Community Partnership

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Community Partnership

In alignment with Duke Health and Duke University, the Duke University School of Medicine is committed to serving others in our local community and beyond. Our faculty, staff and students make science-based decisions and seek to transform discoveries to improve human health through a variety of community initiatives, some of which are listed below.

 

Early College Partnership Between Duke Health, Durham Technical Community College and Durham Public Schools

Dean Klotman, Craig Albanese and members of Durham Technical College and Durham Public Schools

A partnership between Duke Health, Durham Technical Community College and Durham Public Schools has been awarded a transformative $29.5 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to establish an early college for high school students interested in pursuing health care careers upon graduation. 

The Durham partnership will provide the preparation needed for careers in nursing, allied health, surgical tech, and clinical research. The key elements of the partnership are:

  • Interested Durham Public Schools (DPS) students in grades 9-12 will attend the early college high school and simultaneously earn both a high school diploma and an associate degree or workforce credential for aligned health care occupations. 
  • The Middle College at Durham Tech will expand to an early college high school and will be housed at Durham Tech (DTCC) in a newly renovated space, with the school opening in the fall of 2025.  
  • Upon graduation, students will have an immediate pathway to jobs or research roles at Duke Health.

Community Partnerships in the News

Students enrolling in the inaugural class of the new Early College of Health Sciences sign their names on a large placard.

Educating the Next Generation of Durham's Health Care Providers

The 100 students in the inaugural class of the new Durham Early College of Health Sciences gathered with their families for a signing ceremony at the Trent Semans Center. The new school is the result of a partnership between Duke Health, Durham Tech, and Durham Public Schools to create an early college program for high school students.
A group of students with a root causes banner.

Food as Medicine

A pilot trial finds that delivery of heart-healthy groceries and nutrition education improves blood pressure and reduces food insecurity for people living in underserved communities.
evening view of front entrance of Duke Hospital

Duke Orthopaedics Partners with City of Durham on Gun Violence Prevention

The Duke Orthopaedic Trauma Section is partnering with the City of Durham for the launch of the Durham Impact Project, a gun violence prevention program. The program plans to engage the community through events focused on addressing preventive health topics and community needs such as food insecurity.
Student group loading car

Root Causes Food Program Seeks Room to Grow

On Saturday mornings, a group of Duke University School of Medicine students who are in training to one day treat cancer or perform surgery gather to ensure that those in the Durham County community have enough nutritious food to eat.

The Fresh Produce Program, part of Root Causes , a medical student organization striving to address social drivers of health, delivers food twice a month to families living in a county where 1 in 10 people face food insecurity. The number jumps to 3 in 10 among non-White men.

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