Skip to main content
Skip to main content
https://www.txhes.com/_resources/images/newsroom-resources/stock-photos/21.08-tedtalk.png

TED Talk: Investing in Healthcare Workers Strengthens Communities

Raj Punjabi, a doctor who serves communities that have little or no health care in western Africa proposes that the Community Health Care workers be paid to do the work they are already providing in these underserved areas.  These Community Health Workers are normal everyday lay-people, trained to be the go-to person in the village or community to provide preventive care and to be the liaison, through the use of technology, for the community by accessing the expertise of doctors and nurses at a bigger health care clinic which may be far from that community.  Many times, these Health Care Workers are women who grew up in the communities and usually do not get paid for their dedication and work.  Dr. Punjabi wants to meet these injustices head-on and works to elicit pledges from the governments in these places to provide pay for the Community Health Care Workers, whether it is in the remotest villages in Africa or in the Appalachian mountains in the U.S.  An investment in the Workers is an investment in keeping all people healthy.


 


About the author: Debra Beck, Ph.D. is the former director of the Health Professions Programs at the University of North Texas where she served as the inaugural JAMP Faculty Director. After her retirement, she served as a consultant to TXHES where she established the Courage Sessions series to address the fast-changing landscape of admissions to professional school during the pandemic.

Inside Health Education

View Related Items

JAMP

JAMP’s Student Success Seminar Series: Empowering the Whole Scholar

JAMP's five-part seminar series, in partnership with OnlineMedEd, provided scholars with strategies to support both academic success and personal growth.

JAMP

Small Acts, Big Impact: Care Packages Help JAMP Scholars Thrive

Todd Lang, JAMP Faculty Director at UNT, launched a care package initiative to help students start the semester strong. What began with basic supplies quickly expanded to address food insecurity and other student needs, offering items like non-perishable food, lab supplies, and hygiene products. Lang’s effort, supported by his team, reflects JAMP's mission to remove barriers and ensure students can focus on their studies and succeed in their journey to become healthcare professionals.

data

Shifting Trends in Healthcare Education: Entry Year 2025

The pursuit of careers in healthcare continues to evolve as the latest Entry Year (EY) 2025 data highlights notable shifts in application and matriculation patterns across dental, medical, and veterinary schools. These changes reflect both the growing interest in these professions and subtle variations in academic benchmarks.