The Chapman Community Health Program (CCHP) was recently honored with a “Guardian Angel Award” for its work with residents of Maryland Oaks Crossing, a low-income housing community in Tallahassee. The award was presented at the Good News Outreach Prayer Breakfast at St. John’s Episcopal Church in September.
CCHP provides an opportunity for Florida State University College of Medicine students to engage in the college’s mission, serving medically underserved populations and responding to community needs. At Maryland Oaks Crossing, volunteers plan and conduct bi-monthly health screenings; promote wellness with initiatives such as smoking cessation, nutrition and dental hygiene workshops; coordinate a community garden; and plan social events.
They also work with medical residents at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, who provide individual consultations after screenings, as well as annual flu shots. CCHP works with Neighborhood Health Center and provides transportation, if needed, when screenings prompt referrals for medical care. In partnership with Nole-Med, an FSU undergraduate organization, CCHP provides weekly tutoring for children at Maryland Oaks Crossing.
Funded by The Jules B. Chapman M.D. and Annie Lou Chapman Foundation, CCHP is a partnership between the College of Medicine and Good News Outreach (GNO), a faith-based organization that is not affiliated with any church or religion. It sponsors four programs across Tallahassee that work to reduce homelessness, hunger, recidivism and isolation by providing food, shelter, mentoring and social interaction. In addition to Maryland Oaks Crossing, GNO also operates re-entry programs for formerly incarcerated men and women, and an elder service program that helps seniors stay in their homes.
Sean Gabany is a second-year medical student who serves as one of the co-executive directors of CCHP. He said it has been an honor to lead the program, which combines the college’s mission to respond to community needs and serve the underserved with the Chapman Foundation’s mission to develop exemplary humanistic physicians.
“We are able to work directly with the residents of the Maryland Oaks Crossing Community and learn their stories and needs firsthand,” he said. “From there, we are able to plan events and projects to specifically meet those needs.
“We love CCHP because it gives us a chance to make a difference now in the communities around us, just as we plan to, once we are full-fledged physicians.”
CCHP operates under the umbrella of the FSUCares program.