Stephanie Ibemere, assistant professor, presented (along with and on behalf of her colleague Cheedy Jaja, of University of South Carolina) to the National Black Nurses Association on August 7 during the Innovation Theater Session of their conference this year (49th NBNA Annual Institute and Conference, 50th Anniversary Celebration). 

Their abstract, "Nurse Champion Model for Group Reproductive Genetic Counseling for Sickle Cell Hemoglobinopathies: Reverse Innovation from Africa to the USA," was selected for the Innovation Theater session of this conference. They presented the Nurse Champion Model as a useful and feasible model by which they can increase capacity for genetic counseling in sub-Saharan Africa, improve the communication of genomic information to individuals and family members with limited health literacy and better understand the needs of individuals and their family members as it relates to communication about genomic information. This model provides a framework, based in evidence, by which they can study the implementation of task shifting initiatives for clinical genetic services in the U.S., particularly in areas where minoritized groups are not able to access genetic testing services due a myriad of social contributors to health inequity.