April 2025:
Nine individuals and organizations from across Yale and New Haven were recognized during the annual Seton Elm-Ivy Awards ceremony on April 8, including NHP’s Ryan Sutherland, Director of Community Outreach.
“Ryan Sutherland exemplifies the power of student leadership to foster meaningful partnerships between Yale and the New Haven community. As a student at the Yale School of Public Health and now the School of Medicine, Ryan has dedicated his academic and volunteer efforts to advancing health equity for New Haven’s most underserved residents, including individuals who are unhoused, undocumented, or uninsured. “Throughout his time at Yale, Ryan has led and collaborated on numerous initiatives that directly benefit the New Haven community. As a coordinator for the Neighborhood Health Project (NHP) — a student-run clinic offering health screenings and referrals — Ryan has helped connect hundreds of New Haven residents to critical health services. Under his leadership, NHP hosted its most successful fundraiser to date, raising over $5,000 for clinical supplies. He also helped create the inaugural Health and Wellness Village at New Haven Pride, a collaborative effort that brought together local organizations to promote community health and well-being. “Ryan’s work with the HAVEN Free Clinic and as a founder of the Community Health Pantry initiative further reflects his commitment to addressing social determinants of health in partnership with community members. Through these programs, he has helped expand access to essential health and hygiene supplies while mobilizing Yale students to engage in service grounded in respect, trust, and collaboration. “As Executive Director of the New Haven PAUSE Project, Ryan leads the only local organization dedicated to providing shoes, socks, and hygiene kits to individuals experiencing homelessness. What began as a small effort has grown into a citywide initiative, collecting more than $120,000 in donated goods, including over 10,000 pairs of socks and 2,000 pairs of shoes. PAUSE now partners with local health professionals to provide direct foot care and has collaborated with Macy’s to distribute over 400 new winter coats. “For his outstanding leadership in strengthening Yale–New Haven partnerships and advancing community health, Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli and President Maurie McInnis present Ryan Sutherland with a Graduate Student Ivy Award.”
Read the full article here.
April 2025:
NHP was discussed on an episode of “Health Voices,” highlighting its work in the community, hosted by Fareed Salmon featuring Community Outreach Coordinator Ryan Sutherland. See the full podcast here.
Ryan Sutherland, Community Outreach Director of the Neighborhood Health Project (NHP), shares how his journey—from aspiring ethnomusicologist to public health advocate—shaped his passion for community-centered care. Since 2003, NHP has redefined healthcare access by offering free diabetes and hypertension screenings every Saturday at Loaves and Fishes food pantry in New Haven. In this episode, Ryan explains how meeting patients where they are not only improves health outcomes but also rebuilds trust in a system that has often failed them. We dive into NHP’s unique model, where students across health disciplines provide compassionate care alongside partners offering everything from emergency contraception to mental health services. We also explore how NHP’s philosophy—”nothing about us without us”—reshapes medical education by teaching future providers to view health equity as both a clinical and social justice imperative. Ryan’s story reminds us that global health starts in our own neighborhoods, and that real change begins by listening.
September 2024:
Yale School of Public Health LinkedIn: link
PC: Stephen Joyner
“Our goal with the Health and Wellness Village was to create an inclusive space where everyone—particularly members of the LGBTQ+ community—felt welcomed to explore meaningful and relevant health resources,” said Allie Webster, MPH ’25, Neighborhood Health Project Summer Intern, who helped coordinate this year’s Health and Wellness Village. “The event was a fantastic experience, filled with insightful conversations, valuable health information, and lots of laughter.”
Health & Wellness Village at New Haven Pride Creates Inclusive Space for Care (Yale School of Medicine): link
PC: Stephen Joyner
“Inclusion is not just a value. It’s a responsibility,” said NHP Director of Community Outreach Ryan Sutherland, MPhil, MPH ’20—a third-year MD student at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) — who coordinated the inaugural Health and Wellness Village. “The LGBTQ+ community often faces worse health outcomes. Being welcoming isn’t just about opening doors. It’s about meeting patients where they are and creating an environment where they feel comfortable engaging with health care.” Sutherland continued, “By partnering with the New Haven Pride Center and bringing together trusted community health care providers, we aimed to foster an inclusive space where everyone felt supported and valued—especially our neighbors who are LGBTQ+, who are experiencing homelessness, and who are undocumented.”
Rain doesn’t stop New Haven Pride from celebrating for a 28th year (WTNH): link
PC: Stephen Joyner
“Director of Community Outreach for the Neighborhood Health Project, Ryan Sutherland, told News 8, “… For people who identify as LGBT, it can be very difficult for them to connect with health and wellness resources in the community, and so we’re trying to make people feel included, feel safe, and feel welcome to engage with health services. ” The Health and Wellness Village wasn’t solely focused on physical health. They also feature immigrant and refugee services and resources for people struggling with housing.”
July 2024:
Casa Segura empowers Hispanic immigrants to manage medical conditions (Yale School of Medicine): link
PC: Sebastian Salazar
“Casa Segura aims to empower Hispanic immigrants Sebastian Salazar (bottom left), MPH ‘25 (epidemiology of microbial diseases), sits with members of the Casa Segura team during a recent diabetes screening at New Haven’s Episcopal Church of St. Paul and St. James. The Neighborhood Health Project-led initiative, introduced by Salazar in the spring of 2024, aims to empower recent Hispanic immigrants to New Haven by providing them with essential knowledge to manage chronic health conditions.”
December 2020
Neighborhood Health Project’s Critical Role in the Community Continues During COVID-19: link
PC: Anna Jennings
“While blood pressure and blood sugar screenings might appear simple, NHP provides an essential and consistent health care access point for members of the New Haven community, who might not have regular health care access.”
July 2019
Student directors Kathy Doan and Kedous Mekbib discuss the Neighborhood Health Project clinic in New Haven, CT: link
Saturday mornings usually find nurse practitioner student Kathy Doan, MPH ’16, and medical student Kedous Mekbib at a food pantry and clothing drive in a church near Wooster Square.
April 2012
New Haven and Yale celebrate activists who strengthen town-gown ties: link
The Elm-Ivy Awards honor people whose efforts support the collaboration of the university and its hometown. According to Levin, the awards are a special opportunity to recognize those whose work “may not always make the headlines” but “is the essential foundation on which our community’s progress rests.”
January 2012
Student health project offers blood screening: link
Yale students across the health profession schools provide tests, referrals, and advice on handling high blood pressure and blood glucose.