For Release: May 20, 2013
Contact: Derik Hertel, 603-650-1211 or derik.hertel@dartmouth.edu
Eight Students at Geisel School of Medicine Named New Hampshire-Vermont Schweitzer Fellows
Physician-humanitarian Albert Schweitzer
Hanover, N.H.—Congratulations to the eight students at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth who were named 2013-2014 New Hampshire-Vermont Schweitzer Fellows by the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, named for the famous physician-humanitarian.
As part of this prestigious program, Geisel's Schweitzer fellows will join the approximately 220 Schweitzer Fellows across the nation to partner with local community-based organizations to build yearlong, mentored service projects to improve the health of underserved populations.
"The Schweitzer Fellowship is a wonderful program and I'm very proud of our students who are following their passion for community service," said Wiley "Chip" Souba, MD, ScD, MBA, dean of the Geisel School of Medicine.
This year's Schweitzer Fellows from the Geisel School of Medicine are:
- Ilda Bajraktari is helping adults between the ages of 65-85 strengthen their bodies, improve their mobility, and better their balance through a bi-weekly exercise class. Community Site: Aging Resource Center
- Christine Breuer and Erik Andrews are helping clients of the Claremont Soup Kitchen access health screenings and educational resources by expanding a health and education program put in place by Schweitzer Fellows last year at the Claremont Soup Kitchen. They are also working with the Good Neighbor Health Clinic to establish a new satellite office in Claremont to serve uninsured individuals who lack the resources to travel to White River. Community Site: Claremont Soup Kitchen
- Laurie Delatour is teaching children from families experiencing food insecurity about the importance of good nutrition and helping them develop good eating habits through an afterschool cooking and nutrition program. Community Site: Upper Valley Haven
- Christiaan Rees and Leonard Hills are increasing patient access to basic needs such as food, shelter, legal support and transportation by developing a patient Health Desk. Community Site: Good Neighbor Health Center
- Muhammad Zain-ul-Abideen and Charis Ripley-Hager are partnering with Upper Valley Farm to School and UV HEAL, to implement a healthy living curriculum at the Romano Circle afterschool program that will include creating a community garden, and programming that will encourage the children to appreciate ideas about healthy diet and active living through fun games and tasks. Community Site: Romano Circle
This year's class of Schweitzer Fellows will be inducted during the 100th anniversary year of the building of The Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon (known as French Equatorial Africa when the hospital was built in 1913). Today, the Albert Schweitzer Hospital continues to serve those in need of care, and it is a living monument to Dr. Schweitzer's commitment to service, peace, and his philosophy of Reverence for Life.
Upon completion of their Fellowship year, these Geisel students will become Schweitzer Fellows for Life—and join a vibrant network of nearly 2,700 individuals who are skilled in, and committed to, addressing the health needs of underserved people throughout their careers as professionals. Fellows for Life often report that ASF is integral to sustaining their commitment to serving those in need.
Read the full release and learn more about the Schweitzer Fellowship at www.schweitzerfellowship.org.
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, founded in 1797, strives to improve the lives of the communities it serves through excellence in learning, discovery, and healing. The nation's fourth-oldest medical school, the Geisel School of Medicine has been home to many firsts in medical education, research and practice, including the discovery of the mechanism for how light resets biological clocks, creating the first multispecialty intensive care unit, the first comprehensive examination of U.S. health care variations (The Dartmouth Atlas), and helping establish the first Center for Health Care Delivery Science, which launched in 2010. As one of America's top medical schools, Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine is committed to training new generations of diverse health care leaders who will help solve our most vexing challenges in health care.
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