Mick Huppert Community Health Scholar Awards

The annual Mick Huppert Community Health Award is intended to support first year medical students who have demonstrated a commitment to community engaged service and scholarship as well as a career as a family medicine physician. With mentoring from a Family Medicine physician faculty member, the student will be expected to:

• begin work on a distinct portion of a new or existing community health initiative during MS I and complete by January of MS II
• work with a Family Medicine physician faculty member to advance the initiative’s goals,
• develop and submit an update at the initiative’s midpoint as well as a brief final report as it concludes,
• make a presentation at one of the FMCH’s monthly research in progress meetings as the work concludes, and
• submit an abstract to a professional meeting for presentation of the work while a medical student.

This competitive award will fund up to three initiatives at $1,650.00 each.

Distribution of the funds will be according to the following guidelines:

• $500 for the student(s) (this is taxable income)
• $500 for the FMCH physician faculty mentor (this is taxable income)
• $150 for supplies and other misc. expenses (mailing, copies, etc.) FMCH can help purchase the supplies or reimburse the student. Gift cards are not an allowable expense.
• $500 for future conference travel and registration for the student to disseminate the project in collaboration with the mentor (FMCH will assist with travel coordination and reimbursement)

If two students collaborate on a project, one faculty mentor can support two students.  Applications should explain the project and how the funds will be used for supplies and if any conference attendance is planned.    

Completed applications are due in early April. Applications should be submitted online to the link provided, with attachments sent to Heather-Lyn.Haley@umassmed.edu .  Awardees will be announced by the end of April. Funding will be provided by the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.

The following application criteria must be met:

• The student is an MS I and has shown an interest in Family Medicine and/or Community Health through joining the Family Medicine Interest Group, MassAHEC Urban or Rural Health Scholars, or the Primary Care Principles Optional Enrichment Elective.
• The student demonstrates prior commitment to community engagement, public health or community health and outlines future career plans.
• The proposed initiative addresses a public health, community health or population health issue.
• The project is longitudinal and can be completed by mid-year of the student’s MS II 
• year.
• The student has identified and received a commitment from a Family Medicine physician faculty member to serve as mentor.

About Mick Huppert: These awards honor the work of Mick Huppert, MPH, an FMCH faculty member and AHEC leader who passed away in 2017. Mick left a legacy of community health improvement initiatives and public health spirit in our department, our communities and our state, as well as in our hearts.  Mick had an unwavering passion for addressing community health needs and for passing this passion along to students and colleagues.

2024 Huppert Awardees

Victoria Pajak, AHEC Rural/Urban Health Scholar, with faculty Dr. Hugh Silk. Evaluating Oral Health Care Access Among Patients at the Worcester Free Care Collaborative Medical Program 

 Xiao Tong, AHEC Rural/Urban Health Scholar, with faculty Dr. Zachary Bay at Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center. Improving women's preventive care among patients with substance use disorders

Vivien Tran, AHEC Rural/Urban Health Scholar, with faculty Dr. Jennifer Bradford.  Substance Use Disorder Curriculum Development for Adolescents in the Worcester Motivating Youth Recovery (MYR) Program 

2023 Huppert Awardees  

 
Elizabeth Irvin, Class of 2026/PURCH, with faculty mentor: Lucy Candib, MD. Brain Injury and Intimate Partner Violence in U.S. Asylum Seekers: Assessing Barriers to Brain Injury Evaluation
 

Minhtam Tran, Class of 2026/PURCH, with faculty mentor Heather-Lyn Haley, PhD . Encouraging Civic Engagement in Southeast Asian Youth.
 

William Lemnios, Class of 2026, Erik G Bratland, Class of 2026/PURCH with faculty mentor:  Olga Valdman, MD. Partnerships with Community Organizations to further the work with the Worcester Refugee and Immigrant Communities  

2021 Recipients & Projects

Julia MacDougall (T.H. Chan School of Medicine) and Emily Chin (T.H. Chan School of Medicine)
Mentor: Sara Shields, MD, MS
Worcester Safe Baby Project

Sabahat Rahman (T.H. Chan School of Medicine)
Mentor: Payal Modi, MD, MPH
Assessment of Social Determinants of Health and Linkage to Care Within the UMass Chan Medical School Emergency Department

Michael Urbanowski, PhD (T.H. Chan School of Medicine)
Mentor: Daria L. Szkwarko, DO, MPH
A retrospective program evaluation of latent tuberculosis infection screening and treatment in an urban Massachusetts federally qualified health center

Heidi Boland (Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing) and Grace Winship (Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing)
Mentor: Andy Lowe
Implementation of Outer Cape Health Services’ Sano Health Smartphone Pilot Project

Samantha Creamer (Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing) and Annie Thornton (T.H. Chan School of Medicine)
Mentors: Linda Cragin, MS and Janet Hale, RN, PhD
Operation Conversation: Bridging the Gap between the Veteran Community and Future Health Care Providers at the VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic

2020 Recipients & Projects

Haley Schachter (T.H. Chan School of Medicine) & Aisling Ryan (Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing)
Mentor: Andy Lowe
Outer Cape Health Services Community Navigator Program:
A Positive Health Force on the Outer Cape 

Filia VanDessel (T.H. Chan School of Medicine) & Cathleen Cuddihy (Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing)
Mentor: James Ledwith
Improving Access to Recreation and Physical Activity  Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities on Martha’s Vineyard

Anushay Mistry
Mentor: Heather-Lyn Haley
Promoting Wellness to Boost Resilience in WRAP Youth

Christine Callahan (T.H. Chan School of Medicine) & Iha Kaul (T.H. Chan School of Medicine)
Mentor: Elizabeth Eagleson
Empowering Healthy Eating through Community Based    Education

2019 Recipients & Projects

Divya Bhatia
Mentors:  Lucy Candib and Satu Salonen
UMass Chan Medical School Student-Run
Asylum Clinic

Vanessa Villamarin & Emily Nuss
Mentor:  Sara Shields
Baby Box Project