San Francisco Health Initiative: Creating Agents of Change to Build Capacity for Free Clinic Research

Maria Contreras; Joi Lee; Nonna Shakhnazaryan; Nana Shakhnazaryan; Nikee Salamanca; Kate Creasy; Delphine Tuot; Leticia Marquez-MagaÃ±a

Maria Contreras University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Joi Lee University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Nonna Shakhnazaryan Department of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Francisco
Nana Shakhnazaryan Cardiovascular Research Instituteâ€¨, University of California, San Francisco
Nikee Salamanca San Francisco State University
Kate Creasy Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco
Delphine Tuot University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Leticia Marquez-MagaÃ±a San Francisco State University

Abstract

San Francisco Health Initiative (SFHI) is an undergraduate student organization founded in 2017 that works to address community issues in health by increasing awareness of high school students to relevant topics; it is expected that their increased awareness of local issues in health, coupled with improved access to higher education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), will build capacity of the free clinic workforce. SFHI has collaborated with local high schools in San Francisco to actualize this mission by conducting five workshops on the following topics: (1) environmental and racial health disparities, (2) racial disparities amongst people who suffer from chronic disease, (3) social pressure defined and assessed, (4) understanding the basis of disease as a preventative health measure, and (5) effects of adiposity in the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. SFHI aims to create an affirming and inclusive environment that spurs high schools to pursue a college degree in a STEM field and to consider a career serving in a free clinic.