Project Lead: Matha Carvour
Funding Approved: Fiscal Year 22
Project Status: In Progress
Funded amount: $759,000 over three years
The Equity in Health Science and Practice project is focused on conducting health equity research and translating research findings into community-based interventions.
The first years of the project laid the foundation for the initiative to have a significant positive impact on the health of communities across the state of Iowa.
Activities to date:
- Engaged undergraduate, graduate, and professional student leaders in educational activities related to health promotion, community engagement, professional development, and research/scholarship.
- More than a dozen students across three UI colleges in FY 2022
- More than a dozen students across four UI colleges in FY 2023
- Collaborated with 17 community-based organizations to implement 2 health fairs at a Tyson Turkey Plant and St. Mark Lutheran Church in Storm Lake
- Developed and launched a community health worker (CHW) pilot program in Storm Lake/Buena Vista County
- Five CHWs operated as service navigators who connect community members with needed health resources and assist community members with overcoming barriers to health resources
- The team logged over 550 encounters and participated in nearly 70 outreach events
- Results from the pilot program have been used to support multiple extramural funding proposals
- Drafted several manuscripts using data from E-HSP research projects
- Research was featured at a national poster presentation to the Association of Clinical and Translational Science
- Launched research survey study about COVID-19 experiences among frontline workers in Iowa
- Continued development and submissions of multiple grant proposals, including two R01 proposals and a CDC proposal
- Established a statewide community advisory board to provide input on programmatic activities and research studies
- Hosted community-based health event in Storm Lake
- The E-HSP educational model for student leaders in health sciences was accepted to the the Society of Public Health Educators Conference in March 2024
Next steps:
The project will continue to support the CHW team and continue to publish research findings, submit grant proposals, and look to integrate into an on-campus and community-based infrastructure for future health equity research.
In the News
Advancing health equity across the state
University of Iowa students, researchers, and community partners have come together to advance health equity across the state through the Equity in Health Science Practice Program. A three-year grant from the University of Iowa Strategic Initiatives Fund is helping to uplift communities struggling with healthcare access.