Welcome to Urban Service Talks featuring Dr. Erin Fanning Madden, a sociologist, community-engaged researcher, and assistant professor at Wayne State University’s School of Medicine. Dr. Madden is a leading voice in substance use research, harm reduction, and healthcare access, with over $6 million in research funding, including a major CDC grant supporting digital interventions for overdose response.

In this episode, Dr. Madden joins UConn School of Dental Medicine students Briti Prajapati and Bryson Christian for a conversation on the deep-rooted challenges of stigma in healthcare, the critical role of harm reduction, and why even well-intentioned providers can struggle to put it into practice. Drawing from her expertise and frontline work, Dr. Madden helps us explore how policy shapes care—and what future healthcare professionals can do to advocate for more ethical, compassionate, and effective systems.

Tune in for a powerful discussion on saving lives, challenging the status quo, and reimagining healthcare for underserved communities.

https://health.uconn.edu/connecticut-area-health-education-center-network/urban-services-track-and-ahec-scholars/urban-service-talks/

In this episode, UConn Social Work students Hannah Martin and Monique Asselin talk with Michal Klau-Stevens, LCSW, about her “year of grief and loss.” She explains how she worked through grief and loss within her personal and professional life over the past year. Michal Klau-Stevens is a private practice clinician in Connecticut, and an alumni of the Urban Services Track, Cohort 10.

https://health.uconn.edu/connecticut-area-health-education-center-network/urban-services-track-and-ahec-scholars/urban-service-talks/

In the third episode of our Grief and Loss podcast series, UConn School of Social Work students Jasmine Morris and Melissa McCann explore the vital topic of palliative care education for healthcare students, joined by Dr. Germine Soliman, a leader in palliative care and geriatric oncology at UConn Health and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UConn School of Medicine. Dr. Soliman shares her insights and experiences working with both patients and students. Together, we discuss the importance of equipping future healthcare professionals with the skills and confidence to navigate conversations around grief, loss, and end-of-life care. Recognizing a gap in our own education, we hope this episode encourages fellow students to join us in learning more about this essential aspect of patient care.

https://health.uconn.edu/connecticut-area-health-education-center-network/urban-services-track-and-ahec-scholars/urban-service-talks/