The Rosengren Trauma Clinic at �鶹ӳ����ý RESTORES, which launched on �鶹ӳ����ý’s campus in 2011 with a unique approach to treating PTSD, has opened another clinic in Brevard County. The �鶹ӳ����ý RESTORES Brevard PTSD Clinic is now open at �鶹ӳ����ý’s regional campus in Cocoa at Eastern Florida State College.

“Brevard County has the fourth largest veteran population in the state of Florida. We’ve had patients from Brevard travel to us in Orlando for treatment, but we know that’s not possible for everyone. We’re happy to be able to expand our services to meet the needs of this population,” said Deborah Beidel, founder and director of �鶹ӳ����ý RESTORES and a Pegasus Professor of psychology.

Brevard County has more than 65,400 veterans, according to the U.S. Census. In the clinic’s first year, Beidel estimates the new center could treat up to 100 patients. Treatment is free, thanks to state funding and community support of the clinic. Most recently, RESTORES celebrated a $1 million donation from veteran and alumnus Jim Rosengren and his wife, Julia, whom the clinic is named after. They were inspired to donate to the clinic after their son received help with his PTSD that developed after two tours in Iraq.

RESTORES combines exposure therapy and group therapy sessions to treat patients in an intensive, three-week outpatient format. Through virtual reality, patients are exposed to triggers that have contributed to their PTSD. It follows the simple theory that in order to get over a fear of dogs, one must be around a dog, said Beidel. The group-therapy portion of treatment includes sessions on anger management, depression, sleep hygiene and more.

Research out of RESTORES has found that this approach to treatment is highly effective. Of the first 100 patients treated in the intensive outpatient program, 66 percent of them were PTSD-free at the end of treatment and only 2 percent of patients dropped out, compared to a 28 percent average dropout rate of more standard approaches to treatment used at places like the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Since its launch, RESTORES has treated more than 450 veterans and active-duty personnel from all conflicts, military and civilian sexual trauma, and has expanded to also treat first responders from 20 states and survivors of mass shootings, including at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. The clinic in Brevard will also offer these expanded services, including treating first responders and civilians who have suffered other traumas such as sexual assault.

Next, RESTORES will expand out of state. Thanks to a $10 million grant from the Department of Defense Joint Warfighters Advance Development Program, the clinic will establish its treatment program at three military bases to treat active-duty personnel on site.

This public-private partnership meets a national objective set by the (NAM, formerly ) in its landmark “” report. The NAM recommends increasing the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree to 80 percent by 2020. As nurses take on a more critical role, the goal is to create a higher educated workforce able to produce “safe, quality care and coverage for all patients.” A published in The Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that “in hospitals with higher proportions of nurses educated at the baccalaureate level or higher, surgical patients experienced lower mortality and failure-to-rescue rates.”

“Throughout its history, �鶹ӳ����ý has sought out strategic partnerships in its community to provide innovative educational opportunities,” said Dr. Mary Lou Sole, dean at the �鶹ӳ����ý College of Nursing. “By partnering with Health First, we are able to answer a national call for more BSN-educated nurses and make it easier for RNs in Brevard County to obtain an advanced degree.”

To increase its BSN-prepared workforce, will offer classroom space for the �鶹ӳ����ý program at its education center in Melbourne and will help fund a faculty member to serve as an instructor and advisor for the program. Additionally, Health First recently increased its tuition benefit for eligible associates and the Health First Foundation is offering scholarship opportunities to cover tuition.

“We are pleased to be able to provide our nursing associates convenient access to the nationally ranked program at �鶹ӳ����ý,” said Connie Bradley, DNP, RN, FACHE, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Health First. “This is an exciting partnership that will benefit not only our nurses, but also the communities we serve by providing a higher percentage of BSN-prepared nurses to care for our patients and members across our integrated delivery network.”

�鶹ӳ����ý has been educating Brevard County nurses for more than 30 years at its , and is the first and only public institution to offer a BSN degree in the county. The program is offered in a classroom setting, while the is the first in the state to be offered fully online.

Through the Health First partnership, the traditionally online RN to BSN will be taught in a hybrid format of face-to-face classroom and online classes to ease students into the program. Another unique aspect of the program is that it is designed to provide a cohort of students to complete the program together. The program will be open to all RNs in the community, not just those employed by Health First. Prospective students may apply September 1 – October 1. Classes will begin in spring 2016.

