At Drexel University College of Medicine, the Office of Urban Health Equity, Education and Research bridges the gap between health care delivery, medical research and health care education in the Philadelphia community. Our mission is to improve the health of communities through:

• Equitable partnering
• Building capacity of human capital
• Using population-based research to build innovative, effective models of health care delivery, research and education
• Training a prepared, engaged and effective workforce
• Disseminating information
• Advancing health policy

We serve as a central location for physicians, health care providers, students, residents, and public health partners to find or initiate community health projects designed to improve health equity in the city.

Our goal is to provide Philadelphia residents with access to quality health education and care despite the social inequalities that exist in the urban environment. These inequalities, which often create barriers for Philadelphia residents trying to reach their full health potential, include race, gender, nationality, age, religion, sexual orientation, immigration status, language skills, socioeconomic status, and geographical location.

Areas of Focus

We organize community outreach initiatives by several areas of focus. This allows health care providers, researchers, partners, and residents to easily locate the projects in which they wish to participate. Our current areas of focus are:

• Ethnicity and race
• Vulnerable populations
• Lifespan
• Sex and gender (LGBT)
• Life condition
• Disease
• Lifestyle
• Geographical

Who We Work With

The Office of Urban Health Equity, Education and Research works with faculty and students from Drexel University College of Medicine as well as several partners within the community. People typically involved in our outreach projects include:

• Physicians and health care providers
• Residents
• Students
• Health educators
• Researchers
• Community partners