COMMUNITY HEALTH AMBASSADORS U C H E N N A B. O K O Y E, M D, M P H I N C O L L A B O R A T I O N W I T H P M F, C C S L P & N M F

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1 COMMUNITY HEALTH AMBASSADORS U C H E N N A B. O K O Y E, M D, M P H I N C O L L A B O R A T I O N W I T H P M F, C C S L P & N M F

2 ABOUT THE CCSLP SCHOLAR: Uchenna Okoye, MD, MPH Resident Physician in Psychiatry UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior Columbia University, B.A. Biological Sciences Harvard School of Public Health, M.P.H. Health Policy & Management University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, M.D. A 4 th year medical student at the University of California San Francisco, Uchenna Okoye has a history of community service and leadership. After graduating from Columbia University she joined Teach for America and taught science in Compton and Oakland, California. She later became a patient advocate for low-income women with cancer, and at a community clinic for the uninsured of San Francisco s Mission District. As the Region I Director of the Student National Medical Association, she led chapters across 10 states to address the needs of underserved communities through the creation of sustainable community partnership and service. In 2013, she studied healthy policy and management while earning an MPH at the Harvard School of Public Health. She continues to be involved at the community and university level through her work in advocacy for culturally competent care, outreach and mentoring through the Doctors On Board Program. Her project, Community Health Ambassadors, will engage minority youth to promote preventive health within their communities, while assisting them on their path towards becoming physicians.

3 PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION Uchenna Okoye, MD, MPH CHA Program Coordinator (program creation, including all components and materials) Stalfana Bello Executive Director Physicians Medical Forum CHA Program Mentor Elisabeth Wilson, MD UCSF School of Medicine CHA Faculty Advisor Program Sponsorship National Medical Fellowships - California Community Service Learning Project California Wellness Foundation UCSF PRIME-US

4 ABOUT Community Health Ambassadors is a new program aimed to empower African American youth by training them to serve as ambassadors of health and wellness within their family and broader community. Students engaged in skill building and community health education and promotion, over 8 weeks. The program culminated in the Ambassadors presenting pertinent preventative health topics at community sites of their choosing. Ambassadors were also connected with a physician mentor who will continue to assist them in preparing to apply to medical school. The Community Health Ambassadors Program provided students interested in becoming a physician with the following: Skills sessions including preventative health topics particularly relevant to African American communities, community engagement and public speaking An introductory first aid and CPR session Exciting and inspiring mentorship sessions with community physicians The opportunity to create posters and presentations on pertinent health topics The opportunity to provide health education to a site within their community Individualized planning for their path towards applying to medical school Mentor assignment Each student will be connected with a mentor who can serve as a resources as they continue their path toward becoming a physician A Community Health Ambassadors Certificate of Completion at the end of the program

5 METHODS/COMPONENTS Didactic learning Ambassadors were first taught about basic concepts of a safe space and effectively working in groups, service learning, community engagement, advocacy, and public speaking introductory lectures on these preventative health topics First Aid & CPR course Group Work & Dynamics Each group first learned about its members and assigned everyone within their group specific roles and tasks. Each of the groups then worked to gather information, compose a presentation and create activities and learning materials utilized in their community service-learning project. Feedback: About half way through CHA, students were given a presentation on giving and receiving feedback, then charged with giving feedback to each member of the group, and then using this to improve how they functioned as individuals and within the group. Community Outreach & Service Learning At the heart of CHA was community outreach and service learning. The ambassadors were able to work closely with a community organization, learn about the organization and the population they serve. Worked with community site liaisons to decide upon preventative health topics that were particularly relevant to the people they served Worked with site liaisons to ensure materials were appropriate, but also that the materials would be able to be used as valuable tools at the site in the future. Research Each member had to take part in the initial research. The students were introduced on how to research and find reliable sources of information, and how to appropriately cite references. Program Evaluation Program surveys administered to presentation attendees and community site liaisons Individualized Academic Plans sessions Each ambassador filled out an academic profile that was reviewed. Strengths and deficits in their medical school application were identified. Each then had a 1 hour meeting to discuss their profile and answer questions, including regarding premedical course requirements. Mentorship Each ambassador was matched with a mentor in their medical field of interest. The goal is for these mentors to serve as resources to the ambassadors as they continue their path to becoming physicians.

6 COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS The Ambassadors were divided into 3 groups. Each group worked with a community site to help fulfill a critical need, be it presenting on a preventative health issue, creating resources or providing community outreach. The following summarizes the work of the Ambassadors.

7 FIRST PLACE FOR YOUTH Serves youth ages 16-24, provides safe, supported transition from foster care, housing program, employment and academic enrichment program and counseling. Ambassadors provided a Stress Management workshop Participants received information on the effects of stress on your physical, mental and emotional health & gained tools to help reduce stress. We learned the importance of providing service and being an active member in our community. Also, it is important to know what the community needs before going out to provide a service. We gained a sense of pride and encouragement to be able to speak to youth and young adults about topics we can all relate to.

8 Roots is a non-profit organization that aims to eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes for uninsured and low-income residents in East Oakland Know Your Stats Campaign Community outreach Created a brochure, that had resources and health facts Created a short video highlighting the importance of getting tested and knowing your health stats. The experience was eye opening as far as the information we received about how chronic disease are widely effected the community. The statistics of minorities having chronic disease is beyond what we imagined. We were very pleased to the fact that the people in the community were receptive to us. We realized that our vision for this project was possible and we achieved it!

9 BGC Oakland is a youth based community center with a 99% African American population including kids ages 6-18 years old. This center focuses on serving underprivileged communities and being a place that young kids can go to after school for such services as tutoring and mentoring. This center keeps youth encouraged and helps educate them about making positive choices while their young. Ambassador presented on Cleanliness, Nutrition, Grooming, & Puberty We were able to work with various people in order to achieve a common goal! It is important to focus on serving and understanding our communities so that when we become medical doctors, we are able to better serve the individuals we encounter.

10 Acknowledgements