“Consistently achieving this high mark of excellence speaks to the quality of education offered through our program,” says Dr. Mary Lou Sole, interim dean at the �鶹ӳ����ý College of Nursing. “I am extremely proud of our faculty members, who are committed to our students’ success, and of our Knight nurses whose dedication to their education and profession is unmatched.”

Dr. Kelly Allred, coordinator of Traditional and Second Degree BSN programs at the college, says, “Passing the NCLEX-RN to become a registered nurse is the goal of nursing school. Our program gives students the knowledge and clinical experiences to not only take on the NCLEX-RN but to excel in their careers. Prospective students should look for programs with high pass rates for their best chance of success.”

The college’s high pass rate for was one of the reasons that recent BSN graduate Leah Morissette selected �鶹ӳ����ý. “It is an accomplishment and an honor to have graduated from a school that is considered one of the top in the state,” says Morissette who is currently preparing to take the NCLEX-RN. “I feel more than prepared to pass the licensure exam. I feel prepared to be the best nurse I can be. �鶹ӳ����ý goes above and beyond teaching ‘minimum competency’ and prepared me for my career as an RN.”

Morissette has accepted a position on the Cardiovascular Unit at in Orlando, pending her passing the NCLEX and obtaining her RN license. She is not the only �鶹ӳ����ý graduate staying in the state to make a difference in the community. According to the report, 99 percent of the 234 new nurses from the college applied for licensure in Florida.

The NCLEX-RN report is issued by the and analyzed graduate performance on state license exams from April 2014 – March 2015. Graduates of the �鶹ӳ����ý Traditional BSN and Second Degree BSN programs are eligible to sit for the national licensure exam. The Traditional BSN program is offered at �鶹ӳ����ý campuses in Cocoa and Daytona Beach, in addition to the main campus in Orlando.

The students, along with their community nursing instructors, will provide vital health education and free screenings as part of the event’s volunteer medical and dental teams serving the homeless veterans in the area. This is the tenth year the �鶹ӳ����ý College of Nursing has participated in this important event.

“This is a very enriching learning experience for our students,” says Jackie LaManna, a nursing instructor and coordinator of the �鶹ӳ����ý College of Nursing Cocoa program. “Our students help where needed, including helping veterans fill out their client intake forms, triaging with faculty supervision veterans seeking medical care, and also escorting their assigned veterans around to the various stations, taking the time to engage in meaningful conversations and learning about their life and military experiences.”

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ website, Stand Downs are typically one to three day events providing services to homeless Veterans such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling, and referrals to a variety of other necessary services, such as housing, employment and substance abuse treatment. Stand Downs are collaborative events occurring across the United States, and coordinated between local VAs, other government agencies, and community agencies who serve the homeless.

Huseyin Dogan, chair of the psychology department at Meliksah University in Turkey, comes to Central Florida as part of a partnership between �鶹ӳ����ý and Brevard Community College.

He strengthens the international dimension of the general studies programming at BCC, where he is teaching psychology courses and facilitating seminars for other faculty members. He also will present special programs for the community.

Dogan’s areas of specialty include career psychological counseling, business psychology, family counseling, special education, educational sciences, interpersonal relationships, and addiction psychology with a special emphasis on Internet addiction.

Professor Dogan is joined this semester by his wife, Sumeyye – a primary school teacher – and their nine-month-old daughter, Zeynep Sude. The Fulbright Scholarship will last through June 30.  Dogan’s salary and expenses are being paid by the Council of International Exchange Services and through the generosity of two sponsors – Enterprise Car Sales and The Haven Apartment Complex in Palm Bay.

Partnerships such as this are crucial in Florida’s two-plus-two system, which is designed to ensure the majority of students complete their associate’s degree at a community college and then transfer to a university to complete a bachelor’s degree.

In Central Florida, the DirectConnect to �鶹ӳ����ý program guarantees admission to graduates of BCC, Lake-Sumter Community College, Seminole State College of Florida and Valencia College.  �鶹ӳ����ý academic advisors work closely with students for a seamless transition to the university.

