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Public Announcement Concerning a Proposed Health Care Project

Baystate Health intends to file a Notice of Determination of Need Application with the Mass. Dept. of Public Health with respect to a Proposed Project involving Trinity Health Of New England’s Mercy Medical Center.

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Baystate Community Faculty

A patient is both an individual and a part of a community.

In PURCH, you will collaborate with our Baystate Community Faculty, who live, learn, work, pray, play, and age in the communities served by Baystate Health. These non-physician faculty bring the experience of community residents to all corners of undergraduate medical education.

“Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Who are They?

The Baystate Community Faculty are multifaceted champions of advancing equity and opportunity for improved social outcomes, working to decrease health, social, and economic disparities among under-resourced individuals through their lived experiences and extensive, proven leadership in their respective fields.

They bring pieces of the fabric of their lives to weave into the fabric of PURCH Undergraduate Medical Education, ensuring that community perspectives, experiences, and knowledge help shape our students' learning journey.

What Ways Do They Contribute to Student Education?

Through small-group discussions, immersive community engagement, community tours, Pathway Ventures, and the Population and Community Health Clerkship, Baystate Community Faculty help students connect classroom learning to the realities of community health. By sharing their perspectives, experiences, advocacy efforts, and professional expertise, they deepen students' understanding of the social determinants of health, health equity, and the structural factors that impact health outcomes and healthcare delivery. In doing so, they help foster the knowledge, skills, and sense of responsibility needed to serve as effective healthcare professionals and advocates.

One of the most central aspects of PURCH is the importance of engaging with the communities we work in. It adds so much more depth to our education to be able to learn from you.
Juliana Dixon, PURCH graduate

What Does it Mean to Have Community Faculty at UMass Chan Medical School-Baystate?

Through varied perspectives and practical knowledge, members of the Baystate Community Faculty enrich students’ learning environment. They help PURCH students see the communities in which they learn through the lens of those they are working with and serving—perspectives they might not otherwise encounter—supporting their development as socially accountable healthcare professionals.

“The power of community to create health is far greater than any physician, clinic, or hospital.” Mark Hyman

Making an Impression on Medical Students

Over time, engagement with Baystate Community Faculty shapes how PURCH students think about their role as future physicians—not only in delivering care, but in understanding their responsibility within the broader systems that influence health. These experiences contribute to the development of a more reflective, equity-minded professional identity.

PURCH students unanimously say they appreciate the value the Baystate Community Faculty bring to their education.

PURCH Community Faculty

Community Faculty Members

This diverse group of non-clinical community members have undergone professional development training to prepare them to participate in medical education.

  • Brenda Evans, MPH, University of Massachusetts Amherst, School of Public Health & Health Sciences
  • Charlie Holmes, Born Free Outreach Services
  • Ysabel Garcia MPH, Estoy Aquí, LLC
  • Jenise Katalina, LICSW, Women of Color Health Equity Collective
  • Areliz Barbosa, BS, CCHW, Bay Path University
  • Abdullah Abdul-Rahim, Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA)
  • Councilwoman Zaida Govan, LICSW, Listening With Love, Indian Orchard Citizens Council
  • Khali Maddox-Abdegeo, Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA) & CORI Community Action Task Force
  • Beth Edleburg-Cardillo, M.Ed., LSW, CDP, Baystate Health Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program
  • Liz O'Gilvie, Springfield Food Policy Council
  • Brother Al Hubert, Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA)

Making an Impact on Medical Education

Baystate Community Faculty come together regularly with PURCH educators to collaborate on educational initiatives and opportunities for our students.

Applicant Interviews

Baystate Community Faculty members are involved in evaluating PURCH Track applicants by participating as raters in the Mini Multiple Interview (MMI) process.

Poverty Simulations

In this interactive educational experience, medical students role-play being a member of a family living at or below the poverty line. They decide how to pay for housing and food, get to work, keep their kids in school, and deal with unexpected challenges with limited resources. Baystate Community Faculty portray community resource workers, and facilitate discussion about the needs of the community and the social determinants that impact healthcare.

Standardized Patients

Some Baystate Community Faculty members are trained to act as patients with specific medical conditions, and allow students to interview or examine them in a simulated office visit. They provide constructive feedback to medical students and evaluate their medical interviewing skills and physical examination techniques.

 

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