Research Areas

Through our Community Health Access Model Partnerships (CHAMP) model, we partner with community-based organizations to bring health services directly to where social needs—such as food access and housing—are already being addressed. This co-located model is designed to be adaptable to evolving community needs while expanding access to essential health services.

In Indianapolis, we collaborate with local food pantries and homeless shelters, including Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, and Wheeler Mission shelters. Through these partnerships, our interdisciplinary teams—led by pharmacists and community health workers and supported by students—provide services to community members (“neighbors” and shelter guests) in trusted, familiar settings.

Our work focuses on addressing social drivers of health by offering health education, preventive screenings, and harm reduction services, including vaccination, naloxone distribution, medication disposal resources, and chronic disease risk screening (e.g., prediabetes and blood pressure). These efforts are paired with referrals to wraparound health and social services to support continuity of care.

Grounded in community-engaged and person-centered approaches, CHAMP strengthens access to care for historically under-resourced populations and creates a scalable model for integrating health services into community settings.