As most of Florida students receive their general education or liberal studies program at a community or state college, it’s important that those colleges’ curricula provide a good global perspective for students.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”

With this goal as a starting point, the Fulbright Program has provided almost 300,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) at the �鶹ӳ����ý, Kathleen ultimately moved on to work for VITAS, a company specializing in Hospice care. Now, in order to enable more �鶹ӳ����ý nursing students to effectively serve in the growing program, VITAS has partnered with �鶹ӳ����ý to create the Innovative Hospice Care Endowed Scholarship.

“One of the things that VITAS is committed to is giving back, and we recognize that �鶹ӳ����ý has been a strong presence in three communities,” LaPorte said, noting that the scholarship will equally go to �鶹ӳ����ý students at the Daytona, Cocoa and Orlando campuses—something she says is truly unique. “We really feel it’s important as health care professionals to ensure that we help to grow good, strong nurses and �鶹ӳ����ý has a great reputation for that.”

VITAS has committed over $100,000 to be distributed to multiple recipients over the next five years—a gift the College of Nursing feels exceptionally grateful for. With this kind of incentive, LaPorte hopes that it will encourage students to further consider Hospice as a possible path in their nursing careers.

“We hope the students utilize this scholarship to certainly support them in their growth in this career, but we also hope for them to use Hospice as an avenue,” LaPorte said. “We hope to put that knowledge in the forefront of their minds and let them know what’s out there for their patients and their families.”

“End-of-life care is extremely important for our current and future College of Nursing students. The population of the United States is aging, and the odds of living longer are greater,” said Dr. Jean D’Meza Leuner, dean of �鶹ӳ����ý’s College of Nursing. She also stated that as U.S. demographics shift and longevity increases, the need for nurses in programs like Hospice becomes greater. Dean Leuner added, the VITAS scholarship “helps underscore this importance and recognizes the college’s current and future commitment to end-of-life care.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for this endeavor was held today on �鶹ӳ����ý’s Cocoa campus.

Initial research at the new facility will focus on energy improvement potentials in vintage Florida homes. Those constructed prior to 1975 make up 63 percent of Florida’s more than eight million existing homes, which represents a substantial energy and cost savings potential for cost-effective, “deep” home energy improvements, or retrofits. Prospective savings could result in 30 to 50 percent of current residential energy use.

Funded by the state’s Florida Energy Systems Consortium, the research facility was instrumental in attracting a major multi-million dollar, four-year research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

“As we address greenhouse gas emissions, we have to look at retrofitting existing homes. This facility will be instrumental in researching the impacts of home energy efficiency improvements in hot climates,” said Mr. David Lee, U.S. Department of Energy’s director of Residential Building Programs.

The facility consists of two side-by-side homes that will assist researchers in evaluating a large variety of both envelope and systems improvements. The homes will be heavily instrumented, and occupancy effects will be simulated by scheduled computer-controlled heat and moisture generation and appliance use. Monitored results from these experiments will test and verify computer simulation models now in widespread use for existing and new home energy efficiency evaluation.

For more information about this new research facility, contact Robin Vieira, Buildings Research director at robin@fsec.ucf.edu or 321-638-1404.

FSEC — Creating Energy Independence: The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), a research institute of the �鶹ӳ����ý, is the largest and most active state-supported energy research institute in the nation. Current divisions and their research activities include Advanced Energy Research: alternative transportation systems, hydrogen fuel and fuel cells; Buildings Research: energy-efficient buildings; and Solar Energy: solar water and pool heating and solar electric and distributed generation systems. For more information about the center, visit or call the FSEC Public Affairs Office at 321-638-1015.

The �鶹ӳ����ý ChinaVine , “Expressions of China”, opened this week at �鶹ӳ����ý Cocoa with 30 selected works from students’ travels through the rural villages of Shandong Province and the larger cities of Jinan, Beijing and Shanghai.

The ChinaVine project is a collaboration between �鶹ӳ����ý and the University of Oregon, along with two universities in China, Shandong University of Art and Design and Beijing Normal University.  The project is dedicated to teaching Chinese customs and folk culture through modern technology including art, film and digital media.

The exhibit showcases photographs by four �鶹ӳ����ý students: Ian Hernand, Blair Remington, Tomas Valladares, and Sharon Weaver.

“Expressions of China” was previously on display at the �鶹ӳ����ý Burnett Honors College and the University of Oregon. The exhibit will run through June 1 at �鶹ӳ����ý Cocoa in the BCC/�鶹ӳ����ý Joint-Use Library and will then move to an Orange County library.