Faculty members from the University of Houston College of Education helped promote better health care for underserved communities on Wednesday, carrying out the college’s mission to end such inequities.
Gathered at a Third Ward community center, local residents had access to free health screenings as part of a kickoff event announcing a $2 million grant from United Health Foundation to the UH HEALTH Research Institute, led by the College of Education’s associate dean for research, Ezemenari Obasi. The grant will fuel efforts to prevent and treat obesity, type 2 diabetes and other health problems in Third Ward and East End.
“Our vision is to bring the right people and the right resources together to make change happen,” said Obasi, who leads the college’s Psychological, Health and Learning Sciences department.
The effort will include community health fairs that will allow residents who may lack health insurance or transportation to drive to a faraway doctor’s office to get free health screenings in their own neighborhood. Residents also will be connected to services or programs such as BOUNCE, the healthy lifestyle program run by College of Education Professor Norma Olvera.