Faculty Highlights

Dr. Randy Pellew - Jamaica Medical Outreach Coordinator

Dr. Randy Pellew, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Program Coordinator, and proud Molloy alumnus, coordinates Molloy University's successful Jamaica Medical Mission, in collaboration with Professor Susan Alimonti, Director of the Speech-Language Pathology Masters Program. This initiative, involving multiple nursing faculty and graduate nursing students, along with speech and language pathology graduate students and faculty, provides medical care, nursing services, health education, along with speech and hearing screenings and services, to several vulnerable communities in Jamaica W.I. During the most recent medical outreach in March,2024, the team successfully provided medical assistance and screenings to over 900 residents from various communities in Jamaica. This initiative has had a significant impact on healthcare access and awareness among underserved populations.

Through this outreach, faculty and students stay connected to the four pillars of Molloy University, in its commitment to academic excellence, spirituality, service, and community, with a focus on bridging the healthcare disparity gaps, gaining a deeper understanding of the social determinants of health in Jamaica and the Caribbean region, and promoting the health and well-being of the population.   The mission’s ultimate goal is to establish a robust framework to tackle health disparities and improve access to quality healthcare services in and around the Caribbean region, in a developing and meaningful partnership, facilitated by Dr. Pellew, with the University of the West Indies.   

Dr. Pellew states, “I find great satisfaction in witnessing the smiles that emanate from patients because of the care provided by the graduate nursing team. In addition, the invaluable experience that students gain from participating in such missions fosters their growth and development, allowing them to make differences in the healthcare landscape of Jamaica and beyond.”

Meet Kaitlin Brooks! Licensed and Certified Speech Language Pathologist

Kaitlin Brooks, Assistant Professor, is a licensed and certified speech language pathologist with over 15 years of experience working with adults and caregivers of individuals with communication and swallowing disorders. Throughout her clinical and academic career, she has worked collaboratively with healthcare professionals and experienced the positive impact that a team approach can have on the lives of our clients. This experience, combined with her previous scholarly publications, has inspired several current research projects involving interprofessional collaboration.  Kaitlin is currently working with first responders both nationally and internationally to educate the public on aphasia, a language disorder that commonly occurs after a stroke. A stroke can also result in impaired swallowing, or dysphagia. She is currently working with a Molloy SONHS team to develop a badge to provide nurses with additional knowledge and skills in the area of dysphagia management.  Kaitlin continues to work with multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals at both Mercy University and Molloy University.