An app seeking to improve healthcare access for resettled refugees in Northwest Arkansas earned the top prize at Demo Day, the capstone event of the semester in the McMillon Innovation Studio that showcases the learnings and prototypes developed by student teams after a semester of guidance and mentorship.
Many refugees arrive in the United States with various injuries or illnesses, some of which are severe, and they often lack knowledge of how to seek treatment, according to Kendall Jasper, leader for a team that partnered with Canopy NWA and Community Clinic to "address the disconnect between refugees and the American healthcare system."
The team interviewed refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Guatemala to discover their pain points. Common barriers included difficulty expressing pain and describing symptoms, confusion about using Medicaid, language barriers and long wait times to schedule appointments.
The app functions as a health literacy guide, with a "learning library" hosting credible medical sources translated by AI. There is also a pain guide that utilizes visuals through a speech-to-text function.
The app allows for profile customization to include personal health information and there are built-in resources to schedule appointments, transportation or find a nearby hospital.
"As many know, the American healthcare system is very intricate, which makes it difficult to navigate," Jasper said.
"We hope that addressing the disconnect between refugees and the American healthcare system will help these individuals make better informed decisions about their healthcare needs."
Reflecting on this amazing semester, I had the privilege to serve as the project manager
of the Community Clinic NWA and Canopy NWA Design team at the McMillon Innovation Studio. As a team, we prototyped a health literacy guide app that better connects NWA newly
resettled refugees to the American healthcare system. Words can’t describe how proud
I am of our hard-working and talented team of Valeria Mazariegos, Daniela Vasquez, Ariel Rogers, Hideo Yamashita, and Wyatt young. The hard work and dedication we poured into this
project came to fruition as we won first place in the Social Impact track and the
Overall winner of Demo Day Winter 2023! This surreal feat would not have been possible
without such an amazing team and our mentors. I am beyond grateful to have been a
part of this fulfilling journey of giving back to our local community.
Huge thank you to the studio for providing this opportunity to enhance my skills such
as project management/leadership, hands-on problem-solving skills, critical thinking,
and many other invaluable skills you do not get in the traditional classroom setting.
I am continuously learning and refining my skills each semester that I am involved
in the studio.
Thank you to everyone who supported me in this project management role this semester.
I couldn’t have asked for more involved, dedicated, and knowledgeable mentors than Amanda Echegoyen and Malath Alarnosi, as their guidance played an instrumental role in the success of our project. Thank
you, Justin Urso, Jessica Andrews, Courtney Ulrich Smith, and Namrata Anand for their support and leadership throughout this semester.
Lastly, A special thank you to Doug McMillon for bringing an opportunity like this to life. Thank you for your continuous support
to the studio and for allowing University of Arkansas students such as myself to have
such a unique experience to simultaneously grow professionally and as a student.
