NH/ VT Schweitzer Fellows for Life

David and Greta built a partnership between Outright Vermont and University Pediatrics in order to bridge the needs of LGBTQ adolescents and the medical community in Burlington Vermont. They shared what they learned from bridging these two agencies with the UVM medical school community and with Vermont Pediatricians.

David and Phillip implemented an interdisciplinary project at Mascoma Valley Regional High School, which allowed students the opportunity to study an environmental issue of local significance, through the design, development, and implementation of a plan to address the issue. 

David and Rifat revitalized and expanded an education and mentoring support network for at-risk youth experiencing homelessness and substance abuse issues.

David continued the work of Schweitzer Fellow, Monique Tello, to further develop the needle exchange program in Burlington, VT, through continued education of local and state authorities and the state legislature.

David created educational programs in the South Royalton, VT, School system exploring sexual education, HIV/AIDS prevention, sexual awareness, abuse education, depression and suicide prevention and peer counseling.

Deanne created a series of workshops, using skits and role-play to facilitate open discussion, which she carried out with teens on issues such as safe sex and alcohol abuse, to encourage healthy choices.

Delia and Erica addressed refugee health by conducting a medical orientation program for a target group of refugees living in the Champlain Valley, VT area. The program covered five basic topics pertaining to health care in America. Sessions were led by first-year medical students and empowered marginalized refugee groups to participate in their own health care and navigate the American system, while also providing medical students with an opportunity to develop the skills necessary to communicate with patients across cultural and language barriers.

Derek created Project HOPE (Health Outreach & Prevention Education) to address the health needs of the underserved (especially refugee) communities. He empower underserved community members to take control of their health care needs and educate them on ways to live healthier lives.

Devon and Audriana created various curriculums to assist the New African American community in Concord, New Hampshire. They worked with adults preparing for the Citizenship Test as well as school-aged students learning English as a second language.

Diane helped develop a Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) between local communities and companies for their mutual economic and environmental benefit.

Dung developed and implemented a study exploring the nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and possible socio-cultural barriers to long-term success for participants in VTCECH's "Cooking for Life" nutritional program.

Dyanne and assessed the quality of the health care and access as well the prevalence of certain illnesses (i.e. asthma) and adequate vaccinations in minority and refugee children in Chittenden County, VT. In addition, they worked with local community health organizations to better strategize outreach and education programs for these populations.

Edmund organized and engaged in the direct education of gun owners, healthcare workers, and at-risk populations about risk factors and harm reduction strategies for firearm violence.

Edmund and Sandolsam promoted visual health by implementing a vision screening program for uninsured adults.

Eli further developed the TransForm Project, which supports the health and wellbeing of transgender Vermonters through peer mentoring, community skill shares, and online resources.

Elissa and Jill worked with the Good Neighbor Health Clinic to establish a chronic care model for the Good Neighbor Clinic for its diabetic population, specifically focusing on the pillar of patient self-management. Once the barriers to effective self-management of care had been identified, they case-managed a dozen or so patients and followed their care on an individual and personalized basis.

Eliza educated students about their rights under Title IX.  She met with students at Dartmouth college to help them understand the law from a victim's rights perspective and worked with the Vermont Law School administration to improve the training given to new students at VLS.

Elizabeth offered ballet classes to the Dartmouth Medical School community to introduce the basics of ballet, flexibility/tone fitness, and music appreciation. In addition to the benefits of exercise, she provided the community with some relaxing and artistic time in which to meditate. Finally, she organized a student dance troupe to perform at local hospitals and senior centers.

Elizabeth and Mairin worked to improve access to basic services for Burlington's refugee population.

Elizabeth responded to ambulance calls and emergencies. She helped recruit volunteers from VLS and the community by teaching medical/healthcare education courses offered by the rescue squad and made a presentation about health and fire safety.

Elizabeth enhanced patient quality of life at Fletcher Allen adult oncology treatment facilities by enhancing the environment, with artwork and patient recreational resources – what's good for the mind is good for the body.

Elizabeth increased awareness of end-of-life care among medical students and the community. She continued the Palliative Care elective started by two Schweitzer Fellows, and established this as a permanent part of the curriculum at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College. In addition, she created a volunteer program with the artist in residence program at DHMC.

