Students work at Feed My Starving Children Oct. 3, 2018.

A group of Bellin College faculty, family and students from the Medical Imaging programs volunteered at Feed My Starving Children on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. It was the third annual Feed My Starving Children Community Event for the College. Feed My Starving Children is a nonprofit organization that provides nutritionally complete meals specifically formulated for malnourished children. They have partners around the world who deliver the meals. The meals are packed by volunteers for those who are in the most need. During their meal-packing experience, Bellin College volunteers helped pack 330 boxes, a total of 71,280 meals! They helped pack enough meals to feed 195 children for a year in just an hour and a half.  Outstanding job!

Volunteers work at Feed My Starving Children Oct. 3, 2018.

Volunteers work at Feed My Starving Children Oct. 3, 2018.

Bellin College in collaboration with Evidence in Motion (EIM) will begin offering an Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy (OMPT) Fellowship Program and a Doctorate of Science in Physical Therapy (DScPT). The Fellowship is set to begin January 2019 with the Doctorate of Physical Therapy following in early spring 2019.

Daouda Zoure

Daouda Zoure isn’t your average Wisconsinite. He came to Wisconsin by way of Burkina Faso, a country just southeast to Ivory Coast. He and his two brothers moved to the U.S. to live with their father in 2012, following the death of their mother. Zoure’s father lived in the U.S. for many years, and welcomed Zoure and his two brothers to Madison.

“My mom passed away during childbirth,” Zoure said. “My mother meant the world to me and, when I lost her, it was devastating. I miss her every day.”

In Burkina Faso, Zoure’s mother owned a restaurant called Maman, which means mom in French. He learned to cook from his mother and attributes his love of cooking to all of the special times they spent cooking together. At least once per year, Zoure and his brothers cook food and distribute it to the homeless living near Capitol square in Madison.

“My mother always thought I was too nice and she wanted me to be a doctor or work in another healthcare role,” said Zoure. “She thought a lot of people could benefit from my kindness, which is partly why I chose to go into nursing.”

Zoure attended Madison Area Technical College for two years and then transferred to UW-Eau Claire to complete his Bachelor of Science in human biology with honors. With his move came an adjustment to the cold weather and a few language challenges.

Daouda Zoure will run his first marathon in October 2018 in Niagara Falls.

“When I started school at MATC, I wrote all of my papers in French, and then translated them to English with a dictionary,” said Zoure. “I learned some English by watching my favorite TV show, ‘The Big Bang Theory.’ I still enjoy it to this day, but I don’t need the subtitles.”

Following his graduation from UW-Eau Claire in 2016, he applied to the 15-month program at Bellin College and was accepted.  He will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in nursing in October, and has made the Dean’s List again this past summer. After graduation, Zoure will start his job as a nurse extern in orthopedics and neurology at Bellin Hospital in Green Bay.

He is very close to his two brothers who are also attending college in Wisconsin. One brother is attending UW-Milwaukee to study computer science and business, and the other attends UW-Whitewater to study political science/diplomacy and international business. Zoure’s father owns a small delivery business called Burkina Express, which delivers loads across the U.S.

Daouda Zoure enjoys to cook.

In his free time, he enjoys cooking traditional dishes from Burkina Faso and running. His favorite meals are fried plantain and babenda, which is a mix of spinach, kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, peanut and dried fish. He is also training for his first full marathon, which is Oct. 14 in Niagara Falls.

“After working for a few years, I plan to continue my education at Bellin College as a student in the family nurse practitioner program,” said Zoure. “I’d like to someday join Doctors Without Borders and work for an organization like the Peace Corps, in which I can provide care to all who need it…where they need it.”

Zoure has plans for one other healthcare endeavor. He plans to build a clinic in Burkina Faso called Maman, in memory of his mother, to serve all women who face a high-risk pregnancy.

A call for water filter and clean stove donations for an upcoming mission trip to Guatemala went out in the spring issue of the Bellin Forward, and the class of 1968 generously answered.

“A classmate read the article about the Guatemala mission work by the students in the Bellin Forward and suggested we take on the water filtration systems as a donation celebrating our 50th anniversary from Bellin School of Nursing,” said Audrey Burmeister, class of 1968. “Another suggested that we make it ’50 for the 50th.’ With the generous donations from our class and an anonymous donor, we are able to provide 52 water filtration systems for the upcoming mission trip.”

The water filters will be given to families in the village of Baltimore, which is about 30 minutes from the El Faro mission, and home to Guatemalans of tradition Mayan descent. The first three years Bellin College students and faculty went on this trip, they brought no more than 25 filters. With this gift, they will double that!

Each filter will serve a family of five to six people, and last them about three years. Since this is their fourth year traveling to Guatemala, they will begin replacing the earliest filters they provided.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide clean water to men, women and children,” said Burmeister. “Clean water is so vital to the health of these people.”

The water filters will be given to families in the village of Baltimore, which is about 30 minutes from the El Faro mission, and home to Guatemalans of tradition Mayan descent.

