(Alexandria, VA) - Physician Assistant James Frick, program director for the Wayne State University Physician Assistant Studies Program, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture in Russia during the 2003-2004 academic year, according to the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Professor Frick, a resident of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, will be teaching "Health Promotion and Disease Prevention" to teachers at the Institute for Improvement of Professional Skills and Altai State University in the Altai Region of Siberia. Teachers coming to the institute for re-certification will be taught how to teach health promotion topics to their high school students, with the goal of creating increased awareness of health promotion issues.

According to Frick, most of the health problems in Russia, such as diabetes, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease, are preventable. And yet, there is a lack of public awareness regarding health prevention. To address these issues, Frick created a program to target high school students by training their teachers to discuss health promotion in the classroom. Frick will create the program and oversee its initial implementation as part of the institute's curriculum, after which the faculty at the institute will continue the program.

Frick will initially travel to Siberia for six weeks to start the program, and then return in the Spring to evaluate its progress and make any needed modifications. In the Fall, he will again travel to Siberia to evaluate how the program is being implemented by the teachers in their classrooms, and gauge its effectiveness on students' overall health care knowledge. The program will focus on issues such as smoking prevention and cessation, diet and exercise, and information on infectious diseases.

While tracking the effectiveness of the program may prove difficult, "teachers never know where their influence will end," said Frick. "If five kids in Siberia get the message and live healthier lives, then it's worth doing."

Frick is one of approximately 800 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad to some 140 countries for the 2003-2004 academic year through the Fulbright Scholar Program. Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the program's purpose is to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries.

Recipients of Fulbright Scholar awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement and because they have demonstrated extraordinary leadership potential in their fields.

Physician assistants are licensed health professionals who practice medicine as members of a team with their supervising physicians. PAs deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in rural and urban settings. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and prescribe medications.

AAPA is the only national organization to represent physician assistants in all medical and surgical specialties. Founded in 1968, the Academy works to promote quality, cost-effective health care, and the professional and personal growth of PAs. For more information about the Academy and the PA profession, visit the AAPA Web site.



Contact: Gabriella Madden
Voice: (703) 836-2272, ext. 3501
Email:gmadden@aapa.org