Elizabeth helped low-income tenants resolve problems related to payment schedules, rental requirements, and apartment maintenance outside the court system through the creation of a landlord/tenant mediation program.

Emily created a program in which Girl Scouts of all ages, in Vermont and New Hampshire, were able to learn about and address the issues associated with domestic violence while earning a patch on this topic.

Ben and Emily brought STEM to life by building aquaponic systems at local schools and teaching the underlying scientific concepts of living systems. They developed a curriculum for Cultivating Action in Local Communities (CALC) and created daily interactions that fostered each student's academic growth.

Emily designed and carried out a weekly food and agriculture radio show. Programming addressed topics such as sustainable agriculture, local food production, self sufficiency, and food insecurity.

In response to the growing costs and decreased availability of insurance, Emily researched and drafted charitable immunity legislation. She helped the medical clinics that provide health care for VT residents without health insurance to obtain liability insurance for their volunteers and administrators at a reasonable cost.

Emily and Amy addressed issues of depression, domestic violence, and substance abuse in prenatal patients by creating a sustainable screening program at the Little Rivers clinics and Cottage Hospital. In addition to providing screenings, the program examined the effectiveness of those screenings for providers and patients; connected at-risk women with available community resources; and worked to address barriers to accessing those resources.

Emily and Julia assessed the needs of underserved pregnant women in Burlington and connected those who have depression to psychotherapy therapists. This enabled the women to forgo anti-depression medication and receive treatment during pregnancy.

Emily organized Baby T.I.P.S. (Teaching Information for Parents and Siblings,) a series of parenting and sibling workshops for families with new babies living in or around a lower-income area of Burlington. The workshops were led by local professionals and included topics such as infant CPR and first aid, dealing with stress, infant feeding and nutrition.

Emily provided free prenatal education, doula labor support, and postpartum doula services to underserved women in the Upper Valley. She attended seven births, conducted 40+ postpartum home visits, talked with families in 20+ prenatal visits, and provided a range of support to the new moms.

Emma worked with young men and women who have a passion for agriculture and technical skills to empower them to go on to higher education. She tutored students in local 4-H programs and high schools, helping them to explore career possibilities, boost resumes, and improve college applications.

Emory and Abigail continued to develop "Lookout," a mentoring group for middle school girls at Hartford Middle School. They provided the girls with an outlet to discuss the difficult issues that go hand in hand with being a teen by introducing group counseling sessions as well as activities designed to empower young women.

Eric and Dorothea incorporated a hands-on art experience into children's inpatient and outpatient therapy through art groups for patients at the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth, providing a way for patients of CHaD to express themselves in a widely distributed context that is not bound by their hospital experiences. They also created a sustainable internet-based art forum for pediatric patients of CHaD.

The "Arts in Action" after-school arts project fostered continual community interaction between students at Vermont Law School and local youth, ages 12-17. Using current social issues that teens care about as a context for learning, the program provided a venue for discussion, debate, and most importantly artistic expression through creative writing and theatre in a motivating and supportive environment. The project culminated in a community performance at the Vermont Law School Solutions Conference, which takes place annually in mid-April.

Erin worked with elementary students to foster an understanding and appreciation for their local environments. She designed and taught educational activities that helped children to understand the ecology of the area through field research and investigation within the schoolyard habitat.

Russell and Erin organized monthly Here to Help clinics to serve the homeless population of Burlington, Vermont. At the clinics, those in need could speak directly with organizations offering in-depth services and receive necessities such as a meal, shower, haircut and clothing.

Erin strengthened and continued to develop "Aging Well," a pilot program whose aim is to empower seniors to take control of their health and well-being.

Working in partnership with the Good Neighbor Health Clinic, Escar and Jose expanded free health clinic services in the Upper Valley. Using the newly established clinic at The Upper Valley Haven as a model, they brought primary care services to other local organizations serving underserved families and individuals.

Given that approximately 1 in 5 children in the U.S. is obese, "How to Eat" was designed to combat childhood obesity in the Upper Valley. Fatima created and delivered meal kits to school-aged children and their families.  Kits included detailed recipes, cooking instructions, and nutritional information. 

