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Community Medicine Fellowships - Community Medicine & Health Disparities Fellowship Oakland

Overview

The Kaiser Permanente Community Medicine and Health Disparities fellowship based in Oakland (CMHD- Oakland) is designed to train Internal Medicine or Family Medicine physicians to become leaders in reducing health disparities in our communities.

Highlights

  • Close collaboration and teaching opportunities with the Kaiser Oakland Health Equity & Disparities residency track
  • Variety of established community partners allow fellows to pursue wide range of clinical interests such as working with patients of unique language and cultural backgrounds, or with special populations such as LGBTQ, HIV-infected and the incarcerated.
  • Mentored research opportunities with the support of a dedicated research project manager and research physicians in Healthcare Delivery at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research
  • Mentored Community projects
  • Enhance Medical Spanish and other languages through work at local clinics and Kaiser Permanente-sponsored global sites
  • Optional funded global health rotation

Clinical Opportunities

During this 13-month fellowship (July 1 – July 31), fellows will provide longitudinal Primary Care to the medically underserved while engaging in a mentored community project aimed at reducing health disparities.

  • Fellows will be based at a primary community site, such as Lifelong Medical Group, La Clinica de la Raza, or Asian Health Services in Oakland, where they will provide primary care to a longitudinal panel of patients and engage in clinic initiatives such as group health education classes and home visit programs.
  • In addition, fellows will be able to rotate through a variety of clinics such as San Quentin prison and clinics specializing in care for the homeless, HIV-infected or LGBTQ.
  • At these sites, fellows will have opportunities to teach Kaiser Permanente Oakland Health Equity & Disparities residents, as well as other residents and medical students.
  • CMHD- Oakland Fellows will also be allowed to participate in up to 4 weeks of Kaiser Permanente-sponsored international medical experiences at KP Global Health sites such as:
    • Honduras – ENLACE foundation
    • Ecuador – Cacha Medical Spanish Institute
    • Guatemala – Hospital de La Familia
    • Kenya – The Matibabu/Tiba Foundations
    • Zambia – University Teaching Hospital
    • Da Nang- Da Nang General Hospital
    • Tibet- Tibetan Delek Hospital

Community Advocacy and Community Project

  • The CMHD- Oakland Fellow is expected to complete a scholarly project in Community Health. Types of projects may range from implementation of a Quality Improvement initiative at a community partner site, a novel clinical care innovation or initiative, mentored research through Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research, medical education or a health policy project.
  • Fellows will have regular protected time to develop their projects, meet with mentors and researchers, and to meet and collaborate with other KP Community Health fellows in the region.
  • The fellows will also be expected to take active roles in a variety of community initiatives, from local health fairs to legislative advocacy with the community partners to assisting with KP efforts to reduce disparities and to develop and recruit diverse students and physicians

Didactics

  • Fellows will have protected time for didactic learning in Community Medicine and Health Disparities, including time to meet with the other KP Community Health fellows in the region.
  • It is also expected that the Fellow will contribute to teaching the Health Equity and Disparities residents and the IM residents from Kaiser Oakland, as well as take on a teaching role in the community clinic site.

Fellowship Leadership

The Program Director overseeing all of the KP Northern California Community Medicine Fellowships is Dr. Tessa Stecker, MD. Fellows in the CMHD- Oakland program will also be supported by Dr. Nailah Thompson and Dr. Tom Baudendistel.

Tom Baudendistel, MD
Program Director

Nailah Thompson, DO, MPH
Director, Health Equity & Disparities Track

Tessa Stecker, MD
Fellowship Program Director

Adam Luxenberg, MD
Core Faculty, Primary Care Medicine

Shefali Nath, MD
Core Faculty for Health Equities and Disparities track and Primary Care Medicine

2022-2023 Fellow

Tafor Bonu, MD, MBA, MPH

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