Inspiration & Values
Our Inspiration
Imagine walking along a river and noticing that people were caught in the current and drowning. You run to help people out, but notice more and more people getting caught by these currents. You can’t help them all.
But what’s causing all this? You walk further up and notice there is no fence blocking people from floating away from shore and into the rapid water. Would you continue to pull people out of the water, or decide to build a barrier to prevent more people from drowning?
These two choices address two different approaches to healthcare: downstream and upstream healthcare. Downstream healthcare would mean pulling each individual out of the water, representing how healthcare can focus on treating each individual and their symptoms offensively instead of defensively. Upstream healthcare, however, would mean building a safety fence at the top of the stream so that individuals cannot drift out. It explains how health interventions should focus on addressing the root causes of disease and illness in a community rather than just a patient's symptoms.
The main philosophy of upstream healthcare is based on the question, "How do we prevent this problem from ever happening again?” This incorporates looking at factors in a community like income, transportation, education, food access, and housing stability to address the root causes of health problems. Rather than seeing multiple diabetic patients in a day and treating their individual symptoms with nutritional guidelines and medicine, an upstream approach studies diabetes by focusing on systemic barriers such as food deserts and health literacy.
Our Values
01
Act with empathy and respect.
We strive to treat everyone with empathy and respect. This goes for everyone we encounter: patients, physicians, and one another. This means keeping an open mind, listening to others without judgment, and working collaboratively to solve problems.
02
Work to empower and educate.
Our work aims to empower families with the information and support needed to live healthy lives. Through our services, we actively listen to our patient’s stories, provide them with resources, and work with their doctors to meet their needs. We also seek to educate ourselves and foster a supportive community on campus.
03
Research and innovate.
We strive to improve ourselves, our services, and our resources. We rely on data to evaluate and expand our resource database, patient intake process, and resource delivery methods. Our team constantly seeks to identify problems and implement unique solutions.
04
Collaborate and communicate.
We believe that working collaboratively yields better results than working alone. Our success and continual growth depends upon the collective passion, energy, and contributions from all our members. We combine our shared skill sets and knowledge to serve our patients and implement long-term, meaningful changes.