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There are people in every region of our nation who have difficulty accessing health care. Achieving health equity also requires addressing social determinants of health and health disparities. Initiatives in this pathway focus on providing a fair and just opportunity to attain healthcare, especially for those who do not have ready access to due to various barriers they face.

• Environmental Health: Students research potential environmental sources of illness, such as harmful agents in air, water, food and soil, and propose solutions.
• HOPES Student-Run Free Clinic: Students work in various capacities at this free clinic run by students.
• Mothers and Baby Mermaids: Students become navigators with young mothers to help them journey through the pregnancy experience.
• Street Health: Students work with Norfolk's Office to End Homelessness to find and conduct initial health screening for the community's unsheltered homeless population.
• SPARK Diabetes: In UNITED, Medical and Health Professions students will have the opportunity to participate in a longitudinal clinical programs that aims to improve access to diabetes-related education and care in the Western Tidewater region.

Older adults represent a rapidly growing demographic in Eastern Virginia. Initiatives in this pathway focus on older adults, the chronically ill, or disabled individuals.

• Beyond Clinic Walls: Students teach practical technology skills to older adults eager to learn a range of skills to navigate the digital world. They also gain the opportunity to become part of a global movement to change the way we think, act and talk about dementia.
• Palliative Medicine: Students explore the role of interdisciplinary teams in the treatment of hospice patients and Advance Care Planning procedures.

Initiatives in this pathway are aimed primarily at training and first-response actions that are necessary in case of cardiac arrest, stroke and other healthcare emergencies.

• Bystander Ready: Students will train and educate community members on strokes and hands-only CPR while promoting a healthy lifestyle for stroke prevention.
• Emergency Medical Services: (EMS): Medical and Health Professions students will develop an understanding and skillset to care for patients in the prehospital setting.

Our community is increasingly diverse and more so from the presence of global organizations, immigration, and refugee placement here in Hampton Roads. This presents unique health disparities and inequities due to language or other barriers for this population and this pathway looks at these local health disparities from a global perspective.

• Medical Spanish: Students work with Spanish-speaking patients and earn a Spanish Bilingual Clinician Certification.
• Refugee Health: Students partner with local resettlement agencies to improve the health of refugees and health-related systems they experience.

Through our community-driven data-informed approach, several mental health-related issues in our community, including widespread depression, challenges with incarceration reentry, drug abuse, etc. for both the individuals affected and their families were highlighted as leading problems.

• Beat of My Heart: Students lead music and dance enrichment sessions for patients at the CHKD Cancer and Blood Disorders Center to facilitate human and social connection.
• Health and Justice: Students will learn about the various pathways from criminal justice involvement and the different healthcare services available through pre- and post-release.
• Medical Educators of Sexual Health (MESH): Trained Medical and Health Professions students deliver comprehensive and developmentally appropriate sexual health education to 13-17 year olds in Hampton Roads.

Hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are three prevalent issues in our region. Initiatives in this service pathway focus on nutrition and exercise to tackle sedentary lifestyles and promote healthy living.

• Adaptive Gymastics: Provides adolescents with special physical, developmental and neurological needs with an opportunity to take part in a weekly gymnastics class.
• Choosing Healthy Options for Wellness (CHOW): Students teach nutritious eating and exercise.
• LIFT: Students work with homeless clients over 30-, 60- and 90-day periods teaching nutrition, exercise and life skills.
• Adaptive Swim: Provides children with special physical, developmental and neurological needs with an opportunity to take part in a monthly swim class.