Rachel Guthrie, a naturopathic medicine student at National University of Health Sciences (NUHS), has been selected for the 2026-2027 Health and Medicine Policy Research Group’s prestigious Schweitzer Fellowship, becoming the seventh NUHS student and fourth naturopathic medicine student to receive the honor.
For 30 years, the Schweitzer Fellowship has supported graduate students in the fields of health and human services to address health inequities through year-long community projects. Each year, 26 fellows create initiatives that address social determinants of health like violence prevention and health education for underserved populations. Fellows complete over 200 service hours, benefit from mentorship and work across disciplines to build leadership and strengthen community impact.
Inspired by her experiences as a mother and doula, Guthrie was motivated to make a meaningful impact within the Black maternal health community, “I wanted to combine my lived experiences with my current education at NUHS to create a project that empowers mothers with the knowledge and resources they need to navigate postpartum health.”
Her service project will focus on strengthening participants’ self-advocacy to support better maternal health outcomes and encourage empowered, informed decision-making during pregnancy and postpartum care. Guthrie plans to work with Black pregnant and postpartum women on the South Side of Chicago to emphasize the importance of informed maternal health care.
“I have witnessed how critical the postpartum period is and how often mothers feel unsupported once they leave the hospital. I am partnering with a community organization, BA NIA Inc., to provide culturally responsive postpartum education that helps Black mothers recognize warning signs with hopes of decreasing negative outcomes,” Guthrie said.
Along with her service project, Guthrie will take part in a 13-month program that offers monthly meetings, training and ongoing opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. After graduating, Guthrie will dedicate her career to improving and expanding women’s access to culturally responsive maternal health care by working alongside community organizations. She hopes to empower women by giving them the tools they need to make informed decisions about their health.
Guthrie said, “I am very honored to be selected as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow. It is an incredible opportunity to partner with a community organization and hopefully make a meaningful impact on lives throughout the Chicagoland area.”
Rachel Guthrie joins a distinguished group of NUHS Schweitzer Fellows whose community-focused projects have addressed a range of health and wellness needs. The past recipients include Diana Dao, Tina Barrett, Rachel Francis, Rameda Lee, Phylicia Hammonds and Dana Madigan.
