Quinnipiac University Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine

Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine Bobcat Community Health Alliance

The Bobcat Community Health Alliance (BCHA) is a student-led initiative devoted to enhancing healthcare accessibility for underserved communities in the Greater New Haven Area. BCHA has three main pillars of outreach: the Bobcat Street Health Outreach, Bobcat Kids and Beacon Communities Health Outreach.

Bobcat Street Health Outreach

a male medical student speaks to a patient

The Bobcat Street Health Outreach (BSHO) program provides essential healthcare services and education to underserved patients in the Greater New Haven Area. In collaboration with the Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center (CSHHC) Street Health team, students provide low-barrier street outreach health screenings (such as vitals, lipid panels, and blood sugar/HbA1C), health and hygiene supplies, and access to sick visits with experienced CSHHC providers at no cost. All patients of the BSHO program are offered hygiene kits and health promotion supplies, with a special focus on patients who may be living outside. Services are coordinated with the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen food distribution outreach, to prioritize patients’ time and access to high quality nutritional assistance. Beyond direct medical services, students are able to connect individuals to community resources, including local shelters, warming centers, health education resources, social services and other food distribution sites. Our goal is to foster an environment that is empathetic and adaptable, catering to the diverse needs of our patients.

Location: 311 Temple Street, New Haven, CT

Time: 4-6 p.m. every other Wednesday

Beacon Communities Health Outreach

2 female medical students performing health assessments while running a street health clinic

Beacon Communities is a student-led health outreach program at a local affordable housing institute. Medical students and supervising providers work hands-on with residents, reviewing their medications and reviewing care plans with residents to generate questions that foster proactive and productive discussions with their personal providers during future medical appointments. Students also provide residents with targeted health education, enhancing their ability to confidently navigate the healthcare system and make informed decisions about their well-being.

Beacon Communities student leaders also host interactive activity sessions such as chair yoga to promote healthy diet and exercise habits. Students prioritize meaningful care coordination tailored to an individual’s needs, with the goal of fostering a deeper understanding of an individual’s health conditions and building clinician-patient relationships.

Bobcat Kids

Bobcat Kids is student-led initiative that aims to empower children with nutritional knowledge and encourage healthy behaviors through weekly classes at St. Martin de Porres Academy in New Haven, CT. During interactive sessions, students participate in discussions about nutrition and then work together to prepare a recipe based on lifestyle medicine practices. The children enjoy the meal together while building community and reinforcing the importance of healthy, whole foods.

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