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Overview Overview Continuing Medical Education M.D. Program Visiting Students M.D. Admissions Master's & Dual Degrees Residencies & Fellowships Additional Training Programs PLAN: Application Timeline PLAN: Financial Aid EXPLORE: Why Dell Med? EXPLORE: Student Resources PREPARE: Programs for Youth & Undergrads
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​Community-Driven Initiatives

Two women gardening.

Community-Driven Initiatives is a program of the department’s Division of Community Engagement and Health Equity that seeks to support and implement health solutions proposed by and for residents of Austin and Central Texas communities. Led by Carmen Valdez, Ph.D., the team advances ideas by fostering partnerships, advising on areas of opportunity, promoting leadership development and much more.

Community-Driven Initiatives conducts all of its work with an eye toward community servanthood. Contact the team at CDI@austin.utexas.edu.

Focus Areas

To support the best ideas for improving community health, the team focuses on the following.

  • Identifying persons in Austin, Travis County and Central Texas who have ideas to improve the health of their communities and neighborhoods. Since the places individuals live and work in influence health, who best to enhance the health of a community than those who live and work there?
  • Addressing social determinants of health. The team’s aim is to implement local solutions and scale those that improve the health of surrounding communities.
  • Identifying and supporting exceptional people and ideas that may otherwise not have a source for support, ensuring their community impact and sustainability. The team works to connect the people most impacted with resources to fully test new and exciting ideas.
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