Our community health and wellness programs partner with local nonprofits to identify health issues of interest to our community and implement culturally and linguistically appropriate workshops and programming.
CHAMPS connects medical students to volunteer opportunities with Preble street, a Portland-based human services and anti-poverty agency, as well as the York County Shelter and Portland Public Health.
DOT volunteers educate the community about skin health in a variety of settings, from workshops in school settings on sun protection and acne, to supportive “Spa Days” with skin care and sun protection samples for people experiencing homelessness, to educational outreach tables at community fairs and events.
In partnership with La Alianza Hispana, a nonprofit community center serving the Latino community of Greater Boston, Entre Mujeres facilitates culturally and linguistically appropriate wellness workshops on topics of interest to the women in the group. Medical students design and lead workshops and activities in Spanish twice per month for young mothers and for older women.
Students involved with the Health Care Alliance for the Homeless (HAH) club address homeless health in a variety of ways. In partnership with Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program’s Foot Care Clinic at St. Francis House, medical students provide basic foot care, treating a chronic yet often overlooked problem faced by individuals experiencing homelessness. Students are also involved with BHCHP’s monthly Saturday program for homeless women, they volunteer at other homeless-serving organizations throughout Greater Boston, and they organize an annual Justice for the Homeless Month featuring panel and guest speaker events.
Through the Phoenix Project, medical students lead weekly discussion-based health workshops covering a wide range of social and health topics at the South Bay House of Correction. Read more about The Phoenix Project here.
Tufts Interpreter Program (TIP) was founded to train bilingual medical students to use their language skills in a health setting. After training, TIP volunteers provide bilingual services at sites such as Sharewood (see below) where they assist with patient interviews and physical exams. This complements Sharewood’s professional interpreter services and helps them better serve its LEP (limited English proficiency) patients. TIP volunteers also help Entre Mujeres (above), our partnerships in Chinatown and more.
Sharewood is led by volunteer medical and public health students and physicians from Cambridge Health Alliance, with help from other health professional students and translators. We seek to educate clients about healthy lifestyle, nutrition, exercise, and the importance of medical wellness. A major focus of the Sharewood Project is its case management services, which connect clients with primary care physicians, MassHealth, and other social services.
Under supervision, students provide services such as school physicals, oral cancer screenings, confidential STD/HIV testing, case management, and blood pressure screenings. In addition to direct work with the community, there are several leadership roles in different specialty areas, as well as in fundraising, publicity, health education, community partnerships, and more.