Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP

The Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP) is the platform for HWCOM’s community-engaged mission emphasizing social accountability and interprofessional household-centered care.

Through this novel program, medical students are immersed in the community as members of interprofessional teams, which include nursing, social work, and physician assistant students, with education and law students available per each household’s identified needs. During household visits —which continue over three years— students take comprehensive patient and household histories, develop care plans to improve the health and quality of life of household members.

Household-Centered Care

Addressing the critical need for enhanced primary and preventive care services in NeighborhoodHELP communities, and to overcome access barriers and to connect people to the health system, health care services are provided through mobile health centers at community sites; as needed, patients are referred to other community providers.

NeighborhoodHELP has incorporated four mobile health centers that provide a broad range of integrated primary, preventive, behavioral health services, and chronic disease management for household members. The Linda Fenner 3D Mobile Mammography Center provides breast health screenings for underserved women throughout Miami-Dade County.

ASPIRE Award

The Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) has twice recognized the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine’s (HWCOM) unique approach to medical education, which focuses on social accountability and the social determinants of health.

In 2019, HWCOM became the first recipient of AMEE’s ASPIRE-to-Excellence Award for Inspirational Approaches to Health Professions Education. In 2016, HWCOM received the ASPIRE-to-Excellence Award in Social Accountability.

From September 2010 through June 2021

  • 2,840

    FIU students

  • 14,007

    Household visits

  • 3,407

    Members served

Key facts and figures

  • 645In response to the COVID-19 pandemic of these visits, 645 patients received health services during 4,686 telemedicine consultations.
  • 5,965 Patients received health services through the NeighborhoodHELP Mobile Health Center Program during 30,653 visits.
  • 5,032 Screening mammograms were provided through the Linda Fenner 3D Mobile Mammography Center.