Projects to Advance Integrative Health Equity throughout the Osher Center

Crowd-sourcing innovative ideas to nurture health and inspire well-being through cross-program collaboration to address health inequities.

Black Heath Initiative (BHI) Healthy Streets Outreach & Equity Project

Submitted by Aaron Mills on November 6, 2024 - 8:35pm Last revised by Marliese Warren on November 26, 2024 - 9:26am.
Project Idea Status: 
Withdrawn

Key Participants:
Malcom John, MD, MPH, BHI- Principle
Aaron Mills, DACM, LAC- OCIH
Brittney Doyle, MPH – BHI Program Manager
Johnathan Butler, PhD, BHI Partner
UCSF Med Students, Community Partners


About:
The Black Health Initiative exists to help UCSF be a better partner with the Black
Community. We center community voices to partner in reducing health disparities and
uplift Black health, wellness, and prosperity. We facilitate:
 Restorative Engagements with the Black community
 Build on more non-transactional partnerships
 Amplifying/Partnering with community folks already doing great work
 Centering Black voices not traditionally heard at UCSF – impact work of UCSF
    through paid consultations and more
 Provide Workforce development opportunity – develop community consulting skills
    to health institutions like UCSF; link to workforce opportunities and development at
    UCSF that could benefit the Black community
 Building pipeline of future Black healthcare workers, providers, and researchers

Project Description:
Black Heath Initiative (BHI) Healthy Streets Outreach & Equity Project will provide support
to the UCSF Black Health Initiative, specifically the Healthy Street Model of community
engagement. Particularly in relationship to Integrative Medicine exposure and education
to the services and specialties offered through the OCIH. Black Health Initiative’s Healthy
Street (BHI-HS) is a community engagement model designed to increase UCSF’s impact
within under-served Black/African American communities. The model is delivered through
a community engagement pop-up that redefines what a street/community-based care
experience can look like.

Budget: $20,000.00

Comments

Ariana Jostad-Laswell - November 7, 2024 - 12:38pm

What an exciting project. Can you share more about the Healthy Street model? Are you imagining offering pop-up integrative care, or something different?

Aaron Mills - November 8, 2024 - 8:57am

Hello Ariana,

Healthy Street: A Community Engagement Model

 
 

Black Health Initiative’s Healthy Street (BHI-HS) is a community engagement model designed to increase UCSF’s impact within under-served Black/African American communities. The model is delivered through a community engagement pop-up that redefines what a street/community-based care experience can look like. The Healthy Street is designed to increase access to: 

  • Free non-COVID related health services including medical and behavioral services
  • Healthy foods including organic produce giveaway, education, ways to address food insecurity
  • Cultural healing experiences 
  • Free physical activity and tips to do easily in daily life
  • Technology and Health Q+A and information
  • Community partnerships 
  • Referrals to care as needed and desired
  • Access to UCSF resources and programs 
  • COVID-19 education, resources, and services 

Healthy Street Pillars:

  1. Heart Health – screenings and health information related to heart disease and related conditions including hypertension, diabetes, and more
  2. Spiritual Wellness – behavioral and spiritual health – the mind, body, & spirit connection
  3. Healthy Eating – healthy eating including in culturally tailored manner e.g. ingredient swaps, food as medicine, ways to address food insecurity, and more
  4. COVID-19 Health – prevention, testing, vaccination efforts and more of the latest information
  5. Lifestyle Health – sexual health, physical health, technology & health, workforce opportunities, and more

Where, When, Why

Healthy Street focuses on Black/African American communities in San Francisco that often go unserved. Communities include Western Addition, Potrero Hill, Oceanview Merced Ingleside (OMI) and Sunnydale. The engagement model is designed to: 

  • Build a bridge of trust between the medical community and African American communities 
  • Provide culturally relevant health services 
  • Advance the conversation on how we can prepare for post-COVID realities 
  • Promote UCSF research opportunities that could benefit from community advice/input
  • Share UCSF clinical, research, and workforce opportunities that could benefit the community

Yes under this proppsal Integrative medicine would be OCIH's primary focus and expeosing underserved community members to modalties within OCIH onsite, as well as offering support and information on accessing our services in clinic. 

Yvette Coulter - November 7, 2024 - 4:01pm

I appreciate the focus on redefining the street/community-based care experience, as that could make a significant difference in how these services are perceived and utilized.

I'm curious: how will you measure impact on the communities it aims to serve? Additionally, what specific strategies will be implemented to ensure that community members are actively involved in shaping the services provided?

Aaron Mills - November 8, 2024 - 8:49am

Hello Yvette, 

Thank You and absolutley, there are partcipant evaluations and enganment in the process of development of the pop-ups. This is a partnership with is a UCSF and community agancy/members and is community centered.   

Kennedy Blevins - November 8, 2024 - 1:29pm

This is such a great idea!

I volunteered for a similiar program in Long Beach, the Black Health Equity Collaborative. You can see their website and initiative here. Please let me know if I can answer any questions that would be helpful as you formulate your plan.

Aaron Mills - November 9, 2024 - 11:54am

Kennedy,

Thank you! I appreciate that and the Black Health Equity Collaborative information you shared.  Have a great weekend and I look forward to connecting with you soon.  

Marliese Warren - November 14, 2024 - 1:35pm

Please provide details about the specific project that is designed to advance integrative health equity at the Osher Center.  It is not clear from the description of the Black Health Initiative provided what OCIH-focused IHE project these funds will support.

Please provide budget details to justify the requested funds.

Helen Ye - November 22, 2024 - 9:03am

I appreciate this collaboration. It would be a great opportunity to begin a potentially ongoing partnership with BHI to do more community work in a population that does not utilize integrative health services for many reasons. The benefits of integrative health services would be a plus. This project would help address what is IH, where to receive care/how to access care to a population in need -- these fundamental pieces are crucial in building trust with approachable, in-the-community building blocks. 

Aaron Mills - November 25, 2024 - 12:08pm

Helen,

Thank you for your feedback on this proposed project.  I appreciate your clear insights into the proposal and the needs/issues that are addressed through the partherships therin. 

Commenting is closed.