“This experience has solidified my desire to keep community health projects at the center of my efforts as a doctor. Specifically related to doulas, I am excited to use my voice as a medical student and physician to support other doulas. I am currently working with a team of NC doulas to create a statewide professional organization, founded on anti-racist principles, that will help coordinate doulas across the state.”
2020 Fellows Boyina and Del Rosario
Living with diabetes can be hard. So Fellows Akhila and Kychelle created a free dance program to help patients cope with the stress of managing diabetes. It provides a fun way to be active, positively affect mood, learn more about diabetes care, and connect with others who have diabetes.
2020 Fellows Brotzman and Stewart
Before cancer patients can begin chemotherapy or radiation treatment, they need a dental evaluation and removal of both existing or potential oral infection to avoid any complications. Fellows Victoria and Josh accelerated the dental clearance process so cancer patients can begin treatment earlier.
2020 Fellows Cantrell and Huff
Autoimmune diseases are common but can be incredibly challenging to diagnose. Fellows Rachel and Ashley are educating women about the signs and symptoms of autoimmune diseases to help facilitate a diagnosis so they can begin treatment. They hope to inspire patients with autoimmune disease to have a more active role in their healthcare to improve their quality of life.
2020 Fellows Halsey
Conducting a school based project during a pandemic was quite the challenge. Lauren applied her creativity to help elementary students learn about nutrition and gardening through video and virtual lessons and by distributing home garden kits so the children could see first hand the wonders of gardening, discover how food and nutrition are related, and understand how to make healthy choices.
2020 Fellows Himmelberg
Lack of safe, affordable housing impacts people's physical and mental health. And when people who are experiencing homelessness need hospital or emergency health care, the problem worsens. Steven is connecting patients who are experiencing homelessness with housing services and created a system so providers can monitor housing referrals.
2020 Fellows Lane and Phillips
Damaged and missing teeth impact your ability to eat, get a job and have a pain free mouth. Plus, it is devastating for your self-esteem. Put that on top of being homeless and life can seem hopeless. Despite the pandemic, Fellows Chris and Scott provided over $25,000 in free dentures to 9 patients and initiated care for four additional patients who will receive $11,000 worth of dentures at no cost.
2020 Fellows Parke
Joshua partnered with eKim Syringe Service Program to increase their capacity to serve the community. He helped them become a certified Hepatitis C and HIV testing site offering these tests at no charge. He also provided linkages to affordable Hep C treatment, organized free vaccinations, and led a harm reduction educational outreach.
2020 Fellows Price and Doshi
When the pandemic hit, many seniors felt socially isolated. So Meghan and Pratik and their team of volunteers make weekly calls to 225 seniors as a source of personal support and connection to resources. They also make biweekly and emergency food deliveries to those who need it..
2020 Fellows Robertson and O'Brien
Fellows Anna Beth and Grant were creative in meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. They launched a free medication refill assistance program and offered Telehealth services at a local shelter clinic so the clinic could continue to operate.
2020 Fellows Shilling and Musick
As a parent of an adolescent, how can you tell the difference between typical mood changes and signs of a mental health issue? Parents play a critical role in helping adolescents gain access to mental health resources, and yet, family education has been identified as a leading barrier. Fellows Alexis and Sara are teaching positive parenting techniques and helping parents better understand how to identify and respond to signs of mental health concerns in their children.