Biography

Heather-Lyn Haley, Ph.D., is a sociologist with a background in medical education, family, and social networks. Her current work focuses on race, power and privilege; reflective practice and cultural competence in medical education. As project manager in the department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Dr. Haley spends much of her time supporting the work of our community-engaged students. She is the founding director of the MLK Semester of Service Student Awards.  Her most recent publications highlight her community-based research with refugees from Burma, as well as curriculum development work she has done with colleagues in correctional health.  She has previously published qualitative research on medical student reflection and numerous methodological papers on the measurement of student, resident and faculty performance during standardized patient encounters. She is vice-president of the Worcester Women's History Project, and is beginning to explore the use of oral history and storytelling in community-building, civic engagement and preventive mental health.

Positions Held

*Project Manager for Community Health

*Assistant professor, Family Medicine and Community Health

*Dept representative, UMMS Faculty Council 

*Member, Worcester Partnership for Racial and Ethnic Health Equity

*Member, City Manager's Coalition Against Bias and Hate

Affiliations

American Sociological Association

Worcester Women's History Project

Audio Journal

Education

MA in Sociology, University of Massachusetts Amherst 2001

PhD in Sociology, University of MassachusettsAmherst 2003

Scholarly Activity

1. Evaluation of student, resident and faculty programs in population health.

2. Measurement of teacher identity among primary care preceptors

3. Evaluation and understanding of student reflective practice

4. Mentoring relationships within an academic Family Medicine department.

Mentoring:

I am very interested in developing methods for promoting cultural humility and creating the conditions for transformative learning around the topics of race, power and privilege. I am also beginning to approach the topic of health disparities anew, with a focus on the concept of patient-centeredness and a goal of privileging the patient voice in medical encounters.