While in Guatemala, the students educate the people about the importance of clean water and, throughout the years, families have come to know what the filters are and desire to have one. When the Bellin College group leaves Baltimore in January 2019, every household in Baltimore will have a water filter, and any leftover will be given to families in the next village in need — Rio Salado.

“It’s great to see this type of generous response from our alumni,” said Lynn Murphy, Guatemala trip coordinator and Bellin College faculty member. “Our alums are great role models for our current students, and we are so thankful for their donation!”

Burmeister and her class encourage students and fellow alumni to be proud of the education they received at Bellin College. The opportunities in nursing are endless, says Burmeister.

 “It doesn’t seem possible that we graduated 50 years ago,” she said. “I’m sure I speak for the entire class when I say we are so proud to be a graduate of Bellin. We were provided an excellent education to enter the nursing field. It is amazing the advancements the college has accomplished in 50 years. Thanks to dedicated administrators, educators, and staff for bringing the college to present day.”

Students in Guatemala.

Dr. Mark Bake, a 2005 graduate of the Bellin School of Radiologic Science  program, has been selected as the recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award.

“Within his role as dean of allied health sciences, Mark works tirelessly to promote the profession and secure the latest technologies for our students,” says Bellin College Alumni Council Chair Chad Dall. “Mark is very passionate about Bellin College, and it shows in the success students achieve every year and in their continued praise of the programs. Bellin College would not be where it is today without the dedication, hard work, and long hours Mark has graced the college with over these past several years.”

Since graduating from the Bellin School of Radiologic Science program, Bake has continued to prove himself as a leader with a vision for the future. He became registered in CT shortly after his initial radiology certification and soon after became the team facilitator in CT imaging at Bellin Health. His natural leadership abilities enabled the CT department to grow into a leader in advanced imaging within the area. His role in the cardiac and stroke programs within the CT department earned him the VIP Award for Individual Innovation from Bellin Health.

He continued to inspire excellence as an adjunct faculty member at Bellin College and as the Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Science (BSRS) program director. Within his role as director, the radiologic science program continued to develop into the bachelor degree program it is today. He has championed for expansion of the imaging side of Bellin College by starting the Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography program in 2015. Bake has also worked with a team to develop a Doctorate of Science in Physical Therapy program option that recently received full accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission.

On top of the program development strides he has made within Bellin College, Bake has also created the Hands on Healthcare initiative that has brought hundreds of potential healthcare students on campus and off campus with our Mobile Hands on Healthcare extension that visits area schools. Both of these programs look to inspire students into joining the healthcare field.

“I feel extremely honored to receive this recognition and will forever cherish this moment, but am also aware that this is the result of teamwork,” says Bake. “The number of individuals that have impacted my career is endless. The individuals that I currently or have worked with in the past, the patients, the students, the mentors…I could literally go on and on. I feel blessed to say that since starting my career in healthcare I have come to work every day with a smile on my face. There are certainly days that are stressful and challenging but tomorrow is always a new day.”   

Bake will be honored and receive the award at the upcoming Bellin College Homecoming event on Sept. 13 at the Green Bay Botanical Gardens.

Access to quality healthcare services is something many U.S. citizens take for granted. Regular care is essential for promoting and maintaining health, preventing and managing disease, and reducing unnecessary disability and premature death. Oral health care is as equally important in preventing disease. For some Brown County residents, access to regular care is difficult due to costs or inadequate insurance coverage. Community resources that offer services to those in need make a stronger community and improve the quality of life for all Brown County residents.

Bellin College would like to congratulate our Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences, and Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography students who have been named to the spring 2018 dean’s list. The dean’s list is composed of students who earned a grade point average of 3.5 or better in Bellin College courses, are in good disciplinary standing, and carry at least 6 credits.

Each year a nursing faculty member is recognized for his or her outstanding service at Bellin College through the generosity of retired neurosurgeon, Dr. Hiro Nishioka. In 1995, Dr. Nishioka established the Nishioka Family Faculty Excellence Award in recognition of a faculty member who excels in the areas of instructional expertise, contributions to the advancement of the profession and nursing education, professional role modeling and a commitment to professional growth.

At the spring commencement ceremony, a graduating student is recognized for his or her exemplary commitment to the Bellin College values of excellence, integrity, community and caring with the Lucyanna Hitch Award for Excellence. The name Lucyanna Hitch aligns with excellence. She was a leader in the development of the baccalaureate nursing program, served on the board of trustees, and co-chaired one of the most successful endowment campaigns. Hitch’s legacy lives on through her many contributions to Bellin College.

 GREEN BAY, WI – Bellin College held its annual spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12, 2018, at 9 a.m. at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts on UW-Green Bay’s campus. One-hundred-two Bellin College graduates received their degrees from the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences (BSRS) programs. Bellin College president and CEO Dr. Connie Boerst presided over the ceremony. The Leona Waraksa commencement address was given by Bellin Health System president and CEO George Kerwin.