Philanthropic interest in NeighborhoodHELP is helping transform community health care.
More than a decade ago, a vision for health equity in South Florida laid the foundation for a groundbreaking initiative reshaping the health care delivery landscape.
The Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP) - brought to fruition through the vision and generosity of the Green Family Foundation, and spearheaded by the innovative, community-driven approach of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine - today stands as a beacon of innovation, embodying a commitment to social accountability and interprofessional household-centered care being adopted by other medical schools.
Recognizing the value of NeighborhoodHELP and the impact of the Green family’s founding gift, nearly a dozen organizations, including the Batchelor Foundation, Baptist Health of South Florida and the State of Florida, have invested in the program, furthering its success.
Since its inception, NeighborhoodHELP has expanded to more than two dozen zip codes, adding services and mobile health centers. The program is not only the subject of several studies but also provides a rich environment to conduct research that can inform population health in the future. A new mobile app under development will soon assess a patient’s needs and offer a resource guide to the community.
In 2020, the program won the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Award for Excellence in Social Mission in Health Professions Education Program. And the Association for Medical Education in Europe’s ASPIRE award has twice recognized the College of Medicine’s unique approach to medical education, which focuses on social accountability, interprofessional teamwork and the social determinants of health.
“The Green Family Foundation’s initial investment in the NeighborhoodHELP program has seen exponential growth and success over the course of the last 14 years,” says Kimberly Green, president of the Green Family Foundation. “Seeing its outreach and expansion into the greater Miami community has indeed exceeded all expectations, while we continue to watch it grow with enthusiasm. The extraordinary team at NeighborhoodHELP has ensured its current success, and we could not be more proud of our commitment to their efforts.”
"The Green Family Foundation’s initial investment in the NeighborhoodHELP program has seen exponential growth and success over the last 14 years. Seeing its outreach and expansion into the greater Miami community has indeed exceeded all expectations...”
- Kimberly Green
President, Green Family Foundation
Clinic without walls
At the heart of NeighborhoodHELP lies a fundamental yet powerful principle: to immerse medical students in the fabric of the community, enabling them to understand and address the holistic health needs of individuals and families. In short, to decrease the distance between health professionals and those they serve who may have different socio-economic backgrounds and/or speak other languages.
“Students have a lot of enthusiasm. They want to do good, provide service. But in the traditional medical school, rotating through hospital wards and clinics, they don’t have continuity of care,” says Dr. David Brown, professor and chief of family and community medicine. “At FIU, our students are assigned to households with needs, and they stick with them.”
The program’s cornerstone is its three-year-long household visits, during which students delve deep into comprehensive patient and household histories. These encounters are not merely about diagnosing ailments; they are about understanding the social determinants of health that underpin each individual’s well-being. Armed with this knowledge, students craft personalized care plans to improve household members’ health and quality of life.
Brown says FIU Medicine graduates understand context better than most. For example, if a patient is not following recommendations, it may be for cultural or economic reasons. Another approach could be more beneficial.
“[Prospective students] are attracted to FIU because they want to have this experience. Therefore, it’s no surprise that FIU is one of the most diverse medical schools in the country.”
Recognizing the critical need for accessible primary and preventive care services, NeighborhoodHELP operates mobile health centers at community sites. These centers serve as hubs of health care delivery, breaking down barriers to access and providing a continuum of services, from routine check-ups to chronic disease management. The program also facilitates referrals to other community providers, ensuring patients receive comprehensive care tailored to their needs.
“It’s the best thing that has ever happened to me,” says patient Sarah Gonzalez, who is known to stop by the mobile health center once or twice a week just to say hello.
In 2009, Gonzalez, then in her early 40s, was in severe need of psychiatric attention. She suffers from schizophrenia and paranoia – and wasn’t receiving the care she needed. Since NeighborhoodHelp rolled into town, she has received constant care. Her doctor checks her medications once a month and refers her to additional service providers if necessary.
Student Impact
From September 2010 through June 2021
- 2,840
FIU Students
- 14,007
Household visits
- 3,407
Members served
Learning and Growing
Recently, the Florida Blue Foundation, on behalf of BlueCross BlueShield, awarded the College of Medicine a grant to explore ways students can learn from and further expand NieghborhoodHELP’s efforts. The project will examine barriers and suggest interventions to improve health care access in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood, a community of predominantly Dominican and Central American residents.
The resulting research can inform future interventions by collecting data, filling in gaps, and determining the best practices learned from the Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP program. The program is expected to serve approximately 1,000 participants from 385 Allapattah households.
“At Florida Blue, we are committed to improving health equity and positively impacting communities. We are proud to partner with FIU in their efforts to address health care disparities and improve the lives of residents in the 33142 zip code,” said David Wagner, market president of Florida Blue for South Florida.
As NeighborhoodHELP continues to evolve and expand its reach, its legacy of community-centered care remains unwavering. By bridging the gap between health care and community, this pioneering initiative is, not just transforming lives, but redefining the essence of health care delivery.
Medical education in the United States has traditionally focused more on identifying and treating disease and less on populationoriented approaches. NeighborhoodHELP is changing that one household visit at a time – and succeeding at educating better doctors and improving health care for all.