Flora developed and expanded the scope of the Male Offender's Health Education Project (MOHEP) curriculum at Geisel School of Medicine.

Florence assisted WISE in creating Domestic Violence programs for use in schools in NH and VT, implemented gender specific awareness programs, helped children to speak out about the issue, and helped facilitate the programs at local schools in NH/VT. The programs were designed to make children aware of the resources that they may turn to when suffering from domestic violence either physically or emotionally.

Folasade and Shafie promoted cultural competency in the medical school curriculum with the ultimate goal of creating a database for students to consult in the future when issues of diversity arise. Through seminars and workshops, they brought to light the issues of multiculturalism in medicine and to provide concrete strategies for dealing with patients from diverse backgrounds.

Forest served as an advocate for juvenile offenders and compiled a manual on alternative ways to deal with juvenile offenders. The manual was designed to provide lawyers, schools and counselors the knowledge and means to help kids avoid future problems.

Fred and Trenika provided in-home healthcare checkups and delivered meals to homebound seniors. Their project aims to decrease the isolation seniors may experience while increasing access to healthcare and nutritious food.

Gaurab and Sarah investigated the cultural factors influencing the treatment of HIV positive Congolese and Somali refugees in Burlington, VT. They gathered information through focus groups and interviews, and implemented interventions for both health professionals and the refugee population to bridge cultural gaps.

Max and Georges promoted health among families who attend the Fathers and Children Together (FACT) program at the VNA Family Room. They designed and implemented weekly programs focused on four main pillars of health – exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and mentorship.

Gerri worked with local area agencies to compile and circulate a cookbook of low-cost, nutritionally balanced recipes oriented toward individuals and/or families living on a fixed income. He also implemented a series of after-school cooking classes for teenagers in the Upper Valley area using recipes from the cookbook.

Community Health Center of Burlington, Women Helping Battered Women: Through surveys and focus groups, Gilda assessed and identified the barriers preventing the Vietnamese-American population from accessing healthcare and resources for domestic violence. She also researched models of existing programs that address these barriers and developed/adapted to fit CHC and WHBW.

Erika and Gillian developed a "Civic Engagement Workshop" designed to empower Vermont's youth to become their own advocates. By pairing the public narrative story telling approach with tangible strategy-design and goal-setting, the workshop taught students to become effective advocates for themselves and their communities.

Gillian continued and expanded on the work of Matt Russell with the Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team. She served on the team, and led training to improve search and rescue techniques and recruited members of the local community to be part of their wilderness medicine team.

Giselle helped migrant dairy workers create emergency family plans in case guardians of children were to be detained or deported.

Grace revitalized Teen Court, a voluntary alternative to the criminal justice system for juveniles who have committed a crime or violation. The goal of Teen Court is to intervene early in anti-social and delinquent behavior while promoting self-esteem, a desire for self-improvement, and a healthy attitude towards rules and authority.

Greg and Michael conducted regular baking classes at the Upper Valley Haven, at schools, and in the community to teach people to make and enjoy their own wholegrain bread as a simple and sustainable way to address hunger in the Upper Valley. They also baked weekly at the community brick oven in Norwich, Vermont and donated the loaves to the Haven.

Hanna conducting in-depth interviews with families who have expressed concerns with the special education system in New Hampshire. She collected qualitative research about the negative and positive trends that the New Hampshire Disabilities Rights Center will be able to use in their legislative advocacy and/or public outreach and awareness campaigns.

Hannah and George provided information about childhood immunizations to underserved pregnant women and their partners.

Harper researched, developed and implemented a risk management policy for the Vermont Coalition of Clinics for the uninsured to give the clinics the charitable immunity status they desperately need.

Heather implemented a curriculum to train the palette of very young children with the intention that a broadened palette will lead to an increased consumption of whole foods. The project also equipped parents with the resources to develop menu choices, food preparation, and budget-conscious shopping.

Heather provided direction and support to the students of local communities in creating, organizing, building and carrying out useful community-oriented service projects. She enhanced and promoted service values while providing leadership opportunities to young students.

Heidi and Judy worked with the Teen Assessment Project (TAP) to identify and address teen risk behaviors. She developed a pocket guide to Health Resources for Teens in the Upper Valley, which has since been published and been distributed through school counselors and health clinics too over 15,000 teens in Vermont and New Hampshire.

