Student Education and Advocacy
From SITC
Student Education and Advocacy organizes opportunities for UW students to learn more about health care for the underserved, and to lobby at all levels of government. Seminars on topics related to underserved care are offered quarterly, a course is taught winter quarter, and Advocates for the Underserved organize advocacy efforts.
If you have questions about student education and advocacy activities, please contact Annie Lakey.
Advocates for the Underserved
Advocates for the Underserved (AFTU) is organized by Teresa Leeand James Kuo.
AFTU will kick off the 2009-2010 school year with a presentation with Dr. Erika Bliss, talking about her experiences changing policy in Olympia. The event is scheduled for October 21, 2009.
Teresa and Jim update AFTU members at the group blog: http://uwaftu.blogspot.com/. Although learning the skills to serve as advocates for the underserved is a critical part of health professional education, the specific political views of AFTU members do not represent University of Washington.
UCONJ 450 Health Care in the Urban Underserved Community
This year, the Health Care in the Underserved Community course will be organized by Sara Forrester, Heather Surerus-Lopez, and Elijah Anthony Burbank. The course is designed to give graduate and professional students in health sciences an introduction to the issues faced by underserved populations related to health and obtaining health care.
Winter Quarter elective course 1 credit with credit/no-credit grading
Open to students in the following schools: Medicine, MEDEX, Nursing, Public Health, Pharmacy, Social Work, and Information Technology
Course topics include:
- Introduction to underserved populations and the health issues they face
- Resources for homeless communities
- Health issues in refugee and immigrant communities
- Homelessness and women
- Children in underserved communities
- Advocating for the underserved and Health care policy
- Understanding Medicare and Medicaid
- Mental health issues and substance abuse in underserved communities
- Sexually transmitted infections/diseases in underserved populations
- Care of sexual minorities
- An interprofessional panel of providers who serve the underserved
Course requirements include:
- attendance and participation in class sessions
- participation in volunteer opportunities such as the SITC-Aloha Health Outreach Center
Course Faculty Advisor: Doug Paauw, MD
Quarterly Seminars
The Autumn Quarter Seminar will be SITC orientation, date TBD.
If there are topics you'd like to learn about, or skills you'd like to learn and practice, relating to underserved care, please contact Annie Lakey with ideas for Winter and Spring Seminars.
Also, contact Annie Lakey if you'd like to help implement someone else's idea - simple tasks such as reserving rooms, ordering food, making & posting fliers, etc. can make a world of difference in putting on high-quality seminars for you and your peers.