustment,” published in the American Journal of Men’s Health.

Congratulations to Dr. Schmitz on these outstanding accomplishments and her continued contributions to advancing nursing research!

Do you want to become a physical therapist?

Sarah Vernon, who graduated with a B.S. in exercise and sport science in May, is fast-tracking her graduate studies as the first student in CCU's Accelerated DPT Pathway Program with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

Vernon spent this past academic year studying in Charleston, where credits from her first year in the MUSC doctoral program applied toward her bachelor's degree at CCU. The opportunity will allow her to complete both a bachelor's and a doctorate in as few as six years.

"As soon as I began classes my freshman year, I began asking questions to learn about the agreement and what I would need to do to become a strong applicant," she said. "I am so eager to join the profession of physical therapy, but the cost of a graduate program was daunting. When I learned that I could earn my doctorate quickly and perhaps save on the cost, I was thrilled!"

During her first year at MUSC, Vernon's studies included foundational skills, movement science, professional formation, neuroscience, and motor development.

"As the trailblazing student for this agreement, it means so much to me that I have paved a way for other students to be successful in an unorthodox way," she explained. "I see this as a win for students because they can achieve their dreams at their own pace in a supportive environment. This pathway has really boosted my confidence in my ability to be successful at what I put my mind to."

To learn more about CCU's graduate pathway program partnerships, visit coastal.edu/knes/graduatepathways.

The CORE Center has been nominated for Best Alternative Fitness Class/Center in the 2026 Best of the Beach contest, hosted by The Sun News!

The CORE Center provides accessible health and fitness assessments, educational programs, and community health outreach opportunities for residents of Horry and Georgetown Counties. Explore available assessments and educational events at coastal.edu/corecenter.

Support the CORE Center by voting now through Friday, June 19 at VotetheBeach.com! Votes are limited to one per day.