Heidi and Andrew paired medical students with end of life patients in the Upper Valley. They exposed medical students to end-of- life care and issues, while providing practical help and compassionate companionship to patients in the last stages of life.

Heidi conducted a needs assessment and developed an action plan for the Pearl Street Clinic, the health clinic for homeless teens in Burlington, in order enable the clinic to better serve its clients through improved outreach, collaboration with other community agencies, utilization of existing community resources, and diversity of program offerings. She also developed a lasting connection between PSC and the College of Medicine, with opportunities for ongoing medical student involvement in the clinic's efforts.

Hilary provided a self-advocacy program for young women designed to empower participants to advocate for themselves in an effective and respectful manner.

Holly and Callie implemented a culturally-competent nutrition curriculum, including a support group for New Americans adjusting to a new food culture, and teaching sessions on nutrition and nutrition resources in their community.

Ida empowered adults with special needs by working with them to create a greeting card initiative.

Ilda designed and implemented a bi-weekly exercise class to help adults between the ages of 65-85 strengthen their bodies, improve their mobility, and better their balance.

Irina and Vicash created a culturally competent health literacy workshop series that was incorporated into an existing English Language Acquisition and Adaptation Program at the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program.

Angie and Isabelle built an affirming "Qmmunity" for LGBTQ+ teens through a series of in-person events and social media outreach. They worked with teens to develop outlets for self-expression and tools for self-advocacy through social gatherings, an anti-bullying awareness campaign, open–mic events, art contests, writing letters to legislators, and individual mentorship.

Jackie worked with several community based organizations in the Concord area (Family Health Center, Center for Health Promotion) to produce and provide a dental education program for expectant couples/families as well as new parents. She focused on prevention of bottle rot syndrome and early access to dental care.

Jacob implemented a notification system to help individuals get to court on the correct day and time and collected the data to demonstrate the efficacy of reminders. The project aimed to reduce the number of pre-conviction imprisonment that largely affects Vermont's most at-risk citizens.

Partnering with statewide HIV/AIDS prevention stakeholders and AIDS service organizations, Jake designed and implemented a peer navigation program to raise awareness and expand access to HIV/AIDS pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). His program increased awareness of PrEP, facilitated linkage to providers, and encouraged adherence for those engaged in care.

Jacob worked with pediatric palliative care patients to hear and record their stories, strengthening family bonds and raising awareness about palliative care. He met with the families of children receiving palliative care services to audio record tales of adventure, terrifying events, or amusing exploits, not limited to illness.

Jacob partnered with the Janet S. Munt Family Room to create a mentorship program for struggling fathers. The program paired volunteer fathers from the Burlington community with fathers participating in the Fathers and Children Together (FACT) program to helps manage stress, overcome challenges, and work to be present, loving fathers to their children.

Jacqueline and Sand created Qmmunity to positively influence mental and social health for LGBTQ+ youth. Collaborating with Rural Outright, they expanded support services available to queer youth as they explored issues related to gender and sexuality.

Jacqueline and Neil worked through the Community Health Center in Burlington, VT to raise awareness among medical students and health professionals about the issues involved in providing medical care to the refugee population.

James and Viktoria educated youth in Burlington high schools and colleges about the biology, social issues and global impact of HIV/AIDS/AIDS in an effort to raise awareness of and de-stigmatize the disease. They expanded effort to include the whole community by assisting in the promotion of the Burlington AIDS Walk and World AIDS Day and organizing an HIV/AIDS week and HIV/AIDS/AIDS lecture at the University of Vermont School of Medicine.

Jane and Heather surveyed independently living seniors to determine their greatest fall risks. They then developed a program to reduce falls among seniors and keep them living independently for longer.

Jasmine established the "Here to Help" clinic which provides the homeless in the Burlington, VT area with free physicals, personal self-care, clothes, toiletries and a hot meal. The goal of this clinic is to build relationships with ostracized members of the community, provide immediate help, and assess the vulnerability of homelessness.

Jason conducted science workshops with minority kids at an after-school center run by the Salvation Army in Manchester, NH. The goal of this program was to introduce the children to the sciences in a fun and informative manner, serve as a role model for young minorities, and encourage them to pursue a degree beyond high school.

