The event, which is open to the public, will feature healthy food options from more than 20 different restaurants and local grocers, as well as a cash bar, live music from (blues, R&B, reggae, jazz), a silent auction and raffles.

Hosted by , the and the , the event will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the UofL Kosair Charities Clinical and Translational Research Building at 505 S. Hancock St. on the UofL Health Sciences Campus.

The cost of the event is $45 for members of the Kentucky Nurses Association, and $50 for others. The money will go toward scholarship funds, education and research at the , and some also will go to UofL Physicians – Infectious Diseases for vaccine supplies. The event also will feature a “Giving Tree.” 

“The event is a way for restaurants and the community to say ‘thank you’ to nurses for their efforts to mobilize and come to restaurants and vaccinate all workers against hepatitis A,” said , clinical director of the and an associate professor at the .

Nurses from UofL vaccinated around 6,000 people at restaurants in Louisville and Jefferson County. Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection, most likely to be spread from contaminated food or water or from close contact with an infected person or contaminated object.

“It’s important to recognize their contribution to public health,” Carrico said. “It’s also important to realize what a resource UofL is, in that we have the ability to mobilize and respond to a public health crisis such as this.”

RSVPs are requested by July 20 by visiting the Kentucky Nurses Foundation site , or by calling the Kentucky Nurses Association office at 502-245-2843.

On March 14, seven undergraduate students helped administer vaccines to more than 100 adults and children at , a nonprofit organization that provides resettlement services to refugees.

Students administered vaccines to prevent chickenpox, hepatitis B, diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus to refugees from Iraq, Nepal, Somalia and Syria.

“I wanted to help people who have come here for a better life,” said junior nursing student Ivone Adamenou, while preparing a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

The organized the event, which allowed nursing students to gain experience administering vaccines, and served critical immunization needs of refugees.

“These are the types of patients students can expect to see when they work in the hospitals,” said School of Nursing Assistant Professor Montray Smith, MSN, MPH, RN, LHRM, who helped supervise the students. “Louisville has a sizable refugee population, and this is an excellent opportunity for students to gain firsthand experience working with this population.”

Remote Area Medical trip to Nashville

Also, five undergraduate nursing students kicked off their spring break on March 11 by helping those who struggle to afford or access health care. The students, Smith and School of Nursing Assistant Professor Diane Riff served at a (RAM) clinic in Nashville triaging about 400 patients who received dental and medical care.

RAM operates mobile clinics that provide free health care to those who do not have access or cannot afford to see a provider.

Student Kathryn Stuckey wanted to attend the trip to help people who would not have been able to receive treatment without the clinic.

“Many people expressed how grateful they were for us and that solidified that I am going into the right profession,” Stuckey said. “I will always be willing to lend a hand because I believe that everyone deserves equal treatment regardless of their income, race, culture and any other factor.”

Norton Children & Hospitals Week

Finally, on March 15, undergraduate and master’s degree students provided brief education sessions about healthy lifestyle choices and safety at Norton Children & Hospitals Week. Kindergartners from local schools took field trips to the event, hosted at Louisville Slugger Field.

Nursing students taught children poison prevention, helmet and seatbelt safety, brushing and flossing correctly and the importance of getting enough sleep. Areas that mimicked hospital departments, including the emergency room, X-ray and surgery, were meant to help children overcome fear and anxiety associated with hospital visits.

The 34^th annual event was part of programming organized by Norton Children’s Prevention & Wellness.

A University of Louisville pediatrician’s comprehensive guide to vaccines, known as a standard in the profession, is now available electronically.

The Vaccine Handbook: A Practical Guide for Clinicians – also known as “The Purple Book” for the color of its cover in hard-copy form – has been developed into an app for iOS devices and is available in Apple’s . The guide’s author is Gary S. Marshall, MD, a professor in the at UofL who practices with .

The Vaccine Handbook App contains an updated version of the fifth edition of the book, including the latest immunization schedules and recommendations, Marshall said. The app enhances the print version by including functionality features such as keyword search, internal links, bookmarking, quick access to schedules and tables, hyperlinks to external sources and the ability to make real-time updates.

Published by Professional Communications Inc., The Vaccine Handbook has long been known as an authoritative, user-friendly guide to immunizations. Designed for all health care providers, the guide contains practical advice and background on vaccine program infrastructure, standards and regulations, business aspects of vaccine practice, general recommendations, schedules, special circumstances and how to address the concerns of parents and patients. Specific information about vaccine-preventable diseases, the rationale for vaccine use, and available products also are included.

“We are so excited to make this resource available to any provider who wants it,” Marshall said. “Immunizations are one of our greatest public health triumphs. The more useful and credible information that providers have in hand – which, in the case of an app, it literally is – the more vaccine-preventable diseases will become a distant memory.”

Through a collaboration between the publisher and Sanofi Pasteur, there is no charge to download and use the app, although registration and reporting under the Open Payments act is required.