The Miller School has a rich history of tackling health care disparities, but our work isn’t done. By amplifying outreach and enhancing our community infrastructure with contemporary technology, we will eliminate barriers to care.
Creating Accessible Care for Those in Need
This year, we expanded on-the-ground programs, including our fleet of mobile outreach vans and the student-run Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service (DOCS) that provides essential services to marginalized communities in three Florida counties. The DOCS students recently teamed up with the Division of Infectious Diseases to support the Rapid Action Wellness Clinic to offer after-hours HIV care to residents of South Florida.
The Miller School of Medicine was recently awarded the ASPIRE-to-Excellence Award by the International Association for Health Professions Education for providing essential care in underserved communities.
The IDEA Exchange team is also pioneering novel approaches to link high-risk individuals to HIV prevention, treatment and support services. With funding from the NIH, its tele-harm reduction program connects physicians to people via telehealth. Providers can immediately move from telehealth to treatment, effectively overcoming common barriers to care.
“Traditional health care systems are not always an ideal venue to engage marginalized individuals. Instead, these programs allow people to experience a positive, non-judgmental, supportive care that facilitates healthy behaviors. It’s a version of concierge medicine for those most in need of care,” said Hansel Tookes, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of infectious diseases and founder of IDEA Exchange, Florida’s first needle exchange program.
The Digital Transformation of Community Connection
We’re harnessing the power of big data and technology to give clinicians and researchers essential information about patients in South Florida and beyond. At Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, SCAN 360 ensures screening services reach people in areas of significant need.
By leveraging VR, telehealth and other innovations, our teams are bridging the gap between at-risk communities and health care practitioners.
Meanwhile, our Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education is advancing telemedicine programming at local fire department to ensure that stroke patients are transported more quickly to appropriate stroke centers.
These are just a few recent examples of how technology is bridging divides.
International Outreach to Build Resilience
Stretching beyond the boundaries of South Florida, our Global Institute for Community Health and Development is building resilience and fostering hope in communities across the world that have been devastated by disaster.
A notable initiative is the Wonderful Floating Library program in Great Abaco, where a hurricane devastated the sole public library. The program provides books and reading lessons to address low literacy rates, alongside counseling to support students in coping with their experiences.
Community outreach is an essential part of our students’ seducation.
