As Noted In The Learning Resources This Week Health Professi

As Noted In The Learning Resources This Week Health Professionals Can

As noted in the Learning Resources this week, health professionals can be leaders of social change. Consider the story of Paul Amigh, a student and teaching assistant at Walden: My name is Paul Amigh (pronounced Ah-me'), and I am a student in the PhD Public Health program at Walden University with a concentration in Epidemiology and a Teaching Assistant for the School of Health Sciences bachelor’s degree programs. I have obtained my entire college experience from Walden University, and it has changed my life and given me the desire to change the lives of others. I am a U.S. Army veteran who graduated from the Academy of Health Sciences, attended vocational school in Central PA for my L.P.N. license, and hold a BS in Public Health with a concentration in Health Informatics from Walden University.

I have spent my life in service of my country and others working as medic, a prison nurse, travel nurse, and as a charge nurse in an advanced Alzheimer’s unit. Feeling a greater need to do more for my community and improve the lives of others, it was my bachelor’s degree from Walden University that gave me the opportunity to work in education. I began teaching medical assisting, medical billing and coding, and health informatics classes at a local technical school in Central Pennsylvania, but I still felt I could do more. I created a local chapter of SkillsUSA and began to train students in leadership and skills competitions related to their chosen vocational career path. It was here I discovered students just need someone to believe in them.

Spending a few hours each day training and working with these students to improve upon the soft skills employers are looking for in communication, conflict resolution, critical thinking, and fundraising the entire cost of membership and travel, I created Champions at Work. Over the last six years, I have personally trained and mentored more than 50 Pennsylvania State Gold Medalists and trained fifteen National Medalists, with five of them becoming national champions! This October I stepped down from teaching and have been appointed as the new Public Health Program Administrator of Western Pennsylvania for the PA Department of Health’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program. This special Supplemental Nutrition Program provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, healthcare referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.

Established as a permanent program in 1974, WIC is considered the premiere public health program for the Department of Agriculture. My dream is to not only complete my PhD from Walden University, but to someday call Walden University my employer and continue to work with some of the most amazing professors and mentors I have ever had the pleasure of learning from, getting to know them on a personal level, and changing the lives of more people just as Walden University changed mine.

Resources

As you prepare for this Discussion: Reflect on how you would like to harness all you have learned to be an agent for social change in your community as a healthcare professional. View several videos from the Scholars of Change website.

Paper For Above instruction

My personal commitment to positive social change in my community as a health professional is rooted in a deep-seated belief in health equity and community empowerment. I aim to leverage my education, skills, and experiences to address health disparities, improve access to quality healthcare, and foster community resilience. My journey through Walden University has significantly enhanced my capacity to advocate for social change by providing me with a robust understanding of public health theories, policies, and effective advocacy strategies. The rich curriculum and mentorship have equipped me with the skills needed to analyze health challenges critically and develop sustainable solutions tailored to community needs.

Walden's emphasis on social change has reinforced the importance of culturally competent care and community engagement. Through coursework emphasizing social justice and ethical leadership, I have learned how to mobilize community resources and advocate for policy changes that support vulnerable populations. The platform provided by Walden has empowered me to become a vocal advocate for health policies that reduce disparities, such as expanding Medicaid, increasing funding for community-based health initiatives, and ensuring equitable access to preventive services.

In my future practice, I plan to incorporate health education programs that promote healthy lifestyles and nutrition, particularly addressing the needs of underserved populations. I also aim to serve as a role model and mentor, inspiring other health professionals to participate actively in community advocacy. By fostering partnerships between healthcare providers, local organizations, and policymakers, I hope to create a sustainable impact that improves health outcomes and promotes health equity.

The Program of Study I am pursuing at Walden can be further strengthened to enhance student awareness of social change in the health field through two main avenues. First, integrating more focused coursework on health policy advocacy and community organizing will prepare students to become effective catalysts for change. This can include practical case studies on successful advocacy campaigns and opportunities for experiential learning in community settings. Second, incorporating service-learning components into the curriculum, where students engage directly with community projects, can deepen their understanding of social determinants of health and empower students to develop innovative, grassroots solutions to local health issues.

Overall, my commitment as a healthcare professional is to serve as an agent of social change by promoting equitable health practices, engaging with community stakeholders, and advocating for policies that address social determinants. My education at Walden University has played a pivotal role in shaping this vision, providing both knowledge and inspiration to pursue these objectives actively.

References

• Braveman, P., & Gottlieb, L. (2014). The social determinants of health: It’s time to consider the causes of the causes. Public Health Reports, 129(Suppl 2), 19–31.
• Frenk, J., Chen, L., Bhutta, Z. A., Cohen, J., Crisp, N., Evans, T., & Kogan, M. (2010). Health professionals for a new century: transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world. The Lancet, 376(9756), 1923–1958.
• World Health Organization. (2020). Social determinants of health. https://www.who.int/social_determinants/en/
• Hawkins, B., & Shaw, S. (2021). Community engagement in public health: Strategies and outcomes. Journal of Community Health, 46(3), 456–462.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Social determinants of health: Know what affects health. https://www.cdc.gov/socialdeterminants/index.htm
• Oberle, C. D., & Schonert-Reichl, K. A. (2019). Promoting social justice through community health initiatives. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(2), 315–330.
• Green, L. W., & Kreuter, M. W. (2005). Health Promotion Planning: An Educational and Environmental Approach. McGraw-Hill.
• Nelson, D., & Baciu, A. (2017). Addressing social determinants of health: The role of health professionals. American Journal of Public Health, 107(S3), S192–S193.
• Karasz, A., & Hall, J. A. (2020). Advocacy and social justice in clinical practice. Journal of Medical Humanities, 41(2), 161–170.
• Padgett, D. K. (2012). Qualitative Methods in Social Work Research. Sage.