Creativity and Wellness through Songwriting

An exploration of how music gatherings help people connect and express themselves

Project Goals

• Make space for people to create
• Cultural and personal expression and connection
• Equip people to harness creativity

Typical Workshop

• Warm-up: Sing-along, vocal warmup, etc.
• Brainstorming/prompts
• Parts of speech, identities, questions
• Instrument/backing track to make song
• Debrief/reflect

Stories

• Meeting with students from Mexican university
• Memories and reflecting/poetry
• Nepantla
• Reflecting on women and family legacies
• St. Luke’s
• Angelique, Miguel & Rosalva
• Cross-cultural encounter and creation
• Workshops in Portuguese
• Fun language learning/connection

Learning So Far

• People have various goals in these gatherings
• Storytelling
• Musical creation
• Friendship
• People leave feeling more connected and inspired
• A health practice that brings joy and solidarity
• Collective activity and universality of music help:
• Embrace differences
• Show up for others’ life stories/experiences
• Connect over shared feelings and love
• Anyone can do this!

Future Vision

• Overall passion for interpersonal and cross-cultural connection
• In faith, creativity, equity, education
• Next career steps in vocational ministry and music/theatre
• Continuing to invest in relationships, people, and powerful creative work/communities
• Desire to serve and connect with communities in Latin America

Mini-Grant and Next Goals

• Honors College Exploratory Mini-Grant
• Support to pursue research with resources
• Notebooks, pencils, ways for them to practice this skill
• Instruments, ways to liven up the workshops
• Explore new tools to connect and empower people
• Studio appointment next Friday!

Conclusion

• Grateful for opportunity to use my skills and passions for others
• Learning and sharing helps show the power of collective creativity
• Excited to meet people who care for bilingual communities

Delivering Healthcare Through Community-Based Clinics in Agua Prieta, Mexico: A Quantitative Program Evaluation and Needs Assessment

Sanvi Lamba, Elaine Kang

Personal Journey: Elaine Kang

• Serving as Co-President of Flying Samaritans and leading free monthly clinics in Agua Prieta, Mexico.
• Sparked a deep interest in bilingualism contributing to more equitable care to underserved populations.
• Personal experiences serving as an interpreter for my mother to her medical appointments.
• Interested in continuing to bridge the gap between clinical care and community needs through culturally competent communication.

Personal Journey: Sanvi Lamba

• Lived in India for 4 years - speak Hindi, especially to communicate with family
• Education: Learned Spanish throughout middle school & high school; earned Seal of Biliteracy; pursuing minor in Spanish as an undergraduate
• Further engaged with Spanish-speaking communities through presidential roles in Arizona Model United Nations & UA Flying Samaritans, meeting people across Sonora, from Hermosillo to Agua Prieta
• Hope to continue providing care to various populations, no matter differences in background, culture, or language and a future healthcare provider

Addressing Community Needs in Bi-National Healthcare

Mission: A student-led needs assessment for free monthly medical and dental clinics in the border community of Agua Prieta, Mexico.

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Objective: Evaluate clinic services and identify gaps in healthcare delivery and education.

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Goals:

• Optimize Care
• Collect first-hand data of patient experiences at our monthly free clinics.
• Provide direction for future clinic improvements and education.
• Experiential Learning
• Offer undergraduate pre-health students the unique opportunity to engage in bi-national clinical volunteering and community-based research.

Health Disparities at the Border

• Fragmented Care: Patients navigate two inconsistent health systems with different costs and accessibility.
• Provider Shortage: Mexico averages 1.9 physicians per 1,000 people (well below the 3.3 OECD average).

• Poverty & Costs: 33% of Agua Prieta lives in poverty.
• Insurance Instability: Up to 38% of insured residents risk losing coverage during periods of unemployment.

• Localized Data: While general border trends are known, local healthcare-seeking behaviors in Agua Prieta remain misunderstood.

Systemic Health Barriers

Economic Vulnerability

The Knowledge Gap

Preliminary Data

Most Common Cases:

• Diabetes mellitus (T2DM)
• Hypertension

Public Health Survey (November 2022)

• Biggest Barrier to Care: Financial
• Our clinic is the sole provider of healthcare for most of our patients
• most patients do not receive preventative care (checkups) but care as needed (maintenance/treatment)
• Educational Health pamphlets
• Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, Nutrition/Obesity, Oral Hygiene, Flu

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Current Progress

Projected Outcomes

• Project serves as a learning model for pre-health students, fostering cultural fluency and research skills.
• As aspiring physicians, we hope to gain a better understanding of health disparities and differences in healthcare systems globally.

• Evidence-based data allows the clinic to optimize resource allocation and improve care outcomes.
• Community members can have a direct voice in the clinic’s direction.

Combating Health Disparities

Fostering Culturally Informed Care

Lessons Learned

• Research & Leadership Skills
• Handling multiple moving parts both in clinical operations and in project progress
• Facing setbacks in clinic & project and making adjustments
• Developed strong communication skills collaborating with research and medical mentors, executive board members, and clinic coordinators
• Cultural Competence/Patient Advocacy
• Bilingualism is not only understanding of two different languages, but also an understanding of different cultures and communities
• Opinions of the community involved should be amplified
• Balancing optimizing quality of care for patients while providing a learning experience to undergraduate and medical students
• Understanding of health disparities and systems

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Conclusion

• Student-led research is a powerful tool for both professional development and community empowerment.
• Evidence-based care ensures that limited resources are used where they are needed most.
• Flying Samaritans remains committed to providing high-quality, culturally fluent care in Agua Prieta.

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Acknowledgements

• Dr. Bryna Koch and Dr. Brianna Rooney, College of Public Health
• Frontera de Cristo, for providing clinic facility and support
• Centro Comunitario Nueva Esperanza
• CUP Clinics, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson
• Funding provided by the Exploratory Mini Grant, W.A. Franke Honors College

Survey QR Code

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