Nursing Students Deliver Health Screenings and Education in Rural Glades

Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing faculty and students continue to provide health screenings and community-based care for residents in the Glades, a rural region near Lake Okeechobee, where access to health care providers and clinics remains limited.

Recent outreach efforts have included health screenings at the 2026 Glades Community Prayer Walk, attended by Dr. Robert Rease , Belle Glade City Commissioner; the Know Your Numbers by Heart event; and the Belle Glade Housing Authority Healthy Food Distribution. The college also helps sponsor bi-weekly community chair yoga sessions.

Faculty and students regularly participate in Empower Healthcare events, led by CEO Dr. Jinga Oglesby-Brihm, a College of Nursing alumna, while continuing to build and strengthen partnerships with other community organizations.

The work is part of the five-year grant that Dr. Lisa Wiese leads, which examines the effects of air quality and pollution on social isolation and cognitive function among Lake Okeechobee residents, potentially increasing their risk of Alzheimer’s. The effort is also grounded in Dr. Wiese’s National Institute on Aging/National Institutes of Health career development grant that established a local team of faith-based health educators to provide community health outreach.

The nurse-led Mobile Health Unit, part of the Caring-based Community and Academic Relationships for Excellence (CARE) grant funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and led by Dr. Beth King, provides primary and mental health services. The team, comprised of faculty and students, supports health fairs and community events.

See the College of Nursing photos from Glades events.