Fellow presentations, distinguished speakers, and a growing library of health equity scholarship — all in one place.
Fellows present original research and community projects addressing real needs in real communities.
Brandon Schonour, an enrolled citizen of the Southeastern Mvskoke (Creek) Nation, partnered with his Tribal Council to secure more than $40,000 in grant funding for community health improvements — including walking trails now used daily by families and a telehealth building giving elders regular access to healthcare without leaving home.
Building on four years of Mini Medical School programming introducing underserved youth to science and medicine, this expanded curriculum includes bilingual parent sheets, hands-on experiment materials, and activities like splinting and learning about vaccines — providing families with accessible science materials they would not otherwise have.
A student-led initiative at the Interprofessional Community Clinic addressing dermatological health disparities in the Latine community through a bilingual educational podcast series. Developed with Mano a Mano and the North Chicago Think Tank, adapted into a home-accessible format to reach community members facing barriers to leaving their homes.
An implementation-ready initiative addressing period poverty through free menstrual product dispensers in visitor and patient-facing bathrooms across the Nuvance Health system. The project secured institutional permission for system-wide installation, demonstrating how medical students can drive meaningful policy change within health systems.
This project addresses a critical gap in advanced care planning for underserved populations, implementing a patient-centered approach at a free clinic with a user-friendly ACP handout, staff training, and a standardized documentation system — ensuring patients' healthcare wishes are heard and respected.
Building on a successful model from Harvard Medical School, this initiative collects and elevates stories from patients facing systemic healthcare barriers related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status. By sharing these narratives with care teams, the project redirects attention to patients' lived experiences and values in treatment planning.
This analysis examines how recent policy changes affect healthcare access in South Dakota, particularly for Native American communities and rural populations — evaluating Medicaid enrollment trends from 2020–2023, the effects of COVID-19 policy changes, the state's 2023 expansion, and newly implemented work requirements.
Taylor DeHart led the Storm Eye Institute's Fight for Sight clinics, providing eye care to underserved communities. An MD-MSCR student studying clinical research with a focus on pediatric cataracts, she combined community eye care with research aimed at improving vision access for populations that need it most.
Each year, distinguished speakers from academic medicine, venture capital, health system leadership, and the federal health system join our fellows for the National Conference.
José Arturo Bauermeister, MPH, PhD — Albert M. Greenfield Professor of Human Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. Chair of the Department of Family and Community Health at Penn Nursing and Director of the Eidos LGBT+ Health Initiative. NIH Council of Councils member committed to addressing health inequities among LGBT youth of color. Health Innovators Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Lisa Fitzpatrick, MD, MPH, MPA — CEO and founder of Grapevine Health, a health literacy and patient engagement organization improving health communication in Black and brown communities. Infectious diseases physician and CDC-trained epidemiologist. Former CMO for DC Medicaid. Harvard Kennedy School MPA. Health Innovators Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network.
SreyRam Kuy, MD, MHS — Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Quality and Safety across a network of VA medical centers. First woman appointed Deputy Under Secretary for Community Care at the VA, overseeing a $14.5 billion budget and 7,300 staff. Former CMO for Louisiana Medicaid, where she instituted reforms resulting in a 40% reduction in new opioid prescriptions. Presidential Leadership Scholar. Health Innovators Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Elizabeth Mack, MD, MS — Vice President at Vizient, working in patient safety and high reliability healthcare. Pediatric critical care physician, AAP spokesperson, and national advocate for children's health. Former Division Director of Pediatric Critical Care and Medical Director for GME Quality and Safety at the Medical University of South Carolina. Liberty Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Wendy Nembhard, PhD, MPH, FACE — Director of the Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, one of 10 CDC-funded centers in the US. Professor and Chair of Epidemiology at UAMS. Fulbright Senior Scholar. ELAM Fellow. Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology. Health Innovators Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Eleanor Turner, MA — Director of Operations at Aequitas Health. President and Co-Founder of The Legacy Foundation South Dakota. Published author of two dozen books, LEND parent and family trainee graduate, and committed advocate for special needs families.
Greg Yap, MBA — Partner at Menlo Ventures, investing in life science and healthcare technology. Former CEO and co-founder of two startups; 20 years of senior executive experience including leading a $500 million cancer diagnostics business at Roche. Princeton BS (summa cum laude) in molecular biology, Stanford MBA. Health Innovators Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network.
All Aequitas Health fellows are invited to present at the National Conference. Explore fellow resources for abstract writing guides and presentation frameworks.