Rosalinda Medrano Green has spent the past decade working to address public health concerns with various communities, combining her passions for research and community work to make a meaningful difference.
Green started in research at the University of California, San Francisco, working with Latina women and children.
“My research at UCSF, while valuable, was not an intervention,” she said. “I was just trying to capture information. With a lot of research, you don’t see the outcome until down the road. It’s used to inform interventions hopefully down the road. With UAMS, there is that added piece of direct community work and partnership with community.”
Green moved to Arkansas nine years ago, intending to stay for one year. At the time, she was a pre-med student, thinking she would attend medical school. However, she fell in love with social work and instead has stayed.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she was hired by UAMS as an outreach specialist. Her contribution grew, and she’s been in a leadership position for the past five years.
“My work here at the institute has done a great job allowing me to blend research and community impact,” she said.
She was among the first certified community health workers (CHWs) in Arkansas and played a pivotal role in launching a three-year statewide grant to expand community health worker training throughout the state.
She was instrumental in developing a comprehensive, culturally responsive curriculum, led training sessions, and mentored new CHWs as they prepared for the field.
Because of her leadership and dedication, over 180 CHWs are in communities across the state connecting people with resources, helping them navigate the health system and breaking barriers to care.