Skip directly to search Skip directly to A to Z list Skip directly to navigation Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options
CDC Home

TB Notes Newsletter

This is an archived document. The links and content are no longer being updated.

Return to Main Menu - TB Notes 1, 2008

TB Education and Training Network Updates

Member Highlights

In this issue we highlight Ashley Ewing and Sheanne Davis, who have been the Conference Planning Committee co-chairs for the TB ETN annual conference for the past 3 years.

Ashley Ewing is a Health Educator for the North Carolina Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Human Services. She received her bachelor of science degree in Health Education from East Carolina University.

Image of Ashley Ewing a Health Educator for the North Carolina Division of Public Health at work.Ashley’s job responsibilities include planning, organizing, and implementing TB health education programs for public health personnel, private providers, and other health care providers as requested; assessing health education plans and modifying as required to meet program goals and objectives; advising local health department TB staff concerning material development; conducting program planning and evaluation; and developing a working relationship with DTBE.

Ashley first learned of TB ETN when she began her position as a health educator. One of the nurse consultants in her department was a member, and she “passed” the role on to Ashley. Ashley joined TB ETN because she thought it would be a great way to learn about TB from the perspective of a health educator versus that of a health care provider. She also joined to learn about methods for developing effective educational tools for both providers and patients.

Ashley is also a co-chair of the TB ETN conference planning committee. She joined this group to meet and learn from other people who do the same type of work that she does. She felt that the TB ETN annual conference would be a great opportunity to get input on information being provided to other TB educators.

In the next couple of years, Ashley would like to see TB ETN recruit new members, to get fresh ideas for their educational goals and objectives and to find new and innovative ways to convey information. “One area the planning committee really has a difficult time with is coming up with new ideas and not being redundant year after year at the annual conference,” Ashley explained. She would also like to see an increase in the number of active members.

The most recent training or education product that Ashley has developed is skin testing rulers. “As rulers are very hard to come by, we have developed one, modeling it after a ruler from one of our local counties. One thing I have learned in TB ETN is not to reinvent the wheel! The ruler is in the process of being printed and will be beneficial to our entire state. North Carolina also collaborated with the Southeastern National TB Center (SNTC) to provide a 1-day training course on skin testing for non-health department staff, as that’s one of our major needs. I’m also in the process of planning for our upcoming conferences: our 8th annual TB symposium planned for March 14, 2008, and our 58th annual Tuberculosis / Respiratory Disease (TBRD) Institute planned for October 29–31, 2008, at Carolina Beach,” Ashley stated.

Ashley is currently working with a literature review committee, which consists of one nurse consultant, three local nurses, and two health educators at a local health department, one of whom is Spanish speaking. The committee will assess their current educational materials to make a determination of the need for revising or developing new material. This committee is also doing an assessment (survey) with the TB nurses at each health department about issues such as their current printing capabilities, products they like or don’t like, and materials they think would be useful. Based on the results of the survey, the committee will work together with Ashley’s division to accommodate the requests for educational materials and make them available on their web page. The goal of this committee is to have all educational material web-based by 2009.

In Ashley’s leisure time, she mostly enjoys physical fitness and outdoor activities such as working in her yard, but she also enjoys reading and spending time with her daughter. In addition to her responsibilities for the North Carolina Division of Public Health, you can find Ashley coaching her daughter’s cheerleading squad and baking specialty cakes for birthday parties and for baby and bridal showers.

Image of TB Education Promotion Consultant for the Washington State TB Program at work.Sheanne Davis, BS, CHES, is a TB Education Promotion Consultant for the Washington State TB Program. Her job responsibilities are planning, organizing, and coordinating the surveillance activities of the Washington State TB Program. In this position, she assists in compiling, analyzing, and reviewing cohort, genotyping, and ARPE (Aggregate Reports for TB Program Evaluation) surveillance data. She provides liaison with TB program and statewide partners; provides TB program consultation to local health jurisdictions (LHJs), health agencies, and related organizations regarding surveillance activities; plans, develops, and monitors consolidated contracts with LHJs; prepares and monitors federal grant applications; and plans, organizes, and coordinates statewide TB training and education initiatives.

Sheanne first learned of TB ETN from a flyer at the National TB Controllers Association (NTCA) conference 4 years ago. She joined TB ETN to enhance her TB training and education knowledge, and to build a network base for future TB projects and initiatives. She also thought it was an excellent way to learn about what other TB programs are developing.

Sheanne has been co-chair on the conference planning subcommittee with Ashley for the past 3 years. She wanted to become more involved with TB ETN, and the conference planning subcommittee seemed to match the skills she had to offer. She hopes that in the next few years TB ETN will continue to build its active membership and produce successful annual conferences.

One of Sheanne’s major project areas is the Washington State initiative to reduce TB among American Indians. She has developed presentations and educational materials for this population. She and her coworkers are now partnering on a grant with a reservation in Washington to start QFT-Gold and develop additional training and education materials for this specific population.

In Sheanne’s free time, she enjoys multiple outdoor activities such as hiking, rollerblading, swimming, and much more. “Most of my free time is spent with my fianc and our two dogs (kids). I try to travel as much as possible, get in a few good books, and spend time with friends and family,” she explained. In the near future, Sheanne is planning to go back to graduate school to get her masters degree in public health.

If you’d like to join Ashley and Sheanne as a TB ETN member and take advantage of all TB ETN has to offer, please send an e-mail requesting a registration form to tbetn@cdc.gov. You can also send a request by fax to 404-639-8960 or by mail to TB ETN, CEBSB, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, CDC, 1600 Clifton Rd., N.E., MS E10, Atlanta, Georgia 30333. Or, if you would like additional information about the TB Education and Training Network.

—Submitted by Regina Bess
Div of TB Elimination

 
Contact Us:
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    Division of Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE)
    1600 Clifton Rd., NE
    MS E10
    Atlanta, GA 30333
  • 800-CDC-INFO
    (800-232-4636)
    TTY: (888) 232-6348
  • New Hours of Operation
    8am-8pm ET/Monday-Friday
    Closed Holidays
  • cdcinfo@cdc.gov
USA.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web PortalDepartment of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348 - cdcinfo@cdc.gov
A-Z Index
  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. J
  11. K
  12. L
  13. M
  14. N
  15. O
  16. P
  17. Q
  18. R
  19. S
  20. T
  21. U
  22. V
  23. W
  24. X
  25. Y
  26. Z
  27. #