Powerful Partnerships: Medical College of Wisconsin

Pathfinders collaborates with organizations across the community to create a strong network of support for our youth and young adults.

Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is one such partner. MCW pediatric residents come to Pathfinders’ Drop-In Center to answer youth’s questions and engage young people in building positive relationships with health professionals. Additionally, MCW has a representative on the Quality and Safety Committee of Pathfinders’ Board. And, for many years, Pathfinders has provided training for MCW pediatric residents. Hear from Dr. Lauren Titus, graduate of MCW’s pediatric residency program and current Assistant Professor of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, about the impact of these trainings:

“Through the Community Pediatrics Training Initiative (CPTI) at MCW, pediatricians in training visit community organizations throughout the Milwaukee area to learn about the communities they serve and how they serve them. Pathfinders is one of the residents’ favorite community organizations to engage with. Our pediatric residents love learning about Pathfinders’ mission and unique approach to supporting youth. In the hospital, our pediatric residents learn so much about medical care for teens, but at Pathfinders our doctors in training realize how much of health is inherently tied to housing, nutrition and community support. Our goal at MCW is that our pediatric residents will take these invaluable lessons learned from Pathfinders and apply it to the community they live and work in. 

“My personal engagement with teens at Pathfinders has also led to a better understanding of how we as doctors can serve teens that identify as LGBTQ+. As pediatricians, we want to provide inclusive healthcare for kids of all sexualities and genders – but what does that mean to teens themselves? As disability rights activists first stated, ‘Nothing about us without us.’ The teens at Pathfinders felt empowered to provide us at MCW with feedback on how to talk to them about the challenges they can face as LGBTQ+ people, how to discuss their sexual health, how to address their privacy in a healthcare encounter and how they want to be treated by healthcare providers. We’ve taken this feedback and presented to several departments at our hospital with the hopes of adjusting our medical practice to reflect what teens want.” 

Stay tuned for more Powerful Partnerships stories. Want to get involved with Pathfinders as a partner or volunteer? Contact Community@PathfindersMKE.org.