UTSW-Parkland Health Equity Scholars Program

The UTSW-Parkland Health Equity Scholars Program is a 2-year initiative that funds 20% of a faculty member's salary and is designed to equip Clinician-Educator or Clinician track faculty with practical tools and experience to engage the community in activities that promote health and support health equity. For example, faculty may design programs that enhance uptake of vaccines in minority communities, cardiopulmonary resuscitation education in zip codes with high prevalence of cardiac arrest, develop activities that promote exercise and good nutrition in children and adults, training community health workers, etc. Training to become independent investigators is not a goal or requirement of the program.

At the end of the 2-year period, one of three results are anticipated: 1) the home departments will continue to finance 20% of the faculty members' time for community engagement/health equity work, 2) the faculty will obtain external funding to continue the community engagement/health equity work, or 3) the faculty member and chair will decide on how the 20% time is split, with many taking on more clinical work.

Eligibility

• Full-time UT Southwestern faculty on the Clinician-Educator or Clinician academic tracks
• Primary clinical appointment may be at Parkland Hospital, Clements University Hospital, or Children's Medical Center
• Associate, assistant, and instructors may apply
• Have a stated career goal of clinical service to underserved and disadvantaged communities

Available Support

Scholars will have 20% of their salary supported for protected time to pursue a mentored health equity/community outreach project. Scholars will also have access to:

• training in implicit bias mitigation
• training in project implementation
• leadership coaching
• becoming a participant in LEAD, the Office of Faculty Development’s leadership development cohort
• direct mentorship for their community outreach/health equity project

Application Process

The application period for the 2025–2027 Health Equity Scholars Program is now closed.

We encourage you to check back for updates on the next application cycle.

Scholars Profiles

• Cohort 1

  Kia Byrd, M.D., M.P.H.

  Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine Specialization: Hospital Medicine
  UT Southwestern Medical Center
  Clements University Hospital

  Project Title: Transitions in Care for Heart Failure Patients: A Rideshare Intervention to Overcome Transportation Barriers

  Felona Gunawan, M.D.

  Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine Specialization: Endocrinology
  UT Southwestern Medical Center
  Parkland Health Diabetes Clinic

  Project Title: Piloting a Continuous Glucose Monitors Program for High-Risk Patients with Diabetes at Parkland

  Carla McStay, M.D.

  Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine Specializations: Palliative Medicine
  UT Southwestern Medical Center
  Clements University Hospital

  Project Title: Equitable Communication in Healthcare

  IV Mirus, M.D.

  Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine Specializations: Emergency Medicine
  UT Southwestern Medical Center
  Parkland Health Emergency Department

  Project Titles:

  • Deaf Community Disease Prevalence via Epic Cosmos
  • Spanish QBS-testing and Language Concordant Care QI
  • ASL & Deaf Health Medical Student Curriculum

  Emmanuel Ohuabunwa, M.D., M.B.A.

  Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine Specializations: Emergency Medicine
  UT Southwestern Medical Center
  Parkland Health Emergency Department

  Project Title: Developing & Implementing a multidisciplinary pathway for Diabetes Education, Insulin prescription and Care Coordination to address equity concerns for patients with Type 2 diabetes presenting to the Emergency Department

• Cohort 2

  Poorni Manohar, M.D.

  Assistant Professor, Medical Oncology
  Department of Internal Medicine
  UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Health and Hospital Systems

  Project Title: Community-based expansion of screening mammography in high-risk populations

  Zainab Farzal, M.D., M.P.H.

  Assistant Professor, Head & Neck Surgical Oncology Microvascular Reconstruction
  Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery
  UT Southwestern Medical Center

  Project Title: The Effect of Social Vulnerability and Associated Determinants on Aerodigestive Head and Neck Cancer Care Access, Treatment, and Mortality in Texas

  Anezi Uzendu, M.D., FACC

  Assistant Professor, Interventional Cardiology
  Department of Internal Medicine
  UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Health and Hospital Systems

  Project Title: Make Basic Life Support Basic In Dallas ISD

  B. Katherine Karlay, M.D.

  Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency and Interventional Psychiatry
  UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Health and Hospital Systems

  Project Title: Improving Inequity in Access to Electroconvulsive Therapy to Psychiatric Patients at Parkland

  Puja Umaretiya, M.D., M.S.

  Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
  UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Health

  Project Title: Pilot of a Novel Benefits Navigator in Pediatric Oncology

• Cohort 3

  Juliana Dixon M.D., M.P.H.

  Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine
  UT Southwestern Medical Center

  Project Title: Addressing Food Insecurity in the Clinic Setting through Community Partnership

  Elif Yilmaz, M.D.

  Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine
  Division of Hematology and Oncology
  UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
  Parkland Health Malignant Hematology Clinic

  Project Title: Expanding Access to Clinical Trials for Parkland Malignant Hematology Patients

  Sawsan Rashdan, M.D.

  Associate Professor, Internal Medicine
  UT Southwestern Medical Center

  Project Title: Assessing and Addressing Lung Cancer Screening Gaps in Refugees Through Community-Informed Education

  Daniel Okorodudu, M.D., M.H.S., FEAA

  Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, Specialization: Endocrinology
  UT Southwestern Medical Center
  Parkland Health Diabetes Clinic

  Project Titles: Enhancing Diabetes Education and Equity Through SMS-Reel Messaging

  Ravindra M. Bharadwaj, M.D., M.P.H.

  Associate Professor, Internal Medicine/Geriatrics
  Associate Program Director, Geriatric Fellowship
  UT Southwestern Medical Center

  Project Title: Bridging the Digital Divide: Enhancing Equitable Access to Digital Health for Underserved Older Adults at UTSW

If you have questions, please officeforinstitutionalopportunity@utsouthwestern.edu us.