ECU medical, dental students named 2021-22 N.C. Schweitzer Fellows
Eight students in the Division of Health Sciences at East Carolina University have been named to the 2021-22 cohort of North Carolina Schweitzer Fellows.
Four students from ECU’s Brody School of Medicine and four students from the ECU School of Dental Medicine join the class of 25 graduate students who will spend the next year learning to effectively address the social factors that impact health and developing lifelong leadership skills.
The medical and dental students will explore projects that align with both schools missions to serve eastern North Carolina and to increase access to health care for patients who need it.
“Now more than ever, it is critically important our next generation of health professionals understand the challenges community members face in achieving health and wellness, learn how to develop initiatives which help overcome those challenges, and use their voice to advocate for our most vulnerable,” said Barbara Heffner, director of the N.C. Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. “I’m impressed with the creative ways the Fellows are addressing the gaps in our healthcare system as well as those that have surfaced during the pandemic.”
Schweitzer Fellows develop and implement service projects that address the root causes of health disparities in under-resourced communities, while also fulfilling their academic responsibilities. Each project is implemented in collaboration with a community-based organization.
The N.C. Schweitzer Fellowship’s new class of Fellows will lead a multitude of service initiatives offering free or low-cost medical and dental care, mentoring programs for at-risk minority male youth, and support for cancer patients, new moms, people experiencing homelessness, patients struggling with chronic health conditions, and seniors with social isolation and food insecurity.
Schweitzer Fellows also experience an intensive leadership component during the program, working closely with community and academic mentors during their fellowship year. They often serve as role models for their peers, inspiring others to improve the health of those who experience barriers to care.
The 25 NC Fellows will join over 200 other 2021-22 Schweitzer Fellows working at program sites across the country: Alabama, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit; Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New Hampshire/Vermont, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Tulsa.
The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship has 13 program locations in the U.S. and one in Lambaréné, Africa.
The N.C. Schweitzer Fellowship is funded through the generosity of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation (BCBSNC), Duke University School of Medicine, ECU Brody School of Medicine, North Carolina Central University School of Graduate Studies, Vidant Health, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences and individual donors.
The students will be launching their projects in vulnerable communities throughout the state.
ECU’s 2021-22 N.C. Schweitzer Fellows include, from the Brody School of Medicine:
Al-Amin Aminu
Michael Denning
Al-Amin Aminu and Michael Denning
Academic Mentor: Tom Irons, MD
Site Mentor: Atlas Kelly, BSW, M.A., Ed. S
Site: Building Hope Community Life Center
Aminu and Denning are leading a year-long health and wellness initiative for Black males in middle and high school at an after-school community center. Each participant will be paired with a Black male medical student mentor.
Serena Mooney
Karen Semaan
Serena Mooney and Karen Semaan
Academic Mentor: Jill Sutton, MD
Site Mentor: Jill Sutton, MD (ECU OBGYN Clinic) and Angela Still, RN (Vidant Medical Center)
Site: ECU OBGYN Clinic and Vidant Medical Center
Mooney and Semaan are helping postpartum mothers achieve health and wellness through education, peer support groups and free infant CPR and choking rescue classes.
The other four students are the J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellows from ECU School of Dental Medicine. The BCBSNC Foundation generously funds the oral health fellowships in honor of their retired CEO J. Bradley Wilson. The Fellows include:
Ricky Ghai
Cody Phen
Ricky Ghai and Cody Phen
Academic Mentor: Drs. Thomas Tempel, Andres Flores and Wanda Wright
Site Mentor: Dr. Ford Grant
Site: Bertie County School-Based Oral Prevention Program (BCSBOPP) and ECU Community Service Learning Center (CSLC) Ahoskie
Ghai and Phen will work to create an avenue for parents and guardians of the children being seen at the BCSBOPP to receive dental care and establish a dental home (CSLC–Ahoskie).
Richa Vyas
Kari Wordsworth
Richa Vyas and Kari Wordsworth
Academic Mentor: Dr. Matt Causey
Site Mentor: Dr. Iquebal Hasan
Site: ECU School of Dental Medicine, ECU ENT, ECU Department of Radiation Oncology
Vyas and Wordsworth will aim to accelerate the dental clearance process for cancer patients so that they can begin treatment earlier and lead student and provider education to improve the delivery of medical and dental care to these patients. Building upon a 2018 and a 2020 Schweitzer project, they will expand the services to include follow-up care, including cleanings every three months, replacement of any extracted teeth and restorative treatment for new carious lesions. Funding is in place to provide care to those patients who are unable to afford it.