H4H is an international organization that was first founded by undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida and now has chapters all over the world from Brazil to Sri Lanka.
Anne Marie Sullivan, a junior biological sciences major with a pre-med concentration, recently founded MSU’s chapter of H4H, an organization that provides free blood pressure screenings to underprivileged people. Sullivan said H4H’s mission of providing people with accessible heart health resources was her motivation for starting the chapter at MSU.
“This is really about emphasizing the importance of health. A simple blood pressure screening can tell you a lot about your health,” Sullivan said. “We then direct people to ways they can receive care if they have alarming screenings. We have procedures to help them find free clinics or clinics that help people who are at lower income levels if needed.”
MSU’s H4H reaches people in need by partnering with local programs like the Starkville Community Market, Casserole Kitchen and Starkville Strong. Since this is H4H’s first semester, its members are in the process of expanding these partnerships.
Clare Seo, a senior microbiology major with a pre-med concentration, is the Community Outreach Officer for H4H. Seo said that the people H4H serves through their events, especially those at Casserole Kitchen, are often appreciative.
“I had prior volunteer experience at Casserole Kitchen, so I knew they would really appreciate it as well as the community members who attend Casserole Kitchen,” Seo said. “A lot of them are living under the poverty line, and I know some of them are homeless too. They have just been so overly ecstatic. They will literally come up to you and start bragging about their blood pressure. It is really fulfilling to see them be so enthusiastic about it.”
Seo highlighted the importance of developing relationships with community members in fostering trust and leading to more opportunities to help.
“I have created a repertoire with a lot of the community members. I have seen them open up to me and feel more comfortable to ask to get their blood pressure screened. It is so rewarding that they trust me with their health,” Seo said.
Sullivan also discussed the relationships she has built while serving as president of H4H. As someone from the small town of Laurel, Mississippi, she spoke about the rewards of being involved in the Starkville community like she was in her hometown.
“I’ve gone a couple of times to Casserole Kitchen, so the kids are starting to recognize me. I am starting to recognize people,” Sullivan said. “I am not just popping in and helping them, but I am making relationships with our community members and filling that gap between college life and community life. I feel like there is such a void between being involved with the campus and being involved with the city. There is not much overlap, so I want to bridge that gap in these small ways.”
In addition to the rewards of community building, Sullivan spoke about the importance of developing interpersonal skills for future healthcare workers and all those who want to be productive, compassionate citizens.
“This gives students an opportunity to get clinical hours and to practice interacting with people,” Sullivan said. “Students are not necessarily practicing procedures on people. We are not giving shots or anything. It is just blood pressure, but I think there is so much people can learn from interacting with different people. I wanted to give students an opportunity to broaden their horizons.”
Vineeth Vanga, vice president of H4H, is a junior double majoring in biochemistry and microbiology and vice president. Vanga agreed that the organization allows students to develop crucial interpersonal skills.
“The most rewarding part of this organization is definitely getting to serve disadvantaged people,” Vanga said. “A lot of times people are very quick to put labels on them, and they do not realize that behind each of these people, there are stories. If we take time to understand their individual stories, we create a much stronger connection there.”
Vanga explained how learning people’s stories is particularly important for people who want to work in the medical field.
“I think all of the officers are pre-med. We are aspiring to go into the healthcare field, and proper patient interaction is super important. When I become a physician, the one thing I do not want to do is treat my patients like they are just symptoms or diseases rather than people with holistic stories. This organization has helped me practice that more,” Vanga said.
Vanga continued to speak on the value of continuing to practice communication as students looking to go into the medical field.
“Knowing how to talk to disadvantaged people, how to show compassion and kindness towards them and make sure they do not feel judged, is a skill that is really hard to learn. Unfortunately, our generation just has not been taught it,” Vanga said. “We do not like to talk about things like poverty. We need to be able to look at hard topics like this in the eye and then reach our hands out toward the people who are struggling to help them.”
For students interested in joining this project, H4H is not limited to one major, but prospective members have to pay dues, pass a practical and take a quiz just to ensure that members can fulfill their duties.
As for future events, H4H will be at the Starkville Community Market at Fire Station Park for the last market of the season on Nov. 16, and they will continue to make appearances at Casserole Kitchen and future Starkville Strong events. To learn more, follow their Instagram @h4h_msstate.
