PROFESSOR MEDHA MAKHLOUF CO-HOSTS “HEALTH EQUITY IMMERSION” WITH PENN STATE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
April 2023 — On the morning of Saturday, April 15, 2023, an interdisciplinary group of Penn State students, faculty, and medical residents met at The Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg to engage in a day of experiential learning focused on the theme “Making the Invisible Visible.” This second iteration of the Health Equity Immersion, first piloted in October 2022, was a component of the curriculum for students enrolled in Penn State Dickinson Law’s Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic, directed by Professor Medha Makhlouf.
This semester’s Health Equity Immersion engaged learners in activities and experiences that would make visible some of the systems and structures that generate disadvantages and health disparities for certain groups of people. The faculty also sought to reveal to learners how legal and policy choices influence outcomes related to the health and well-being of a population. Throughout the day, learners visited community service agencies that promote health equity and sites that help to tell the story of “race and place” in Harrisburg.
At the first stop, Yvonne E. Hollins, the former Executive Director and current Board Secretary of The Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg described the organization’s role in providing a safe and supportive environment outside of school for the capitol city’s children. She described the challenges that many of these children face, including food insecurity, community and interpersonal violence, unmet needs for academic support and enrichment, and inadequate extracurricular programming. Arnold Taylor, Director of Programs, provided a tour of the facility, explaining how the organization targets its programming to address these needs. Afterwards, the group drew on this experience to discuss the role that poverty can play in building invisible barriers to advancement, adding invisible burdens to ordinary tasks, and creating invisible resource gaps.
The group then boarded a bus to travel together to the “Gathering at the Crossroads” monument, which commemorates the contributions of prominent residents of the Old Eighth Ward, a predominantly African American and immigrant neighborhood that was demolished in the 1910s in order to construct the Capitol Complex. Learners spent some time observing the monument, which was dedicated in 2020, and describing their observations. Faculty then described the history and purpose of the monument, which is not only to commemorate the thriving community that was displaced, but also to celebrate the passing of the 15th Amendment, which extended the right to vote to African American men, and the 19th Amendment, which later extended that right to women. Learners discussed the connections between voting rights and health equity.
Next, the group walked to the corner of Forster St. and James St. to view a mural entitled “Raffia: An Interweaving of Past, Present and Future,” by Harrisburg artist Bryan Hickman. Once again, the group applied visual thinking strategies to observe and interpret the artwork before learning from faculty about its history and purpose. The mural is intended to celebrate Black community and culture in Harrisburg. Several learners correctly interpreted the artist’s intention to signal the strength, determination, and pride of the Black community. The group then discussed the role of public art in “making the invisible visible.”
The final stop of the day was Hamilton Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center in the Alison Hill neighborhood of Harrisburg. Its mission is to provide high-quality health care to all, including the uninsured and underinsured. The learners were greeted by Jeanine Peterson, the recently retired CEO of Hamilton Health Center, and Terese DeLaPlaine, the current CEO. They provided a tour of the facility that highlighted the range of services offered. Over lunch, the learners had the pleasure of meeting Latoya Hunter, the woman depicted in the “Raffia” mural. Ms. Hunter, an educator and boutique owner, described her experience serving as the muse for the mural and also shared what it meant to her personally to be able to contribute to celebrating Black culture in Harrisburg.
In addition to Professor Makhlouf, other members of the Health Equity Immersion Leadership Team include Dr. N. Benjamin Fredrick, Dr. Bernadette Gilbert, Dr. Leesha Helm, Dr. Jonathan J. Nunez, all of Penn State College of Medicine; and Sharon Adams, RN, Executive Director of Southcentral Pennsylvania Area Health Education Centers (AHEC).
Professor Medha D. Makhlouf is the Elsie de R. and Samuel P. Orlando Distinguished Professor, an Associate Professor, and the Founding Director of the Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic at Penn State Dickinson Law. She has a joint appointment in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Penn State College of Medicine. Professor Makhlouf’s research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of health law, immigrants’ rights, and poverty law and policy. Her recent scholarship has been published in the New York University Law Review, the California Law Review Online, and the Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law & Ethics. Professor Makhlouf’s work is available online.