A Fellowship Program Offers Varied Learning Opportunities to Connect the Care Needs of the Local Community – Contagion Live

Report on Temple University’s Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals through Medical Education and Community Healthcare

Executive Summary

This report analyzes the operational and educational framework of Temple University Hospital and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, focusing on its contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The institution demonstrates a strong commitment to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) through its integrated approach to medical training and community-focused clinical care in North Philadelphia.

Fostering SDG 4: Quality Education

The Fellowship Program as a Model for Advanced Training

The fellowship program at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine is central to its mission, providing robust clinical training that prepares physicians for independent practice. The program’s success is evidenced by a high rate of retention, with many fellows continuing as faculty. This creates a stable, experienced educational environment conducive to lifelong learning and mentorship.

Diverse Educational Experiences

The curriculum is intentionally designed to provide diverse educational perspectives, directly supporting SDG 4’s target for relevant and effective learning outcomes. Key program components include:

• The Center for Health Justice and Bioethics: This program offers specialized courses with a health equity lens, equipping trainees to analyze and address ethical issues in community healthcare.
• Travel Clinic: Fellows gain practical experience in preventive medicine, including pre-travel immunizations, prophylaxis, and patient counseling, which broadens their skillset for global health contexts.

Advancing SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

Commitment to Comprehensive Community Care

The institution’s core mission is aligned with SDG 3, focusing on providing comprehensive clinical care to the local North Philadelphia population. Dr. Stephanie Spivack, associate program director, notes that faculty and trainees are united by this shared mission, ensuring that the community’s diverse and complex health needs are met.

Preventive Healthcare Initiatives

Temple’s travel clinic serves as a prime example of promoting well-being through preventive care. By offering immunizations and health counseling for travelers, the clinic actively contributes to preventing the spread of disease, a key target of SDG 3. This proactive approach to health is a cornerstone of the fellowship’s educational experience.

Addressing SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

A Foundational Mission of Health Equity

The institution’s focus on the North Philadelphia community is a direct effort to reduce health inequalities. By providing high-quality care in an urban area, the hospital and medical school work to ensure equitable access to health services, a primary objective of SDG 10.

Institutionalizing Health Justice

The integration of the Center for Health Justice and Bioethics into medical training is a significant step toward institutionalizing the principles of SDG 10. Dr. Spivack highlights that the program provided her with a new perspective on patient care and the larger systemic factors affecting health outcomes. This educational foundation ensures that future physicians are equipped to champion health equity in their careers.

Analysis of SDGs in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article’s central theme is the work of Temple University Hospital and its medical school. It discusses providing “comprehensive clinical care,” training medical professionals (fellows and residents), and offering preventive care through a travel clinic (immunizations, prophylaxis). This directly aligns with ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being.
2. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • The article heavily emphasizes the educational aspects of the institution, such as the residency and fellowship programs. It highlights the importance of a “diverse education” and specific programs like the “Center for Health Justice and Bioethics” that provide specialized training and a unique perspective on patient care, contributing to high-quality medical education.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • A core mission identified in the article is “taking care of our North Philadelphia population.” The mention of a “Center for Health Justice” and an ethics program designed with a “health equity lens” explicitly points to an effort to address and reduce health disparities and ensure equitable access to care for a specific urban community.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.3: “By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.” The article mentions a weekly travel clinic that provides “pre-travel immunizations, prophylaxis” and counseling, which are direct actions to prevent the spread of communicable diseases across borders.
   • Target 3.c: “Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, training, development and retention of the health workforce…” The article highlights a strong retention rate, noting that faculty often “stay on through residency and their fellowships…to become faculty.” This demonstrates a successful model for training and retaining a skilled health workforce.
2. Under SDG 4: Quality Education
   • Target 4.4: “By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.” The residency and fellowship programs described are advanced vocational training programs that equip doctors with strong clinical skills to “take care of patients on my own,” making them highly employable.
   • Target 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development…” The “Center for Health Justice and Bioethics” program, which gives students a chance to “look at things from a different perspective and see the bigger picture of our patient care” through a “health equity lens,” directly contributes to education for sustainable development by promoting social justice and equity.
3. Under SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all…” The hospital’s stated mission of “taking care of our North Philadelphia population” is a direct effort to ensure the inclusion of this specific community in quality healthcare services, thereby reducing inequality in access.
   • Target 10.3: “Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome…” The ethics program with a “health equity lens” is designed to analyze and address systemic issues that lead to unequal health outcomes, which aligns with the goal of reducing such inequalities through informed practice and policy.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 3 Targets:
   • Indicator for Target 3.3: The existence and operation of the “weekly travel clinic” is a qualitative indicator. A quantitative measure is implied by its function of providing “pre-travel immunizations” and “counseling,” suggesting progress could be measured by the number of patients receiving these preventive services.
   • Indicator for Target 3.c: The article explicitly mentions the retention of medical professionals as a key feature of the institution: “they stay on through residency and their fellowships—and if an opportunity arises, they stay on to become faculty.” This points to the retention rate of fellows and residents as a direct indicator of a strong health workforce development program.
2. For SDG 4 Targets:
   • Indicator for Target 4.4: The number of trainees is an implied indicator. The article focuses on the “fellowship program” and “residency,” so the number of doctors successfully completing these programs would measure the provision of relevant vocational skills.
   • Indicator for Target 4.7: The article mentions that “Students who take those courses will get a foundation in bioethics.” This implies that the number of students enrolled in and completing courses at the “Center for Health Justice and Bioethics” can be used as an indicator for progress in education for sustainable development and health equity.
3. For SDG 10 Targets:
   • Indicator for Target 10.2/10.3: The article states the hospital’s mission is “taking care of our North Philadelphia population.” An implied indicator of progress would be the proportion of patients from this specific community who are accessing the hospital’s “comprehensive clinical care.” The existence of a curriculum with a “health equity lens” is a qualitative indicator of the institution’s commitment to reducing inequalities.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: contagionlive.com