Faculty Wins Grant for Work with Domestic Violence Survivors

Elizabeth Kuzma to develop community focused educational program for this underserved population.

Clinical faculty member, Elizabeth Kuzma, was awarded a grant to fund her educational program entitled, “Healthy Nutrition, Healthy Families: Working with Survivors of Domestic Violence and their Families to Promote a Healthy Future.” Though nutrition is not necessarily often connected to survivors of domestic violence, as Kuzma explains, “Nutrition education is important for everyone to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Survivors of domestic violence are a particularly underserved and vulnerable population. They often have complex health conditions, limited finances, limited support, decreased access to health care, and low self confidence to achieve their goals of a healthy, long life, for themselves, and their families.”

This community focused program was developed and will be implemented by nurse practitioners (NPs) who are care providers with the knowledge and training to work with individuals, families, and communities. In partnership with the people they serve, NPs can help promote optimal health and well being, and educate patients in order to prevent diseases or improve outcomes in patients with specific health concerns, such as obesity in children and adults. Initial implementation of the program will take place at SafeHouse Center, a shelter and resource center for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Ann Arbor, Michigan.