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Health Education and Access Linkages

Improving the Health of Low Income Vermonters

Lajiri Van Ness-Otunnu, a former CEDO AmeriCorps VISTA, passionate about community health, and Dana Walrath, a medical anthropologist at the University of Vermont, College of Medicine, joined forces in 2006 to find a way to bring health education to low income Vermonters and bridge the cultural divide between providers and recipients of care. The result is HEAL.

NeighborKeepers: a HEAL partner

Health Education and Access Linkages (HEAL) is a multidisciplinary health education strategy based on relationship-building to improve the health education of low income Vermonters. The focus is on nutrition, chronic illness management, stress, child development, women's and men's health, and other issues identified by the community.

HEAL engages medical students from the University of Vermont Colleges of Medicine to educate each other and the community and improve the health education of low income Vermonters, including New Americans from the recently resettled immigrant and refugee community.

Marginalized and vulnerable communities bear a disproportionate burden of disease and negative health outcomes and are very challenged in navigating the health system. The HEAL sessions provide an opportunity for community members to gather health information and educate future health practitioners about issues relevant to their health. 

Currently, participants in HEAL include UVM students from:
• Medical School
• School of Social Work (undergraduate)
• Department of Psychology (doctoral candidates)
• ILEHP program (“Interdisciplinary Leadership Education for Health Professionals” mid-career professionals).

Project HEAL is led by a Steering Committee made up of UVM faculty representatives of organizations that serve underrepresented groups. Participating organizations for the 2009-2010 year include:
• NeighborKeepers
• Community Health Center
• Burlington Housing Authority
• Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program

Jacqueline Rose (Director of Interpreting Services at VRRP) coordinates HEAL. She works with the community to determine topics for each presentation. The students then develop the subject matter, after researching within the community, to create catered workshops. The students are divided into interdisciplinary groups, so that each workshop is presented by a variety of students.

There will be 16 groups presenting one workshop each. Each group of students is assigned a subject, population group, and presentation date and time, and is put in contact with local resources/contacts. The HEAL project affords HEAL students the experience of a lifetime to work with students from other fields within the community itself.

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NeighborKeepers’ HEAL sessions take place during the Circles of Support Community Meetings. Dinner and childcare are provided.  Meeting dates and topics:

January 12th: Back Pain 

February 2nd:  Stress Management

February 23rd:  Successful Doctor Visits

March 9th:  Dental Health

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Check out the HEAL interview on this Channel 17 podcast HERE