ECU dental students named NC Schweitzer Fellows
The North Carolina Albert Schweitzer Fellowship has announced the selection of its 2020-21 class of Schweitzer Fellows, including four students from the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine.
Victoria Long
Rachel Cantrell, Ashley Huff, Josh Stewart and Victoria Long join a class of 25 NC Schweitzer Fellows who will develop and implement service projects that address the root causes of health disparities in under-resourced communities, while also fulfilling their academic responsibilities. Each project is implemented in collaboration with a community-based health and/or social service organization.
The NC Schweitzer Fellows will lead a variety of service initiatives including care for the homeless, low income new moms, those who are food insecure, cancer patients, people struggling with chronic health conditions and more. The students work under the guidance of faculty mentors.
Rachel Cantrell
“The School of Dental Medicine’s unique model addresses the state’s oral health care needs from every angle—preparing students who are advocates for patients, special populations and communities,” said Dr. Greg Chadwick, dean of the ECU School of Dental Medicine. “The Schweitzer Fellows program opens doors to student experiences that promote our social mission and provide healthier lives for North Carolinians.”
Cantrell and Huff are J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellows and will work together on a project educating women about the systems of autoimmune diseases to streamline diagnosis and treatment. They will complete their fellowship requirements in campus clinics and in some of those in the school’s community service learning centers located across the state. They will complete their project under the guidance of faculty mentors Dr. Ramiro Murata and Dr. Iquebal Hasan.
Stewart and Long will team up as J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellows working to accelerate the dental clearance process for cancer patients, so that they can begin treatment earlier. They will also lead student and provider education to improve the delivery of medical and dental care to these patients. They will complete project requirements at the ECU School of Dental Medicine, and the ECU Department of Radiation Oncology. They will complete their project under the guidance of faculty mentors Dr. Stevan H. Thompson and Dr. Iquebal Hasan.
Ashley Huff
Schweitzer Fellowships have an intensive leadership component so Fellows can inspire others to improve the health of those who experience barriers to care. Fellows work under the close guidance of community and academic mentors during their fellowship year. The class of 25 graduate students will spend the next year learning to effectively address the social factors that impact health and developing lifelong leadership skills, following the example set by famed physician-humanitarian Albert Schweitzer, for whom the fellowship is named.
“This is a passionate and dedicated group of students who are seeking to improve health care and access to care,” said Barbara Heffner, director of the NC Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. “During these extraordinary times of the pandemic, it is essential that we focus on giving the Fellows the skills and ingenuity needed to meet the changing landscape of health needs of vulnerable communities. I am impressed with the way they are working with their academic and community site mentors adapting their projects in light of current social distancing guidelines.”
Josh Stewart
The NC Fellows will join approximately 250 other 2020-21 Schweitzer Fellows working at program sites across the country: Alabama, Chicago, Columbus-Athens, Oh.; Dallas-Fort Worth; Detroit; Houston; Los Angeles; New Orleans; New Hampshire/Vermont; Pittsburgh; San Francisco and Tulsa. Upon completion of their Fellowship year, the Fellows will become Schweitzer Fellows for Life and join a vibrant network of more than 3,600 Schweitzer alumni who are skilled in, and committed to, addressing the health needs of underserved people throughout their careers.
The NC Schweitzer Fellowship is funded through the generosity of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, Duke University School of Medicine, ECU Brody School of Medicine, North Carolina Central University School of Graduate Studies, Pitt County Memorial Hospital University Health Systems of Eastern NC, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences and individual donors.