Culture of Advocacy at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
At Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, we draw on our rich history of physician advocacy as we evolve our academic programs. Many of our alumni are prominent physician advocates and our faculty members act as influential role models and mentors for our students on a variety of advocacy and public health initiatives.
Our faculty members have established themselves as leaders in public health, health administration, health systems science, and community-based participatory research on health disparities and health outcomes associated with population-level interventions. Health and community partnerships led by our faculty have garnered local and national recognition.
Our faculty members publish opinion pieces in national media, sit on national committees and local community coalitions and work groups, and even testify before Congress to influence policy that impacts their patients. They are active in our communities, serving on local school boards, sitting on the boards of local organizations, organizing in the community and engaging in multiple aspects of the democratic process.
Many of our university organizations have a mission to advocate for the health of our communities, including the Social Justice Institute, the Center for Community Health Integration, the Prevention Research Center, the Center for Reducing Health Disparities, the Center for Health Care Policy and Research, the Population Health Research Institute, the Schubert Center for Child Studies and the Institute for Health, Opportunity, Partnership and Empowerment.
Health Advocacy Organization
In 2014, School of Medicine students at CWRU launched the Health Advocacy Organization, a student-led group through the Committee of Student Representatives. Their goal was to support a community of student and faculty advocates with the hope of developing a longitudinal pathway at the medical school. Through integrative work across schools, medical students developed a set of preclinical electives to expose their colleagues to cross-sector collaboration.
During a Health Care Controversies elective at the School of Law, medical students sat alongside law students and other health professional students to debate a variety of controversial topics within health law and policy. During student-run workshops on community organizing, power mapping, and persuasive writing, developed in partnership with the Social Justice Institute, community advocacy organizations were invited to campus to share their missions and visions and describe the strategies behind their work.
Students from across campus were introduced to a variety of community organizing campaigns. Additionally, medical students gained perspective on the role of the physician in these campaigns, saw how physicians can use their voice and scientific expertise, and learned about coalition building, communication, and negotiation expertise in cross-sector, inter-disciplinary teams.
Working directly with Case Western Reserve University's Office of Government Relations and the Office of University Marketing and Communications, advocacy students were introduced to local legislators, including key members of legislative committees and the legislative cycle. Interest and experience with the electives grew, and in 2021 the Advocacy and Public Health pathway was formally launched.
Although the curriculum continues to evolve, the basic framework remains true to the students’ original vision, and the Health Advocacy Organization remains responsible for choosing topics and speakers as well as collaborating faculty and organizations.