Jean assessed the health education needs of the inmates and addressed gaps in the services provided to them through a series of workshops. She also put together a handbook containing information on community health resources to be given to women upon their release.

Jeffrey developed and presented a series of environmental education programs to South Royalton area schools, designed to create opportunities for students to become involved in conservation activities and a program that allows them to develop an understanding of how humans are part of the environment.

Jenna and Liam brought together people of different ages and connected them with local farms, museums, and other places of interest. Using Zoom to provide participants with live tours and discussions, they built community across generations. 

Jennifer and Duncan initiated a food insecurities screening for every patient who uses the clinic. Under the assumption that nutrition is one of the key elements of maintaining physical health, they worked with local community service groups to create town-specific pamphlets on food resources for those who are interested, and provide counseling to better direct needy persons to local resources.

Jennifer and Maya worked to enhance the treatment of women currently battling cancer in the Upper Valley by providing vigorous outdoor experiences of hiking and exploring the wilderness, to discover the benefits of mind-cleansing and strength-building physical activity.

Jennifer and Benjamin developed a community service group that paired interested medical students with children and their families in the hematology / oncology unit at DHMC.

Jennifer worked to implement a preventative health program emphasizing exercise healthy eating and smoking cessation, at the People's Health and Wellness Clinic in Barre, which serves uninsured and underinsured people from 36 towns in Vermont.

Jenn and Delaney created an after-school program designed to inspire elementary school girls to engage with STEM fields. Students participated in hands-on learning experiences with ongoing mentorship. Initiatives were designed to empower young women and foster their STEM interests to help close the gender gap.

Jeremy and Britta instilled healthy habits in children at a young age and enhanced medical students' abilities to communicate health and prevention messages. They visited local schools and taught young children about the importance of good health through the SMILE DOC program.

Jessica and Emily developed a one-to-one mentoring program that paired Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College students with adolescents from under resourced areas in the Upper Valley. Particular emphasis was placed on teenagers who were at risk of dropping out of school before earning a high school diploma. 

Jessica provided public speaking and debate training programs to inmates incarcerated in Vermont. The SPEAK Prison Debate Initiative's 6-week debate program utilized debate as a tool for teaching professional and personal public speaking and presentation skills.

Jessica sought to engage local students in community service projects, making contacts in the schools, and participating in local area team meetings to gain ideas for project implementation and sustainability.

Jessica worked with high school students with mild disabilities to teach them their rights in the special education process, which involves the development of Individualized Education Plans and transition or vocational (post-graduation) skills/training.

Jessica created and implemented a mentoring program at the Hannah House, a residence for pregnant and parenting teenagers in Lebanon, NH. The program matched adult women in the community with a resident of Hannah House, with the goal of building a trusting relationship through which to share life experiences and develop friendships.

Jessie and Janet developed and implemented a neonatal matching program that pairs current NICU families with NICU graduate families.

Jessica and Alejandro improved access to health care for Latino migrant farmworkers in Vermont by disseminating preventative health information and connecting the workers to available regional health services.

Joanne implemented a comprehensive nutrition program to address the nutrition needs of homeless men and women. The program included one-on-one nutrition counseling, group workshops, and cooking demonstrations for those living in the COTS shelter system. The curriculum modules and lesson plans were circulated for use by other homeless service organizations.

John joined the effort to address the affordable housing crisis in the Upper Valley region. He provided direct service by involving more VLS students in Habitat for Humanity, participated in advocacy work through the Upper Valley Housing Coalition (UVHC), and brought the knowledge, awareness and involvement of the UVHC to Vermont Law School.

John provided environmental consulting to a local energy-cooperative devoted to promoting increased energy efficiency. He worked with individual families to make their homes more energy efficient, as well as analyzed which home sustainability practices have been most effective for the group members in the past.

Joo and Shilpa developed health based English as a Second Language programs for the Vietnamese refugee patients at the Burlington Community Health Center.

Jose organized a series of community lectures on health education and healthy living for the residents of the Old North End of Burlington in an attempt to facilitate communication between these underserved individuals and the University of Vermont medical facilities.