Dr. Sather receives community service award

Linda Sather, Ed.D., conducts a blood test on a patient visiting the UNMC Mobile Nursing Center. Dr. Sather’s passion for community service led UNMC to award her the Spirit of Community Service Award for 2008.

It didn’t matter that she sat in the back room of a Hispanic clothing store, Linda Sather, Ed.D., was exactly where she wanted to be.

“You go where the people are,” said the director of the Mobile Nursing Center (MNC) and assistant professor in the UNMC College of Nursing.

On this day, Dr. Sather, three interpreters and four nursing students provided free blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar screenings to customers as they wandered through the clothing store.

Dr. Sather chatted with the students as they waited for potential clients.

Providing service to the community is where Dr. Sather’s passion lies. It’s this passion that has earned her the UNMC Spirit of Community Service Award for 2008.

Dr. Sather is no stranger to community service and public health promotion. She established the Senior Health Promotion Center (SHPC) in Lincoln eight years ago.

In 2006, she was appointed director of the MNC.

“I’ve been interested in public health since college, but it was when I came to Omaha in 1976 to pursue a graduate degree in community health, that I secured my first public health job with the Visiting Nurse Association of Omaha,” Dr. Sather said.

Mobile Nursing Center info The Mobile Nursing Center (MNC) provides outreach, education, screening and referrals for abnormal results for blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, body mass index and breast health services to persons 19 years and older. The MNC targets care to underserved population groups. Nursing faculty, students, MNC staff, interpreters and volunteers provide care. From July 1, 2007, through April 8, 2008, the MNC provided 71 community visits (70 percent in urban communities and 30 percent in rural communities) and screened 1,498 people. Of those screened, 25 percent were referred for abnormal results and 49 percent of those referred reported receiving follow-up from a health care provider.

During the past 36 years, Dr. Sather has had several community health nursing positions in service and education. Her community service has focused on alleviating health care disparities for vulnerable people.

In nominating Dr. Sather for the award, Mary Cramer, Ph.D., associate professor in the UNMC College of Nursing, called Dr. Sather “infectiously optimistic.”

“Dr. Sather is a team player who takes great joy in helping others,” Dr. Cramer said. “Her positive outlook on life rubs off on her staff, students and patients.”

Rita Antonson agreed.

The geriatric nurse practitioner, who took over the SHPC after Dr. Sather left, said Dr. Sather has a “can do” attitude.

“She’s a great problem solver,” Antonson said. “It was Dr. Sather’s idea to start the SHPC after she did a needs assessment among the seniors and found out that there was nowhere for them to go to receive nursing care without having to make a doctor’s appointment.”

Since she took over as director of the Mobile Nursing Center, Dr. Sather has worked to make the program stronger.

“We operate on a shoestring budget, but Dr. Sather does well when it comes to a challenge,” said Cathy Binstock, clinical manager nurse practitioner for the MNC. “In the past two years, since she’s come on board, we’ve gotten several new grants.”