For the inaugural class of Health Engagement Fellows at the University of Dayton, the classroom was rarely confined to four walls. Instead, their education unfolded in the waiting rooms of community clinics, the hallways of preschools, and the neighborhoods of Montgomery County, where they spent three years confronting the structural gaps that separate a patient from the care they need.
From screening the vision of preschoolers to helping seniors navigate the complexities of food insecurity and supporting the early detection of sickle cell disease, these students didn’t just observe the healthcare system—they worked to bridge its fractures. Now, that first cohort is graduating, leaving behind a legacy of approximately 12,500 collective service hours and a blueprint for how universities can integrate clinical preparation with community advocacy.
The program, housed within the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community, is designed to move beyond the traditional “volunteer” model. By combining rigorous coursework and capstone projects with two years of paid internships, the fellowship treats community engagement as a professional discipline. The goal is to prepare the next generation of healthcare providers to recognize that a patient’s health is often determined long before they enter an exam room—shaped by their zip code, their access to transportation, and the availability of fresh produce.
Addressing the Social Determinants of Health in Dayton
The fellows focused their efforts on what public health experts call the “social determinants of health”—the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. In Montgomery County, these disparities are often starkly visible along racial and socioeconomic lines. One of the most pressing issues the fellows tackled was the crisis of infant mortality.
In Montgomery County, Black infants die at 2.5 times the rate of white infants, a disparity rooted in systemic inequities rather than biological differences. To combat this, fellows launched projects to raise awareness about the role of doulas—trained professionals who provide continuous physical, emotional, and educational support to mothers before, during, and shortly after childbirth. By advocating for doula care, the students aimed to improve maternal outcomes and provide a layer of advocacy for marginalized mothers navigating a complex medical system.
The scope of the fellows’ work extended across the lifespan of the community:
- Early Childhood: Conducting vision screenings for preschoolers to ensure developmental milestones were met.
- Youth Mental Health: Developing initiatives to address the rising mental health crisis among local adolescents.
- Adult Preventative Care: Executing a countywide breast cancer awareness and screening campaign.
- Geriatric Support: Facilitating access to fresh, nutritious food for seniors to combat chronic illnesses related to diet.
From Student Projects to Standard Care
While many university internships result in a final paper or a presentation, the Health Engagement Fellows produced tangible systemic changes. A primary example of this impact is found at Five Rivers Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that serves as a critical safety net for the uninsured and underinsured in Dayton.
Fellows developed and conducted health risk screenings that were so effective and well-received by the resident population that the center adopted them as a standard part of their care protocol. This transition from a student-led project to a permanent clinical standard illustrates the program’s core objective: driving systemic change rather than providing temporary relief.
The program’s sustainability is bolstered by strategic philanthropy, including support from the Scarlet Feather Fund and healthcare professionals Mary Ann ’79 and Mike Abrams, ensuring that students are paid for their labor—a critical step in making such intensive community work accessible to students from all economic backgrounds.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Community Hours | ~12,500 hours |
| Key Partners | Dayton Children’s Hospital, Daybreak, Sunlight Village, Miami Valley Child Development Centers |
| Core Focus | Food access, transportation, infant mortality, and care gaps |
| Primary Outcome | Risk screenings adopted as standard at Five Rivers Health Centers |
A Shift in Clinical Perspective
For the students, the experience served as a corrective to the often sterile environment of medical academia. Alexia Benton, a graduating senior, noted that the fellowship fundamentally altered her understanding of the provider-patient relationship.
“It shaped how I see health care, not just as treatment, but as trust, advocacy and connection,” Benton said. “It has given me the tools to grow not only as a future professional, but as a person.”
This sentiment is echoed by the program’s leadership. Moses Mbeseha, the program director, argues that the longitudinal nature of the fellowship—spending years rather than weeks in the community—creates a permanent shift in a student’s psyche. According to Mbeseha, this “real work with real partners” ensures that when these graduates enter graduate school or clinical practice, they carry a systemic lens with them, treating patients as whole people existing within a flawed environment rather than just a set of symptoms.
The inaugural class is now dispersing into a variety of advanced professional tracks, including doctoral programs, public health degrees, and physician assistant programs, while others are entering clinics or preparing for medical school applications. They leave behind a functioning pipeline, with three additional groups of fellows already continuing the work in the community.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For health concerns or screenings, please consult a licensed healthcare provider or visit a certified community health center.
The University of Dayton will continue to monitor the long-term health outcomes associated with the fellows’ initiatives in Montgomery County, with the next cohort of project evaluations expected as the current academic cycle concludes.
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