Photo: Bryan Goodchild
UMass Chan Medical School welcomed Jennifer Bradford, MD, assistant professor of family medicine & community health, as the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration of Service keynote speaker on Monday, Jan. 26.
Dr. Bradford is the director of social justice and inclusion in the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health and a key member of the department’s Diversity Response Team. She is the longitudinal opioid curriculum director, contributing to medical education and training in opioid use disorder management.
In her address, Bradford emphasized the importance of using one's own voice in various ways, including writing, education and advocacy, especially during challenging times; the significance of speaking up when we witness injustice; and listening to people whose experiences are different from our own as an act of service.
“I am a family medicine physician, and my calling has always been to certain marginalized communities, not only through medical expertise, but through deep listening, genuine connection and reflecting to people their inherent humanity and worth,” Bradford said. “These acts are not separate from medicine. They are medicine.”
The 38th annual tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. also included the presentation of the inaugural Chancellor’s Award for Mission-Aligned Community Impact to the Diabetic Foot and Community Health Clinics for the Underserved and its founder, Tammy T. Nguyen, MD, PhD, the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation Term Chair in Diabetes and assistant professor of surgery.
“Led by Dr. Nguyen, this special team is most deserving of this recognition, exemplifying our mission to advance the health and wellness of our diverse communities by delivering compassionate care directly to individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity,” said Chancellor Michael F. Collins during the presentation ceremony. “With dignity and humility, these volunteers from academic and clinical departments meet patients where they are at—frequently in neighborhoods with the greatest unmet need—to provide preventive care through early detection and education.”
Terence R. Flotte, MD, the Elisabeth Chair for the Dean of Medicine, executive deputy chancellor, provost and dean of the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, presented the 2026 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Student Service Recognition Awards to nine medical school students and two nursing students across four projects.
These awards celebrate UMass Chan students who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to community engagement and advancing health equity during their time at UMass Chan.
The 2026 projects recognized are:
Hypertension and diabetes screening among Ghanaians in Worcester and the rural Ghanaian communities
Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing student Elizabeth Lartey
Project description: Free hypertension and diabetes screenings for underserved Ghanaian communities in Worcester and rural Ghana, using collaborative partnerships to improve early detection, health literacy and access to care.
Akwaaba Free Medical Clinic
T.H. Chan School of Medicine student Phuong-Yuen (Catherine) Tran
Project description: As primary clinic coordinator, Tran helped create a physical and digital resource guide that improves access to primary care. She also planned the inaugural Heart Health Fair in September 2025, organizing more than 50 volunteers providing screenings, EKGs, education and CPR training.
Community partner: Akwaaba Free Medical Clinic
Mentors for Young Mothers
T.H. Chan School of Medicine students Abigail Howell, Katherine Specht, Lillian Voke, Brianna Roy, Christina Hayes, Melissa Mazzu, Margaret Reynolds and Ana-Maria Poole.
Project description: The team of UMass Chan students leads Mentors for Young Mothers, providing mentoring, health education, trauma-informed support and other resources to adolescent parents facing housing insecurity in Worcester. They host weekly sessions offering guidance on health access, parenting and emotional wellness.
Community partner: You Inc.
Empowering Wellness in the African Community
Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing student Elizabeth Osa-Agbontaen
Project description: Osa-Agbontaen founded the African Student Association at UMass Chan and launched the Empowering Wellness initiative for African immigrant communities in Worcester. She organized health fairs and screenings tailored to Liberian and Ghanaian communities, in partnership with local organizations and churches, and led cross-community outreach like the collaborative Nea Onnim Initiative health fair in 2025.
