Social Connections Program

About Our Services

What We Do
Our mission is to prepare the health professional workforce to address social isolation and loneliness (SIL) in older adults through comprehensive, person-centered care. At UTHealth Houston, we connect students with aging Texans in an intergenerational program that highlights the impact of SIL on health and the importance of responsive healthcare. By fostering these connections, we aim to empower older adults to live meaningful, purposeful lives while training future health professionals to value and support our aging population.

A pathway to learning, a journey to compassionate care.

Social Connections a doctor talking with a patient
Social Connections - Two doctors in a clinical setting talking with a patient
Social Connections - Three men
Social Connections Group of people painting
Social Connections - Painting
Social Connections A Doctor talking with an elderly patient

Program Highlights

Enriching Education, Transforming Healthcare
Since 2021, our students have engaged older adults through regular phone calls and visits to assisted living and nursing home settings, fostering meaningful connections, sharing stories, and providing social reassurance. These interactions offer students firsthand experience with the challenges of aging, including screening for SIL and engaging in social prescribing to help older adults feel valued and connected. In addition to improving the well-being of older adults, students develop practical clinical skills, empathy, and compassion while gaining insights into social medicine and the universal need for connection. Many students report reduced ageism, increased awareness of older adults’ social needs, and joy in positively impacting their lives, with plans to apply these lessons in their future careers.

Marsha Clapp

LIVE Bluebook Course

Social Connections Two Women Talking on the phoneRegister to join the Bluebook Course

Course Overview
Social isolation and loneliness are growing public health concerns for older adults, significantly impacting their physical and mental well-being. This Bluebook elective, led by Dr. Jason Burnett and offered by the Joan and Stanford Alexander Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, provides medical students with an opportunity to explore and address these critical issues.

Through weekly, meaningful phone calls with socially isolated older adults, students develop empathy-based communication and psychosocial assessment skills, supported by structured feedback sessions that deepen their understanding and impact.

Program Details

  • Start Date: January 2025
  • Course Format: Weekly calls and structured feedback sessions
  • Eligibility: Open to medical students at UTHealth Houston

Contact Information

Jason Burnett, PhD Director
Joshua Arnold, Program Coordinator

If you or someone you know may be interested in participating in this program as an older adult, please contact [email protected]. If you are a current student interested in participating, please contact Joshua Arnold, Program Coordinator, at [email protected].