Project REACH

The development of the Pathway in Community Health Program in the School of Health Professions is one of the objectives of Project REACH, a project generously funded by the 2022 Genentech Health Equity and Diversity in STEM Innovation Fund. The Pathway in is the first interdisciplinary program offering an in-demand credential to students in the School of Health Professions.

Program Goals

The program goals are to create a framework for improving community health through faculty training and development, faculty-to-student mentorship, community partnerships and scholarships aimed at improving health outcomes for underserved and marginalized populations, and sustainable training practices for students in health professions programs.

The program objectives are to:

1. Educate faculty and students on the root causes of health disparities
2. Use mentorship and multi-cultural practices in applied research and healthcare delivery
3. Center the voices and needs of underserved and marginalized populations through scholarship, action-oriented research and service.

Students who have completed the program will be able to describe various frameworks and theories related to disparate patient outcomes and health disparities, identify ways in which community partnerships and scholarship can influence patient outcomes, articulate the needs of a marginalized and/or underserved community as they relate to healthcare provision and healthcare structures and present their findings to the scientific community and fellow healthcare providers.

Program Requirements

Students enrolled in the Pathway complete a one-credit hour Community Health for Health Professions course, focus their master's or doctoral project on community health and participate in community outreach.