4.3 RESEARCH
Lucia, in a Public Lecture series, entitled “Reclaiming Wellness and Sexual Health”, which saw more than 150 attendees and was also live streamed on BESS FM.
cope with life’s challenges such as relationships, transitions, the pandemic, and related issues. A number of newsletters were launched in the 2021- 2022 academic year including: a special issue of “Ask the Psychologist” which provided mental health support, tips on coping, exercise and healthy living; an issue on online fatigue, relationships and studying; and an “Ask the Psychologist” issue on managing stress in the resumption of face-to-face classes. As part of the Roll-With-Initiative, the FSS continued to build the resilience of staff, students and the wider UWI community through an FSS 12-Week Challenge for self-improvement, wherein weekly messages of inspiration and self-improvement challenges were circulated through the Mona Messaging system on the Campus. The challenges were designed to foster increased intentionality and mindfulness as readers considered their mental and physical health. Very positive feedback was received from within the Faculty and from colleagues in other Faculties. The challenge included:
• Week 12: “Woke!” What is Next at the End of the 12-Week Challenge? (November 29, 2021)
CARIMAC and the Ministry of Health & Wellness Mr. David Soutar, of the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC), collaborated with the Ministry of Health & Wellness to create a mobile App targeted at patients with non-communicable diseases, as well as those who are at risk, to help them track their weight, blood pressure, blood glucose readings and other health metrics. The App will be used in conjunction with a larger digitization of the public health system involving telemedicine and electronic health records. The pilot of the digital public health system was set to be launched in the 4th quarter of 2022. The UWI partners to set up Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Service The Department of Microbiology (Faculty of Medical Sciences), working in close collaboration with the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW), established a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) service.
A survey was also administered in the 2021-2022 academic year using the “What’s on your plate” platform as a means of getting information from students on their stressors. The survey was extended to the wider University, and other Faculties participated. A Mindfulness seminar was subsequently conducted on October 15, 2021, with mindfulness specialist Dr. Lotte Berk from Utrecht College, with the objectives of increasing FSS Pride/Spirit, bringing awareness to what each discipline does, and exposing students to the many available career options. The Western Jamaica Campus alongside partners at the Western Regional Health Authority, also hosted its annual Mental Health Conference on a fully virtual platform. This was held under the theme “Mental Health in a Changing World: The Have and Have not’s - How did we get here?” As part of its “WJC Connect” innovation in virtual connectivity, the WJC also hosted “Activate” Orientation 2021 and a “What’s Your Topic?” session. The latter was an information-gathering/ student check-in exercise which took the form of direct phone contact with over a hundred students across all demographics, and a virtual meeting at which students and faculty shared the challenges and opportunities of remote engagement. FHE – H.E.A.R.T.S Several initiatives were streamlined in the Faculty of Humanities and Education to support staff in dealing with the challenges of the pandemic, and its impacts on their personal and professional lives. A COVID-19 information session with Professor Denise Eldemire- Shearer held on October 25, 2021, saw the participation of almost all service, administrative, and academic staff members in the Faculty. On the initiative of the Deputy Dean for Marketing and Outreach, a series of H.E.A.R.T.S. (Humanities and Education Achieving Resilience for Teachers and Students) workshops were held as support in the trauma and difficulties heralded by the pandemic. Feedback to the H.E.A.R.T.S. sessions was uniformly positive with attendees noting that they felt empowered, enlightened, and encouraged. Several departments also hosted wellness activities. Thus, the Rastafari Studies Unit in the Institute of Caribbean Studies partnered with the Ubuntu Movement, St
4.2 TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES MAWC - Partnerships in training: Non-degree programme delivered with allied health education partner The Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre (MAWC) hosted the graduation ceremony for its allied health education partner Strategic Management and Training Consultants Career Institute (SMTC CI). The ceremony marked the completion of training for the first cohort of Patient Care Technicians (PCT). In September 2020, MAWC entered a two-year partnership with SMTC CI to collaborate on the development and the delivery of the PCT Certificate Course. During this period, MAWC was involved in and provided ongoing advice on the course curriculum, facilitated in-person classes and exams as required, supported marketing of the course, and delivered the Gerontology module of the course. The Centre also facilitated the placement of seven (7) PCT students at their vaccination site, as part of their clinical practicum.
• Week 1: Being Responsive (September 13, 2021)
• Week 2: Take a Moment (September 20, 2021)
• Week 3: Being in the Zone (September 27, 2021)
The NGS service was established following the generous donation of a MiSeq Next Generation
• Week 4: Healthful Boundaries (October 4, 2021)
• Week 5: Being comfortable with being uncomfortable (October 11, 2021)
• Week 6: Become Infectious (October 19, 2021)
• Week 7: How your losses can be your gain (October 25, 2021)
The UWI team, led by Dr Joshua Anzinger,
• Week 8: What You Throw Out Comes Back To You, Star! (November 1, 2021)
(back, right) pictured in a training session conducted by Illumina– a US firm that develops, manufactures, and markets integrated systems for the analysis of genetic variation and biological function.
• Week 9: It’s Not An Easy Road... (November 8, 2021)
• Week 10: How Can Eating More Food Help You Lose Weight? (November 15, 2021)
• Week 11: The Gratitude Muscle (November 22, 2021)
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UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022
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