The Rural Scholars is a select group of students from the University of Massachusetts Graduate Schools of Nursing and Medicine.  Sponsored by the Health Council and housed by the Martha's Vineyard Hospital, the students spend time on the Vineyard researching and analyzing health related topics of critical importance to our island.  Their data-supported reports assist the Council in proceeding with its mission.

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Past Project Presentations:

 

Meta Analysis
A comprehensive review of all previous Rural Health Scholars Projects
2009 - 2021

"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today."
                        - Malcom X
Identifying Education and Training Needs Among the Youth Population
2021

"All sorrows are less with bread."
              ~ Miguel de Cervantes
Identifying Food Needs Within Three Key Populations on Martha's Vineyard
2020

"We rise by lifting others."
                        - Robert Ingersoll
Inclusive Recreation and Leisure
2019

"You may not control life's circumstances, but getting to be the author of your life means getting to control  what you do with them."
                        - Atul Gawande
Laying the foundation for Advanced Care Planning on Martha's Vineyard
2018

“Empower woman, empower the human community. The base on which the world stands is a woman."
               ~  author unknown
Addressing Sexual and Reproductive Health on Martha's Vineyard
2017

"The idea that addicts must  'hit bottom' is an archaic and potentially deadly myth."
- David Sheff, author of  Clean
Addiction and the Martha's Vineyard Community:  Assessment of Substance Use Disorder and Addiction Services in a Rural at-risk Population
2016

The average age of a homeless person in Massachusetts is  8 years old.
Homelessness on Martha's Vineyard
2015

If you suspect a senior is being abused, call your local Council on Aging or 911.
Examining Elder Mistreatment on Martha's Vineyard
2014

"Youth has no age."
                     -  Pablo Picasso
Healthy Aging Initiative:  Coordination, Communication, Service
2013

"One can not think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."
               -  Virginia Woolf
Accessibility of Healthy Foods
2012

"Approximately 15% of adults over 60 suffer from mental illness.  This figure will double  in the next 30 years."
   -  World Health Organization
Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services for the Elderly
2011

Coming Soon
2010 Rural Health Scholars Presentation

Young people who drink before age 15 are four times as likely to have alcohol dependence as those who
start drinking at age 21 .
Transitioning to the High School Years:
A Guide for Parents and Guardians
2009