The Office of Community Health improves health care access by partnering with community groups and agencies.
Partnering in the Community
We’ve collaborated with hundreds of civic leaders, government agencies, and grassroots and faith-based organizations. This is a partial list of our current partner organizations and initiatives:
- Center for Child and Family Health
- Durham’s Partnership for Children
- Durham Technical Community College
- East Durham Children’s Initiative
- El Centro Hispano
- Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce
- Made In Durham
- North Carolina Central University
- Partnership for A Healthy Durham
- YMCA
If you are looking for a way to connect with our community; such as, events, partnerships, etc., please contact our Community Engagement Manager, Kimberly.Monroe@duke.edu or call her at 919-681-4041.
The MaryAnn Black Summer Internship Program
A career in healthcare brings health and healing to the community–it’s a calling.
The MaryAnn Black Summer Internship Program was created to open doors, mentor and inspire youth ages 15 to 18 to become the healthcare leaders of tomorrow. Today’s youth are our future doctors, nurses, technicians, researchers, administrators, support services staff, and other vital healthcare workers.
Founded by MaryAnn Black in 2015, the internships are a collaboration between Duke Health and Durham YouthWorks. Durham YouthWorks is a paid summer internship program designed to provide young adults who are residents of the City of Durham or Durham County with the skills needed to succeed in the workplace.
“The internship opened my eyes on how the medical field is all connected and it helped me explore the different professions,” said Marylin Marroquin.
"Not only did the internship program provide me with greater knowledge, it allowed me to expand and explore my knowledge on different healthcare options. I did change my mind on my interest many times but I’ve always found my way back to sports medicine. I also was given information on scholarships I could apply for and groups I could join,” said Jayzelle Davis. "The internship opened many doors that I didn't even know existed."
The summer of 2023 saw the largest class to date with 37 students representing 18 high school and early college programs from across Durham County. Students had the opportunity to learn about more than 70 healthcare careers that were presented and proctored by over 75 Duke Health professionals. Team members shared their career journeys, details about their occupation, and answered questions. The program format was hybrid with three virtual days a week and two in-person days a week. Students visited various nursing and medical specialty labs and participated in discussions with healthcare professionals.
Additionally, students learned about post-secondary education, certifications, scholarships, grants, and other resources. They also met alumni of the internship program who are now embarking on their own healthcare-centered journey.
Jsane King 2017 Alum said, "My experience as an intern opened my eyes to healthcare, especially in a hospital setting. I met so many amazing professionals that ranged from grief specialists, physician assistants (PAs), nurses, and oncologists. I learned a lot about oncology patients and learned to appreciate life in a way that most 16-year-olds do not consider. I am so grateful to have had that experience and I hope that many more students get the chance to be immersed in healthcare at a young age. Without the program, I would have never met that amazing oncology PA who told me that I would end up becoming a PA just like her. I can honestly say that the internship changed the trajectory of my future in the best way possible."
The 2024 MaryAnn Black Summer Internship program will run from July 8, 2024 through July 26, 2024. Click here to fill out an application and to find out more on the Durham YouthWorks site.
To learn more about the MaryAnn Black Summer Internship Program contact Darla.wohlfarth@duke.edu
Health Summits
We sponsor the annual Durham Health Summit, which raises awareness of key health issues in Durham and offers solutions that can lead to a healthier community. Each summit has a different theme, which allows us to focus on timely and important health needs.
Highlights from previous summits can be found in our archives.
Faith Based Initiatives
We have quarterly training sessions for health and wellness initiatives with local faith organizations, including programs for leaders and congregants. It’s a way to promote their role in community wellness and allows the Duke University Health System to be a part of it. These sessions offer information from Duke Pastoral Services, including topics of interest identified by local faith leaders.
For more information about the initiative, contact Kimberly Monroe at 919-681-4041 or kimberly.monroe@duke.edu.
