Sherif Olanrewaju, doctoral student and graduate research assistant in Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, was selected for a scholarship to attend the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) Conference in Chicago from Nov. 1 to 3.

Olanrewaju was one of eight NCCHC Foundation scholarship recipients who came together to learn more effective strategies with patients who are incarcerated, search for programs to improve patient care, and find ways to transform systems and facilities for improved quality and cost. The NCCHC conference underscores the importance of this work, as the nation’s older adult incarceration population with chronic diseases that require long-term care, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension, Alzheimer's disease/dementia, and cancer, are only expected to increase in the coming years.

Olanrewaju’s research background focuses on the nursing workforce, with special consideration to internationally educated nurses (IENs) caring for older adults in the United States. Presently, he is working with Susan Loeb, professor of nursing in the Nese College of Nursing ,and Olanrewaju’s adviser, on her ongoing research aimed at developing educational training to improve health care provided to the elderly and dying population in prison.

According to the NCCHC website “There are 2.1 million incarcerated people in the United States. The incarcerated population at every level has always been less healthy than the general public. About 40% of all these individuals report at least one serious chronic medical condition. Almost one quarter of them, roughly 500,000 people, have a previously diagnosed mental health condition such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety.”

The NCCHC is the nation's leader in correctional health care education. With the increasing number of complex needs of today’s incarcerated populations, the NCCHC’s mission is to champion the correctional health care field and serve the public through research, professional education, scholarships, and patient re-entry into the community.

The Nese College of Nursing is home to quality doctoral students, like Olanrewaju, with research specialties ranging from health care for older adults who are incarcerated to understanding and mitigating health-related inequities experienced by vulnerable populations. Learn more about the college's Ph.D. Program or the BSN to Ph.D. program.