Four Clinton School students partnered with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to identify the health needs of residents in Little Rock’s 12th Street Corridor and assess the ability of UAMS to meet those needs.
The students worked with the UAMS 12th Street Health and Wellness Center and the UAMS College of Pharmacy, which have targeted the 12th Street neighborhood because many of its residents don’t have regular access to health care.
“The UAMS mission is to make a difference in the delivery of health care to Arkansans, and the UAMS 12th Street Health and Wellness Center is one way to do that,” said UAMS Chancellor Dan Rahn.
To help determine the perceived health needs for residents of the neighborhood, the Clinton School team interviewed 13 community leaders and surveyed more than 200 local residents. The team also conducted 12 interviews with academic deans and and organized an interdisciplinary student focus group at UAMS.
They collected basic information on current community health services, barriers to health services and ways in which the UAMS 12th Street Health and Wellness Center can fill service gaps. The team then produced a report with recommendations that fit the community’s needs.
The report will analyze feedback from community and institutional stakeholders to ensure the services provided by the Health and Wellness Center are community-focused and supported.
“This project, along with the guidance of our Community Advisory Board, will provide a roadmap for the Center to begin the process of adding new services,” said Dr. Lanita White, director of the center. “ This unique set of data will allow us to directly address some of the health needs in this community.”
Excitement for the project is also present from community members.
“This project is instrumental in helping community residents identify the connection between poverty, unhealthy choices and chronic illness,” said Malik Saafir, who pastors a church in the neighborhood. “The data collected from this survey gives each resident the ability to contribute to the creation of comprehensive health and wellness programs in the 12th Street Corridor. I look forward to our continued partnership.”
The Clinton School team consists of Danae Halstead of St. Catherine, Jamaica, Alex Handfinger of Holland, Pa., Angela Jimenez-Leon of Bogota, Colombia, and Roger Norman of Benton, Ark.
The team will present the results of their study at a public presentation in UAMS College of Public Health Room G225 on Friday, May 3rd at 12:00 noon.
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