Clinton School student Dimas Espinola is working with Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) to explore minority health disparities among Arkansas children.
For his final project in the school’s Master of Public Service (MPS) degree program, Espinola is helping Dr. Eduardo Ochoa of ACH complete the third edition of the Natural Wonders report, an annual report on the state of children’s health in Arkansas.
The researchers are working to engage minority youth, parents and communities to gather their concerns and utilize their experiences to make recommendations for improving minority health in the state.
To achieve this goal, Espinola is developing a facilitator guide for focus groups and survey materials for interviews to engage various minority communities throughout Arkansas.
In partnership with Dr. Ochoa, who will conduct the focus groups and interviews, Espinola hopes to shed light on the health care experiences of minority children in the state.
“My goal is to provide an avenue for minority children and families to voice their opinions and share their experiences with the current health care system,” Espinola said. “This type of community empowerment is the first step to reducing minority child health disparities in Arkansas and throughout the country.”
Following graduation, Espinola plans to attend medical school.
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