Before coming to Stanford, Elisa Rivas volunteered at a local hospital in the labor and delivery unit, where the population served was primarily immigrants and Spanish-speaking. Elisa’s mother immigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala, and so Elisa could relate to the underlying barriers patients faced when trying to access care for themselves and their babies.

As a first-generation college student majoring in psychology, Elisa said the thought of going into research had intimidated her when she came to Stanford. Her perspective began to shift, however, when she learned about the DRIVE Program. After being accepted into the program, she was paired with Professor of Pediatrics Henry C. Lee, MD, to study family engagement in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

While parent presence in the NICU has been associated with reductions in neonatal morbidity and mortality, there are many barriers—such as lack of family leave, sibling childcare, transportation, language, or health literacy—that may limit the amount of time families spend at the hospital and their engagement with the healthcare team. To better understand these barriers, Elisa, Dr. Lee, and his lab developed a project with both quantitative and qualitative aims. Through her participation in the DRIVE Program, Elisa helped to draft the submission to Stanford’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), created survey questions, utilized REDCap and Qualtrics for survey development, and explored different recruitment practices.

Why were you interested in applying to the DRIVE Program?

Elisa: I started looking through all of the potential projects we could be involved in. I found a couple—the study with Dr. Lee included—that I felt like: Okay. Actually, I could really see myself doing this type of work and enjoying it. And I think that I could actually contribute something.

As a result of my own community and my own experiences, I know that it's important that we understand why and how certain families don't get access to the best care compared to other families. And we can then use that research to start trying to get rid of those obstacles and those barriers.

What was the most rewarding aspect of the DRIVE Program?

Elisa: Being able to contribute—to be given tasks and be trusted to take care of them—I felt was the most rewarding. At this point, I don't feel nervous to go into research anymore. I feel very comfortable continuing this project with Henry as well as the lab. Overall, I feel more validated in my interests, and I can see that I don't have to underestimate myself.

Mentor perspective

Dr. Lee: The DRIVE Program was a great way to interact with students. I really appreciate any time that I have the opportunity to try to get students excited about research, especially those who might not have that sort of well-resourced background in high school. Our lab’s research projects are ultimately about health equity. Elisa’s perspective is enriching to have on our team to help us with research. 

BY LAURA HEDLI

Laura Hedli is a writer for the Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics and contributes stories to the Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute.