Things We Share
As a Luther student, global health major Anita Tamang ’22 spent a semester as a research assistant at Mayo Clinic, looking at chronic diseases and healthcare disparities among marginalized populations. Now, just two years out of college, she leads a team of community health workers addressing health inequities at CHW Solutions in St. Paul, Minn.
Anita Tamang '22
In her work, Anita partners with Minnesota’s Refugee Resettlement Programs Office to help newcomers to the state access medical care. She works mainly with people from Ukraine and Afghanistan, and most of the clients she sees are either pregnant or living with chronic disease. She says, “Every patient has their own story and journey and struggles. I help them navigate healthcare and social needs related to health, along with health education.”
It’s a complex service that Anita and her team provide. When meeting a new client, they assess social determinants of health—housing, income, transportation, social support, food security, and more—then connect people with community resources to fill in the gaps. They also educate clients on health conditions, health insurance navigation, and things like the difference between primary care versus urgent care versus the emergency room, with the ultimate goal that these newcomers—most of whom don’t yet speak English—eventually become able to self-manage their healthcare.
“My main challenge is that it’s in my nature to help and do what I can, and I have a hard time leaving my work behind,” she says. “This feeling of wishing I could help everyone doesn’t sit well with me sometimes. But I’m learning to accept the reality of doing what I can. Anyone who works in social services would understand.”
Anita’s sense of community care extends to her free time. As a Luther student in 2022, she organized a 75-mile bike ride from Rochester, Minn., to Decorah to raise money for people in need of healthcare in recently invaded Ukraine. It raised nearly $7,000. Anita has continued to organize the annual Ride 2 Rights (R2R) event ever since, “to support and amplify the voices of diverse communities experiencing health disparities.”
As a personal project, Anita Tamang ’22 (under the Luther bell, in a colorful jersey) organizes the annual Ride 2 Rights fundraising bike ride from Rochester, Minn., to Decorah. She founded the event as a Luther student as a way to spread awareness, raise money, and build connections for communities experiencing health disparities.
For now, Anita values the opportunity to better understand challenges and inequities in healthcare. “I decided to be a community health worker when I graduated because I wanted to understand at the grassroots level,” she says. “I’m hoping that one day I’ll be in the position to make decisions to improve community health. I’m hoping all of these stories and experiences will help me make the right decisions. They will help me advocate for the right things.”
But there are a few things she sees already. “We’re all human. There are things that make everyone smile, make everyone cry,” she says. “Kindness and compassion matter no matter who we are or where we are. These are things we share. You feel content when you lead with compassion.”