Community Partner: Hopple Street Clinic
The Hopple Street Neighborhood Health Center, located in Cincinnati’s North Fairmount neighborhood, represents a collaborative effort between Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the local community. This center provides comprehensive pediatric primary care services, guiding children from birth through adolescence and into adulthood on a journey of living healthier lives. The experienced pediatricians and healthcare professionals are dedicated to treating each child as part of their extended family, ensuring a welcoming and supportive environment for every visit. With amenities that reflect those of a top-tier children’s hospital and the personalized touch of a neighborhood clinic, Hopple Street offers accessible, world-class care for some of Cincinnati’s most underserved patients.
Beyond medical services, the Hopple Street Neighborhood Health Center emphasizes holistic support for families. The facility houses community resources such as the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program and the City of Cincinnati Health Department, providing access to nutritional assistance, dental care, and pharmacy services. Recognizing the diverse needs of its patients, the center also assists with transportation to ensure that logistical challenges do not hinder access to care. This integrated approach underscores the center’s commitment to fostering the health and well-being of the children and families it serves.
About Noah
I’m Noah Smith, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. I was born and raised in Cincinnati and am a proud Class of 2017 Winton Woods High School graduate. I chose this elective because I’m passionate about providing world-class, family-centered healthcare to underserved communities, especially those like the one that raised me. I believe medicine should honor the full humanity of every patient and caregiver, and I see narrative medicine as a means to restore dignity to the clinical encounter. I aim to ensure that every family seeking to improve their health or that of their children feels heard, valued, and respected.
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University, where I developed a robust foundation in brain development and health disparities. Since starting medical school, I’ve engaged in research focused on neurodevelopmental disorders, including projects on congenital aqueductal stenosis using fetal MRI and shared decision-making in pediatric care. My clinical and academic interests lie at the intersection of child neurology, social medicine, academia, and ethics.
Looking ahead, I hope to build a career in academic child neurology with an emphasis on neurodevelopmental disorders and complex care. I’m particularly interested in partnering with families to enhance care delivery, dismantle structural inequities, and prioritize dignity as a core clinical outcome. Through this elective, I aim to develop further the skills necessary to listen deeply, tell stories responsibly, and advocate meaningfully for the children and families I serve.