Teaching Health Equity to the Next Generation
By: Stefanie Greenberg
Eisenhower Health is leading the charge in preparing the next generation of physicians to deliver equitable health care to the diverse populations of the Coachella Valley. From farmworkers and the elderly to LGBTQ+ individuals and those experiencing homelessness, Eisenhower’s emphasis on street medicine provides trainees with hands-on experience addressing the unique challenges faced by these communities.
Eisenhower Health’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency programs in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine integrate a required street medicine rotation as part of their Community Medicine and Health Equity training. The goal is to deepen residents’ understanding of how social determinants of health intersect with and impact patient care. Through this hands-on experience, residents are exposed to critical health-related challenges, including homelessness, substance use disorders, behavioral health issues, food insecurity and addiction medicine.
The curriculum includes Tennity Emergency Department shifts, collaborative work with social workers and trips out into the community via street medicine - conducted on foot with supplies in backpacks or with Eisenhower Mobile Care.
“This is critical training for the next generation of physicians,” explains Victor Cisneros, MD, MPH, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Community Health Outreach for the GME program at Eisenhower Health. “We’re preparing them to manage complex patient populations, whether they encounter these patients in the emergency department, outpatient clinics or hospital wards.”
Dr. Cisneros also serves as faculty for Eisenhower’s Emergency Medicine Department and holds academic appointments at both the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine and the California University of Science and Medicine. Dr. Cisneros emphasizes the relevance of this training, particularly for Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine residents.
“These specialties consistently see patients from vulnerable and underserved populations. This experience not only equips them to deliver better care but also teaches them to recognize and address the needs of these communities,” he adds.
Beyond residency programs, Dr. Cisneros developed a Community Medicine and Health Equity (CMHE) elective for third- and fourth-year medical students from across the United States. This two- or four-week elective, available year-round, combines asynchronous learning modules based on national health equity guidelines with direct community engagement. Every Tuesday night, students collaborate with street medicine teams - a partnership with Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine - alongside residents and attending physicians.
Claudia Tang, 28, met Dr. Cisneros through the Latino Medical Student Association. A student at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harlem, New York, Tang took a gap year between her third and fourth year of medical school to pursue a Master’s in Public Health (MPH). She chose the four-week CMHE elective to complement her MPH project and gain hands-on experience. Tang’s next step in her career is matching with a residency program, one of which could be the Eisenhower Health Emergency Medicine Residency Program.
Tang enjoyed the elective’s opportunity to work in and out of the hospital. Despite working in July’s scorching temperatures, she spoke of its value.
“What’s great about it, is that since we’re always visiting the same sites and we have built a rapport with this community over time, it’s almost as if we are providing continuity of care,” she says.
Her project focused on a needs assessment on how best to deploy the mobile unit. She worked with Dr. Cisneros on writing it and is hoping for publication.
“We need more preceptors on the ground to be able to break up into more teams to help people,” she says. “I really enjoyed doing the project and I want to continue working in that space.”
Dr. Cisneros underscores the importance of these opportunities for medical students and Eisenhower Health’s dedication to health equity in shaping a generation of compassionate, competent physicians, ready to advocate and care for vulnerable populations.
“They are the future of health care in America,” he says. “Exposing them to these tools and experiences ensures they’re ready to meet the challenges ahead.”
Eisenhower Health’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency programs in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine integrate a required street medicine rotation as part of their Community Medicine and Health Equity training. The goal is to deepen residents’ understanding of how social determinants of health intersect with and impact patient care. Through this hands-on experience, residents are exposed to critical health-related challenges, including homelessness, substance use disorders, behavioral health issues, food insecurity and addiction medicine.
The curriculum includes Tennity Emergency Department shifts, collaborative work with social workers and trips out into the community via street medicine - conducted on foot with supplies in backpacks or with Eisenhower Mobile Care.
“This is critical training for the next generation of physicians,” explains Victor Cisneros, MD, MPH, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Community Health Outreach for the GME program at Eisenhower Health. “We’re preparing them to manage complex patient populations, whether they encounter these patients in the emergency department, outpatient clinics or hospital wards.”
Dr. Cisneros also serves as faculty for Eisenhower’s Emergency Medicine Department and holds academic appointments at both the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine and the California University of Science and Medicine. Dr. Cisneros emphasizes the relevance of this training, particularly for Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine residents.
“These specialties consistently see patients from vulnerable and underserved populations. This experience not only equips them to deliver better care but also teaches them to recognize and address the needs of these communities,” he adds.
Beyond residency programs, Dr. Cisneros developed a Community Medicine and Health Equity (CMHE) elective for third- and fourth-year medical students from across the United States. This two- or four-week elective, available year-round, combines asynchronous learning modules based on national health equity guidelines with direct community engagement. Every Tuesday night, students collaborate with street medicine teams - a partnership with Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine - alongside residents and attending physicians.
Claudia Tang, 28, met Dr. Cisneros through the Latino Medical Student Association. A student at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harlem, New York, Tang took a gap year between her third and fourth year of medical school to pursue a Master’s in Public Health (MPH). She chose the four-week CMHE elective to complement her MPH project and gain hands-on experience. Tang’s next step in her career is matching with a residency program, one of which could be the Eisenhower Health Emergency Medicine Residency Program.
Tang enjoyed the elective’s opportunity to work in and out of the hospital. Despite working in July’s scorching temperatures, she spoke of its value.
“What’s great about it, is that since we’re always visiting the same sites and we have built a rapport with this community over time, it’s almost as if we are providing continuity of care,” she says.
Her project focused on a needs assessment on how best to deploy the mobile unit. She worked with Dr. Cisneros on writing it and is hoping for publication.
“We need more preceptors on the ground to be able to break up into more teams to help people,” she says. “I really enjoyed doing the project and I want to continue working in that space.”
Dr. Cisneros underscores the importance of these opportunities for medical students and Eisenhower Health’s dedication to health equity in shaping a generation of compassionate, competent physicians, ready to advocate and care for vulnerable populations.
“They are the future of health care in America,” he says. “Exposing them to these tools and experiences ensures they’re ready to meet the challenges ahead.”
