FIU summit to examine role of medical schools in improving health in urban communities


MEDIA ADVISORY

WHAT: Florida International University, in partnership with the Commonwealth Fund and the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, located in Tulsa, Okla., will host the second annual Summit on Urban Health, a working forum to examine the role of medical schools in improving the health of underserved urban populations through medical education, clinical care and research. The participating institutions represent communities throughout the United States that are struggling with health disparities, extremely poor health status among its urban populations, fragmented health care delivery systems, and inadequate funding to meet the needs of the population.

This month, FIU’s second-year medical students began visiting families who are medically underserved as part of the Green Family NeighborhoodHELP™ program, a component of the innovative Green Family Medicine and Society curriculum of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. The program pairs every medical student with a household in North Miami-Dade, including areas of the cities of Miami Gardens, Opa-locka and unincorporated Miami-Dade. Medical students will visit the households regularly during the last three years of their medical education along with colleagues from social work and nursing, under the supervision of a faculty member. The student-household relationship is expected to help improve health indicators in the area, while giving students a unique first-hand learning experience. Depending on the needs of a household, students from public health, law, education, business and others may join the team in the future.

WHO: Speakers at the forum will include Dr. Joe Greer, chair of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine’s Department of Humanities, Health & Society and a longtime advocate for those without access to health care, including persons who are homeless; Dr. Gerry Clancy, president of the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa; and Dr. Dan Duffy, dean of the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine. In addition to FIU and the University of Oklahoma, the universities participating in the summit include the University of California at Los Angeles, Charles Drew University, Tulane University, University of Tulsa, Wayne State University, and the University of Chicago. Other participants include RAND Corporation, the George Kaiser Family Foundation, the Association of Academic Health Centers, The de Beaumont Foundation, and The Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation.

WHEN AND WHERE: The workshop will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 14 in the Stadium Club at FIU Stadium on the Modesto A. Maidique Campus, 11200 SW 8th St. The summit will take place from 8:30 a.m.- 3 p.m.

Media Contacts: Madeline Baró at 305-348-2234 or Karen Mulkey at 918-660-3098.

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