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 is a group of multifaceted individuals who represent a part of the fabric of the Population-based Urban & Rural Community Health our PURCH Students will gain a skillset to serve. They are PURCH! - Champions of advancing social equity and opportunity for improved social outcomes by working to decrease health, social, and economic disparities among under-resourced individuals through their life experiences and with extensive proven leadership in their respective fields. Moreover, they bring their pieces of fabric of their lives to weave into the fabric of the Undergraduate Medical Education by bringing real-world experience and expertise to the academic setting.

What ways do they contribute to student education?

By highlighting lived and professional experiences and sharing viewpoints on interconnected social determinants of health through small group discussions, immersive community engagement, and collaborating on their key advocacy efforts, the Baystate Community Faculty equip the PURCH students with skills, knowledge, and motivation to address structural and systemic drivers that impact healthcare delivery and health outcomes. This approach provides a myriad of opportunities for students to increase their level of effectiveness as they develop their future careers healthcare professionals and increase their induvial advocacy.

What does it mean have a Community Faculty at UMass Chan Medical School -Baystate?

As they provide diverse points of view and practical knowledge, participating members of the Baystate Community Faculty are an integral part of enriching the students’ learning environment. They help the PURCH Students begin to see the community they learn in through the lens of the people they are working with and serving, in a way they might not otherwise view them, helping them to become socially accountable and culturally competent healthcare professionals.

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

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

Making and Impression on Medical Students

By facilitating small group discussions, providing immersive community experiences, and collaborating on their advocacy efforts, the Baystate Community Faculty illuminate problems of health inequity for PURCH students and help them develop skills to address these inequities.

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.

Lisa Clinton, UMass Chan Medical School - Baystate regional campus.
Jenise Katalina, LICSW, Women of Color Health Equity Collective
Charlie Holmes, Born Free Outreach Services
Ysabel Garcia MPH, Estoy Aquí, LLC
Areliz Barbosa, BS, CCHW, Bay Path University
Brenda Evans, MPH, University of Massachusetts Amherst, School of Public Health & Health Sciences
Gilbert Dillard, Hilltop Veterans
Abdullah Abdul-Rahim, Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA)
Beth Edleburg-Cardillo, M.Ed, LSW, CDP, Baystate Health Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program
David Gaby, M.A., McKnight Community Development Corporation
Katherine Gerstle, MD, Family Medicine Specialty Advisor
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
Cindy Miller, Tapestry Health

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.