Community Health Lab
Our Story
Access to adequate healthcare is a fundamental human right. Transportation is a significant barrier to accessing health services for the underserved neighborhoods in Durham and Orange counties. To try and bridge that gap, the idea of the Community Health Lab was formed.
With over two decades of collaboration between Durham Tech and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) it was the natural solution to improve community health by partnering together. Blue Cross NC generously gifted Durham Tech a $1 million grant for a Community Health Lab, which enabled students and supervising practitioners to travel where care was most needed. With the support of Blue Cross NC, the DT Community Health Lab routinely provides services to low-income individuals—mainly children—throughout Durham and Orange counties.
Our Mission
As the Community Health Lab at Durham Tech, our mission is to serve communities that are under-resourced or in need across Durham and Orange counties.
- Deliver cross-disciplinary healthcare, health education, and outreach to the community.
- Equip our workforce with clinical experience and training to broaden their view of healthcare and see community health issues firsthand, resulting in better-prepared and empathetic practitioners.
- Promote healthcare education in communities and engage students to expand awareness about healthcare careers.
The critical word in Durham Tech’s title is “Community.” It is Durham Tech’s obligation and honor to serve the residents of our hometown in creative and distinctive ways.
