The “Care” in Health Care

Frigid offices. Metal stethoscopes. Flu shots. It’s easy to think of medicine as cold and clinical.

But there’s another side to health care beyond your sick visits and annual appointments. Doctors are working behind the scenes to change this narrative and humanize the health care experience.

For Autumn Hampton, a fourth-year pre-med student at the University of Georgia, health care advocacy—particularly for marginalized communities—holds as much weight as her medical research. A dual major in biomedical physiology and sociology, Hampton aims to become an obstetrician-gynecologist, with a focus on oncology. 

This desire is deeply personal; she has experienced the challenges of cancer care, having lost her mother, Sondra Hampton, in 2023 after a decade-long battle with breast cancer. 

“It’s really important to me to be an advocate for my community in the health care field,” Hampton says. “A lot of that stems from my mother being diagnosed when I was 10 years old and watching her go through that process until I was 20 years old.” 

Autumn often reflects on her mother as “a true inspiration for the woman I am today” and describes her as a pillar of love and dedication who became a leader in her community.  She set a powerful example for her daughter, and in return Autumn carries on her mother’s legacy in both her personal life and her work with patients.

“Many hospital patients are experiencing what may be one of the most painful experiences they’ll ever go through. Having someone who looks like you, understands your background, and is solidly on your team can make all the difference in someone’s health care journey.”

Hampton grew up in a small, rural community and rarely encountered Black medical professionals. She wants to be part of a support system for someone’s journey, whether with cancer or birth, because she knows the impact that representation has, especially for Black women who face health care disparities.

“Being a Black doctor is especially important in communities where you don’t see a lot of representation for people of color,” she says. “Without having an advocate in the field, Black women often have their pain minimized. That’s my main reason for wanting to be an OB/GYN.”

Hampton takes every opportunity to build a more compassionate health care system for vulnerable and marginalized communities. She works as a caregiver and engagement coordinator at Arbor Terrace of Athens, an assisted living facility, where she navigates a delicate balance between providing care and autonomy. 

“You’re working on two levels,” she says. “There are basic needs for grooming, feeding, showering, apartment maintenance. But a lot of these residents can’t do everything or go everywhere they used to for health and security reasons. My job is also about how to keep them engaged in a way where they have their dignity and their independence.”

Hampton has worked with the facility’s assisted living and memory care departments and isn’t content with the status quo. She runs exercises to engage the residents and stimulate their creativity so they can take a more active role in their health decisions. For her, effective care means caring for the whole person, not just the medical condition.

Hampton’s passion for advocacy also extends to her work with Kesem, a nonprofit organization that supports children impacted by a parent’s cancer. She started as a counselor before joining the executive board and becoming an operations coordinator. During her role, she planned free camp activities and year-round support for the children, including a mini carnival, a two-week summer camp, and Friends and Family Days, where families affected by cancer come to support each other.

This work, combined with being president of the University Union Student Programming Board and being a co-founder of the Biomedical Physiology Society, earned her UGA’s 2023-2024 Student Leader of the Year. 

Hampton dedicates significant time to helping patients and families affected by cancer, but she also leverages her undergraduate research in the fight against the disease. As part of UGA’s Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, she works to identify the origins of pediatric glioblastomas and develop cancer treatments. Her research on stem cells and brain tumors with UGA’s Center for Molecular Medicine was recently published by Oxford Academic in the Neuro-Oncology Advances Journal and is advancing knowledge in this critical field.

Whether she’s interacting with families or looking at slides under a microscope, Hampton works to create a more holistic understanding of cancer care—one that addresses both the medical and emotional needs of patients and their families. 

“The thing about my time at UGA is that I don’t do things to inflate my resume or be a better candidate for med school,” says Hampton. “I’m just doing everything that I want to do. My mom always told me to go wherever I want to go but leave a legacy behind me and that’s what I’m working towards. 

“Even if all the things I’ve done here don’t directly affect my career, they’re building me into the person that I want to become, and that’s more important.”