Dr. Lygia Holcomb joined the UASON faculty in August 2006 as an Associate professor. She has a long history of international work which she is continuing at UAB. She initially started going to Honduras to help and serve in one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere. However, she continues to go back because of the beauty of the country and it's people.
Healthcare Missions and Partnerships
Research conducted internationally
Co-Investigator, Holcomb,L. and Young, W. UCF Educational Partnerships In Health and Energy. Submitted to Florida Association of Voluntary Agencies for Caribbean Action. Budget $10,000.
Co Investigator, Holcomb, L. and Young, W. Developing Research Partners in Haiti and Honduras. Florida Association of Voluntary Agencies for Caribbean Action. Funded: $10,000.
Co Investigator, Crigger, N., Newton, G. D., and Holcomb, L. Research and Development of a Program for Educating Non-medical and Lay Populations in the Use of Antibiotics in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Funded: $7,500.
Co Investigator, Campbell, S. & Holcomb, L. O. Survival in Honduras. (no funding support)
Weiss, J. A., Crigger, N. & Holcomb, L. Survival in Honduras, an Ethnographic Approach. College of Health & Public Affairs, University of Central Florida. Funded: $7,500.
Publications Related to International Activities
Crigger, N. and Holcomb, L. (2006, in press, Journal of Transcultural Nursing ) Practical Strategies for Providing Culturally Sensitive, Ethical Care in Developing Nations.
Crigger, N., Holcomb, L., Grogan, R., Vasquez, M., Almendares, J., O'Neil, E., Lagos, D. (2004). Development of the Choices and Acquisition of Antibiotics Model from a descriptive study of a Lay Honduran Population. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 41(7), 745-753. Crigger, N.J.
Holcomb, L., Weiss, J. (2001). Fundamentalism, multiculturalism and problems of conducting research with populations in developing nations. Nursing Ethics, 8, 459-468.Crigger, N. J.
Holcomb, L. (2000). Beyond band-aids: empowering a Honduran community to care. Journal of Christian Nursing, 17(1), 30-35.
Holcomb, L.O., Parsons, L.D., Giger, J.N., Davidhizar, R. (1996). Haitian Americans: implications for nursing care. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 13, 249-260.
Articles submitted (not yet accepted) to referred National/International Journals
Weis, J., Holcomb, L. Crigger, N. (2006 under review,). Returning to life: Lessons learned from Hurricane Mitch.
Non-Refereed National/International
Crigger, N. J. and Holcomb, L. (2002). Beyond band-aids: empowering a Honduran community to care. In, J. A. Shelly (editor), Nursing in the Church, 163-177. Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.
Products developed for International Activities
1) For Haitian healthcare providers and parents of children with chronic illness an education program was developed and translated into French and Creole, Keeping Kids with Chronic Disease Healthy. Graduate nursing students at the University of Central Florida developed this program with assistance of a pediatrician and family practice physician from Haiti
2) Health Promoters course with manual- teacher version in English, student manual in Spanish.
3) Tools for planning missions to developing nations- Clinic record forms (English and Spanish)Screening forms for volunteers. Followup or mission survey forms for participants. Emergency kit for team members. Program for the safety of the health care team on a mission in a developing nation.
Honors
In 2001, Dr Crigger and Dr Holcomb where honored with banquet and Appreciation Award given by the Honduras Relief Efforts, Inc.(a not for profit service organization) For countless hours of healthcare to the impoverished people of Honduras.
In 2005, Dr Holcomb received a Certificate of Recognition for: Su Proyeccion Social En Nuestra Comunidad from La Honorable Corporacion Municipal Puerto Cortes, Honduras, C.A.