219514 MedStart: The implementation of a community outreach program for underprivileged middle school students in East Harlem

Monday, November 8, 2010

Edward Chu , Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Melissa Schneiderman , Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Julia Chen , Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Lucy Chen , Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Greg Serrao , Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Latanya Phelps, PhD , Academic Intervention Services, Central Park East Middle School, New York, NY
Stephanie H. Factor, MD, MPH , Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Ann-Gel S. Palermo, MPH , Center for Multicultural and Community Affairs, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Samantha Zuckerman , Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Romit Bhattacharya , Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
BACKGROUND: East Harlem is a low-resource, medically underserved minority community with limited extracurricular opportunities in science and medicine for its middle school children. Guided by community engagement, Mount Sinai medical students collaborated with local public schools, parents, small businesses and community officials to develop MedStart, a free, week-long, science and medicine summer enrichment program for East Harlem middle-school students.

METHODS: Medical students consistently attended local coalition meetings to form relationships with key community leaders. MedStart was bilingually publicized to teachers and parents to foster trust and encourage program enrollment. An interactive, hands-on healthcare curriculum specific to the East Harlem environment was developed.

RESULTS: MedStart was awarded an institutional community research grant and received significant contributions from the community. A target enrollment of forty middle school students was achieved with an overall 98% attendance rate. Thirty medical students, some bilingual in Spanish, served as volunteer staff. Curriculum content focused on diseases prevalent in East Harlem such as asthma, diabetes and obesity. All students were certified in Basic Life Support. Surveys demonstrated that 79% of students found the program “enjoyable” and 65% found it “easy to understand.”

CONCLUSION: Collaboration between East Harlem and Mount Sinai led to the successful completion of the inaugural MedStart summer enrichment program. Middle school students were empowered with tangible clinical skills to bring back to the community. Medical students are taking a proactive role in strengthening existing local partnerships to enhance the program for subsequent summers.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Chronic disease management and prevention
Diversity and culture

Learning Objectives:
1. Design a science and medicine summer enrichment program that is supported by the East Harlem community. 2. Formulate a unique healthcare curriculum that is relevant and enjoyable for middle school students.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Rural Populations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I worked extensively on the MedStart project, and am the current co-director for the ongoing MedStart program.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3376.0: Diseases, achievement, and school health assessment