270966 Urban Health Program of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UICUHP): A Pipeline for Producing Underrepresented Minority Healthcare Leaders

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Detmer Wells, MA , Urban Health Program, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Deborah Umrani, PhD , Urban Health Program, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Karriem S. Watson, MD, MS, MPH , Urban Health Program, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Pipeline programs are a vital component to ensure the holistic development of public health leadership. The Urban Health Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UICUHP) has produced prominent public health leaders in Illinois and nationally, having graduating more than 6000 minority students since its inception in 1978. Sharing of best practices and reviewing benchmarks of success will allow program replication at other institutions. The UHP's presence in each of the seven health science colleges, along with the K-12 Early Outreach Program (EOP) allows UICUHP to distinguish itself from other pipeline programs. Targeted curriculum, extensive support services at all academic levels, alumni tracking via electronic database and social media are just a few best practices that have contributed to the success of the UHP model.

The UICUHP has set itself apart as a state and national program in producing public health leaders. Programming such as Saturday College, Spanish speaking parent network, college test preparation courses, summer internships, and research opportunities for students are a few of the ways that UHP has produced a model that addresses the holistic development of public health leaders. Session participants will observe how UHP programming translates into successful outcomes such as public health leaders committed to eliminating health disparities. While budget cuts and challenges in ensuring diversity in the health sciences continue to serve as obstacles for pipeline programs, UICUHP continues to thrive by developing innovative ways to strengthen the pipeline of support for students at all academic levels.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related education
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
1.Describe historical success of UIC UHP in recruiting and educating one of the largest cadres of underrepresented minority healthcare professionals in the nation. 2.Share best practices of the UIC UHP EOP in creating a pipeline to increase the number of underrepresented minorities interested in the Health Professions. 3.Discuss UIC UHP efforts in creating curriculum and providing research and community outreach experiences for a cadre of prospective health professionals who are trained as future leaders committed to address issues of health disparity. 4.Outline next steps in strengthening partnerships with UHP and EOP alumni who currently serve as leaders in public health.

Keywords: Public Health Education, Urban Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been Director of Early Outreach Program for the Urban Health Program and I have evaluated and created programming for public health leadership programs. I am also a trained public health professional, educator and researcher.
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: 4099.0: Workforce Development: Preparing the Next Generations of Minority Public Health Leaders*