Family Nurse Practitioner Heather Milea oversees nursing student Makenna Haas as she administers a health screening to a community member.
Amanda Mack, a senior studying health behavior science and medical social services from Nantucket, Massachusetts, has interned with H4A this semester.
Mack, who will begin an accelerated nursing program in 2026 with hopes of becoming a geriatric nurse, said the experience has helped her understand the needs of underserved communities.
“Until you see people do not have access to the resources that they need firsthand, you don’t fully grasp how difficult it is for them to survive, let alone receive the help and treatment that they need,” Mack said. “Most people are so worried about paying their rent or finding food to feed their children that things like going to the doctor are low on their priority list.”
One of H4A’s partners is Friendship House, a nonprofit organization that annually serves about 17,000 people experiencing loss of community, loss of housing or both.
Processing about 250,000 pounds of clothing each year, the organization’s clothing bank employs warehouse associates, largely through a work-release program. The program assists women with re-entry into the community by helping them develop work and life skills.
The H4A model fits seamlessly with the Friendship House program, which was developed to address issues specific to women, including women’s health.
Development Director Cheryl Bryant said that many of the program participants have been incarcerated, and their physical and mental health have been greatly affected.
“Many of the women have not seen a medical professional regularly, and may have health concerns that are not managed,” Bryant said. “Consistent access to healthcare as they transition out of incarceration is critical for supporting their stability and helps build the best opportunity for them to thrive and move forward.”
Milea, who also serves as a family nurse practitioner at the University of Delaware Nurse Managed Primary Care Center located at the UD STAR Campus, consults with the six program participants monthly, establishing consistency and trust. In addition to providing primary care visits, she helps participants navigate challenges such as finding health practitioners and getting prescriptions filled.
Recently, H4A has expanded its mobile services into Kent and Sussex counties, visiting locations like the Food Bank of Delaware in Milford and the YMCA in Dover, thanks to new relationships.
Laurel Public Library, one of H4A’s new monthly sites outside of New Castle County, serves one of the poorest communities in Delaware.
“Our library is far from being traditional,” said Wenona Phillips, assistant director. “Libraries are known as the trusted entities, and so everyone comes or calls us for everything possible.”
Among her other duties, Phillips works with partner organizations — primarily nonprofit organizations — to highlight services through information tables or programs held at the library.
Consistency is key, Phillips said, in building trust with the community.
“[The Laurel community] already feels unloved, unappreciated and not seen, and when we get the least amount of resources that just adds to that feeling. That’s why it’s so important to make these connections with partners like H4A,” Phillips said.
Workforce development
Since 2020, more than 1,000 graduate and undergraduate UD students have participated in real-world activities through H4A, connecting students to populations with the greatest health disparities.
Students from 11 programs across three colleges have participated in health fairs and produced student-led programming.
State Rep. Cyndie Romer, who recently joined H4A for a mobile health visit, said that the program’s workforce development efforts are “a smart, creative way to engage graduate and undergraduate students from across disciplines.”
