Community Engagement

Health equity improves when the health sciences workforce reflects the diversity of the community and health care systems invest in marginalized communities. The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at UVM, along with the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and the College of Education and Social Services, has recently been granted a substantial award by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—an R25 Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA)—to sponsor a new mentorship and science enrichment cohort program, New American Youth on the Rise (NAYR), aimed at guiding girls from immigrant backgrounds into college careers in health sciences.

(JULY 31, 2024) Anne Dougherty, M.D.’09, M.A., director of gender equity at the Larner College of Medicine, and Rachel Wetchi, M.P.H., spoke with WVNY-TV about UVM’s New American Youth on the Rise (NAYR) program.

(JULY 23, 2024) The Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont was ranked number 4 in U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of the top 10 most diverse medical and osteopathic schools, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. The annual medical school rankings and ratings were released July 23, 2024.

(JULY 17, 2024) Medical students from UVM’s Larner College of Medicine are assisting with presenting a program that introduces young people to careers in health care fields, the Rutland Herald reports.

Larner’s Student National Medical Association partnered with the Richard Kemp Center in Burlington recently to host “Ubuntu: Nurturing Community Wellness.” The evening of health-focused activities and celebration, including workshops on mental health, personal development, and more, truly exemplified Ubuntu—an ancient African word expressing the interconnectedness between people.

This spring, thanks to a collaboration between the UVM Larner College of Medicine and UVM Extension 4-H, Health Heroes Community Workshops for Youth offered three hands-on learning sessions to more than 25 local eighth- to 12th-graders interested in health and health care. The partnership extends the reach of Larner to five local counties, advancing steps toward a healthier Vermont.

(JUNE 25, 2024) Christopher Hebert, M.D.’02, clinical instructor of medicine, ran the entire length of the 93-mile Lamoille Valley Rail Trail in honor of late wife, Lisa, who died this past February after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer, WCAX-TV reported.

(JUNE 18, 2024) With this week’s—and this summer’s—hot weather, David Rand, D.O., assistant professor of medicine, shares tips for cooling off without AC.

(JUNE 17, 2024) Ben Smith, M.D., clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine and medical director of the Central Vermont Medical Center Emergency Department, commented to WCAX-TV about new security procedures at the Berlin hospital.

(May 31, 2024) Stephen Leffler, M.D., president and COO of the UVM Medical Center, Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine, M.D., and other top state health leaders joined U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders for a roundtable discussion on why health care is becoming increasingly unaffordable, VTDigger reports.