Highlights: Health Equity
Young Children in North Carolina
Housing insecurity is associated with poor health, lower weight and developmental risks among young children. This team analyzed how North Carolina’s resources for child and family housing intersect with structural racism and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Team members conducted focus groups and family interviews, and reviewed empirical literature and existing policy. This work informed the team’s development of a comprehensive resource to be used by North Carolina Integrated Care for Kids (NC InCK) and others.
Seniors Ainsley Buck and Sophie Hurewitz took their research further through a project on equitable access to autism screening for kids.
Rural Health Services
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the challenges and health inequities faced by vulnerable populations. In rural Pamlico County, North Carolina, many residents find it hard to access medical care and emergency services.
This summer, four undergraduates spent nine weeks in Pamlico working with county officials and partner organizations to study gaps in services and come up with strategies to aid the most vulnerable.
Through the Global Health Student Research Training Program, the students built on the work of a Bass Connections team to conduct a risk and vulnerability assessment for the county’s Disaster Recovery Coalition. They also assisted the health department in identifying gaps in services, and created a community outreach plan for a free health clinic to help residents access care.
Working closely with officials and community members, the students presented a range of evidence-based resources and solutions to help residents address a variety of challenges.
Social Determinants
Over 80% of health outcomes in the U.S. are directly linked to social determinants of health, such as economic stability, education, food, neighborhood and physical environment. How can providers help patients meet their social service needs and improve integrated care?
Launched in 2018 with support from a Bass Connections Student Research Award, the Help Desk program trains Duke student volunteers to connect patients with social services in the Durham area. Volunteers participate in an intensive 25-hour training designed to help them make meaningful connections with patients, introduce them to resources and follow up at regular intervals to check in.
Help Desk has evolved to become a large-scale student-run initiative that encompasses three healthcare facilities, 16 faculty and healthcare leaders and advisors, three program coordinators, dozens of student members and over a thousand resources.
In 2021-2022, student leaders of Help Desk worked on scaling up the program and evaluating its training and impact, including training students to enter health fields with core competencies in the social determinants of health.
