Missouri Medical Review Fall 2009 : Page 26

Practicing Compassion students coordinate care for underserved at free clinic On Thursday nights, MU medical students take a break from their books, but they don’t stop learning about medi- cine and compassionate care. Since October 2008, MU students and physicians have provided uninsured patients with access to free primary care, prescriptions and lab tests through MedZou, Columbia’s first student-coordinated outreach clinic. Boone County is home to more than 20,000 uninsured residents. Now, they have the opportunity to manage chronic health conditions before they become acute, a possibility that might previously have been out-of-reach, says Kayla Schleicher, a third-year medical student who helped coordinate the clinic’s start-up. “Being able to sit down with patients who haven’t had health care in five to 10 years and arrange for them to see a physician, have labs if needed, and then provide them with a diagnosis … to be able to be a part of that for patients has been exceptional,” Schleicher said. a part of their lives.” Medical students began researching the possibility of opening a student-coordinated clinic in fall 2007. They conducted a small survey of patients in stable condition at MU’s emergency department. More than 21 percent of these non-urgent patients were uninsured, an indication that they could benefit from another source of care, Schleicher said. Thirty percent to 40 percent of the patients treated at the Family Health Center, Columbia’s federally qualified health center, are uninsured. At times, there has been a long waiting list for these patients to receive care at the center, said Erik Lindbloom, MD, associate professor of family and community medicine and MedZou faculty adviser. “We thought that MedZou could sometimes be a triage clinic for folks who were waiting to establish care at the Family Health Center,” he said. Each Thursday, the MedZou clinic begins at 5 p.m. and lasts until 9 p.m. Patients first see several medical students, “The heart of this comes from our enthusiastic and motivated students. And from an educational standpoint, they are getting early exposure to medical skills, not even specific to underserved care, that they otherwise wouldn’t experience for another year or two.” — Erik Lindbloom, MD, associate professor of family and community medicine Mark Sims, a second-year medical student and one of the clinic’s directors, said that working at the clinic has already given him insight into how those experiencing life’s hardships — such as lack of a job or social stability — can have an even more difficult time staying healthy. Sims used the example of a young MedZou patient who was homeless and diabetic. She had never had insulin to treat her condition. “To see her step in the door and get something that never would have been a priority or a possibility for her be- fore is a huge thing,” Sims said. “It’s really inspiring to sit down with people and know that you’re helping them with 26 Missouri Medical review Fall 2009 then a physician and a social worker. A visit may last up to an hour, but clinic organizers feel the process is beneficial to students’ education as well as patient care, Schleicher said. Through their work in MedZou, first- and second-year medical students gain significant interaction with patients earlier in their medical training, as well as the opportunity to work as a part of a health care team, along with nursing, public health and social work students and professionals. “The heart of this has come from our enthusiastic and motivated students,” Lindbloom said. “And from an educa- tional standpoint, they are getting early exposure to medi- cal skills, not even specific to underserved care, that they

Practicing Compassion

Students coordinate care for underserved at free clinic On Thursday nights, MU medical students take a break from their books, but they don’t stop learning about medicine and compassionate care. Since October 2008, MU students and physicians have provided uninsured patients with access to free primary care, prescriptions and lab tests through MedZou, Columbia’s first student-coordinated outreach clinic. Boone County is home to more than 20,000 uninsured residents. Now, they have the opportunity to manage chronic health conditions before they become acute, a possibility that might previously have been out-of-reach, says Kayla Schleicher, a third-year medical student who helped coordinate the clinic’s start-up. “Being able to sit down with patients who haven’t had health care in five to 10 years and arrange for them to see a physician, have labs if needed, and then provide them with a diagnosis … to be able to be a part of that for patients has been exceptional,” Schleicher said. Mark Sims, a second-year medical student and one of the clinic’s directors, said that working at the clinic has already given him insight into how those experiencing life’s hardships — such as lack of a job or social stability — can have an even more difficult time staying healthy. Sims used the example of a young MedZou patient who was homeless and diabetic. She had never had insulin to treat her condition. “To see her step in the door and get something that never would have been a priority or a possibility for her before is a huge thing,” Sims said. “It’s really inspiring to sit down with people and know that you’re helping them with a part of their lives.” Medical students began researching the possibility of opening a student-coordinated clinic in fall 2007. They conducted a small survey of patients in stable condition at MU’s emergency department. More than 21 percent of these non-urgent patients were uninsured, an indication that they could benefit from another source of care, Schleicher said. Thirty percent to 40 percent of the patients treated at the Family Health Center, Columbia’s federally qualified health center, are uninsured. At times, there has been a long waiting list for these patients to receive care at the center, said Erik Lindbloom, MD, associate professor of family and community medicine and MedZou faculty adviser. “We thought that MedZou could sometimes be a triage clinic for folks who were waiting to establish care at the Family Health Center,” he said. Each Thursday, the MedZou clinic begins at 5 p.m. and lasts until 9 p.m. Patients first see several medical students, then a physician and a social worker. A visit may last up to an hour, but clinic organizers feel the process is beneficial to students’ education as well as patient care, Schleicher said. Through their work in MedZou, first- and second-year medical students gain significant interaction with patients earlier in their medical training, as well as the opportunity to work as a part of a health care team, along with nursing, public health and social work students and professionals. “The heart of this has come from our enthusiastic and motivated students,” Lindbloom said. “And from an educational standpoint, they are getting early exposure to medical skills, not even specific to underserved care, that they Otherwise wouldn’t experience for another year or two.” More than 160 medical students have been involved in caring for more than 180 patients during the clinic’s first year of operation, under the supervision of MU physicians. In April, MedZou was recognized as the University of Missouri’s best new organization during the Chancellor’s Excellence Awards Ceremony. “MedZou stood out among the others for the quality and breadth of its activities,” said Nick Evans, coordinator for student organizations in the Department of Student Life, which hosts the awards. “These people are potentially saving lives.” Chris Gu, a second-year medical student and a Med- Zou clinic coordinator, said the award is shared with the spectrum of students, health professionals and faculty, all of whom have dedicated time and effort to contribute to its success. “This year’s nominees included many outstanding organizations, and for MedZou to win the award is a tremendous honor and an accomplishment,” Gu said. “It was great to see everyone’s hard work and dedication get recognized by the leadership of MU, and we hope to continue and improve upon what we have all helped to create.” Financial backing for MedZou comes from a four-year $30,000 grant from the Association of American Medical Colleges, an annual $10,000 donation through the medical school, private donations, student fundraisers and building space donated by the Central Missouri Community Action Agency, where the clinic is housed. A one-year $15,000 grant from the mid-Missouri affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation supports a women’s breast care outreach program that educates community members on breast health and breast cancer risk factors. For more information about contributing to MedZou, please contact Sue Dunkin, School of Medicine Foundation executive director, at (573) 882-5371 or toll-free at 1-866-260-4517. —Natalie Fieleke

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