Classrooms to communities

On sweltering summer days in Dayton, pre-med student Megan Nguyen isn’t lounging by a pool — she’s stocking shelves at a hospital food pantry and writing literature reviews as part of the Health Equity Fellows Program that aims to transform future health care leaders into community health champions.

Nguyen is one of 11 fellows of UD’s inaugural cohort who traded vacation for service. The program requires fellows to complete two years of paid service-learning experiences and summer placements.

“You learn how to treat people [in a clinical setting], but you aren’t always taught how to give them access to treatment in the first place,” said Nguyen.

After rounds of interviews, the aspiring dermatologist was selected to work at Dayton Children’s new Center for Health Equity, where she participated in meetings. One notable project involved collaboration with the Ohio Department of Medicaid and other governmental organizations in a statewide initiative to screen children with sickle cell disease using transcranial dopplers, which measure the velocity of blood flow through the brain’s blood vessels by analyzing the echoes of ultrasound waves.

“It’s all new to me,” Nguyen said, “but I’ve learned a lot and gained a new perspective on health care.”

In 2022, UD launched the Health Equity Fellows Program through the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community to train future health leaders in promoting equity in health care with interdisciplinary knowledge and community engagement experience. Recognizing that health outcomes are influenced by social determinants, the program provides students, starting sophomore year after an application selection process, with a three-year comprehensive experience. This initiative prepares students academically and equips them with the skills needed to drive systematic change.

At Miami Valley Child Development Center, pre-dentistry student Simone Seyoum and pre-med major Jo’Von Riley conducted hearing and vision screenings for the children, picked up administrative tasks like managing the organization’s software, distributed snack boxes for kids to take home, and developed educational materials on health literacy, hygiene and water safety.

A highlight of Riley’s time at the center so far has been the opportunity to focus on operational improvements through process mapping.

“Processes are easy for people to overlook until they’re absolutely not working,” Riley said. The pre-med student plans to pursue hospital administration. “You’ve got to understand what you’re doing, why you’re doing it that way and communicate that to others while remaining open to feedback.”

For Seyoum, her experience has been transformative.

“I’m more excited for my future career,” the pre-dentistry student said. “I’ve learned to communicate better and figure out problems on my own. I think more about working with kids because they can be tough, but I really enjoyed my experience.”

Mychaela Janzow, a bachelor’s plus master’s student majoring in health science and working toward her master’s in biology, worked with Homefull on food access initiatives, where she helped sign up more than 400 senior citizens for the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, assisted with a mobile grocery project, tended to the garden, and taught children about gardening and nutrition during the organization’s kids’ camp.

“I see the impact of this work every day,"

said Janzow, "The seniors are so grateful and tell me there’s nothing like [our produce] at the store."

These experiential learning opportunities empower fellows to refine their career aspirations. Nguyen is considering a master’s in public health in addition to medical school. Seyoum was drawn to pediatric dentistry and working with underserved populations, while Riley’s interest in hospital administration was reinforced. Janzow cultivated an interest in women’s health after learning about the high teen pregnancy rates in Dayton.

“Working closer with the community at Homefull while doing my own research led me to be interested in women’s health, especially since women’s access to health care is so important but so undervalued,” Janzow said.

In July, the Health Equity Program received an honorable mention for the North American 2024 Uniservitate Global Service Award, recognizing the best service-learning experiences in Catholic Higher Education. The program was chosen by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities for its commitment to community engagement and service.

Moses B. Mbeseha ’20, the director of Health Equity Programs, will accept the award at the University of San Diego in October. He will also attend the Global Symposium in Rome in November, where he will have an audience with Pope Francis.

Although the program is still young, Mbeseha can attest to its success — thanks in part to its first cohort.

“[W]orking with our community partners to solve complex challenges that otherwise would not be possible without the skills, talents and quality of the fellows participating in the program,” he said. “Our students are learning foundational and practical skills that will propel them to serve the greater community today and into the future … [their] impact in the community [can be] significant when provided with the tools, structure, and support to make a difference.”