Weekly Free Clinic Opened By Health Sciences Students

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Also Included In: Public Health;  Primary Care / General Practice;  Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 18 Feb 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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UC Irvine health sciences students - tomorrow's doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals - have opened a free clinic to provide vital primary and preventive care services and referrals for people without adequate access to healthcare.

The UC Irvine Outreach Clinic is located at the Hurtt Family Health Clinic, which is part of the Orange County Rescue Mission's Village of Hope at the former Marine Corps Air Station, Tustin. It is open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays.

"I'm honored and inspired that our students have taken a leadership role in establishing and maintaining this clinic," said Dr. David N. Bailey, health affairs vice chancellor. "This effort will help to train them for future careers as doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers and will provide much-needed care to the medically underserved."

The free clinic offers primary care, preventive medicine, laboratory testing, medication and healthcare referral services to people with very low incomes who do not qualify for government programs.

The students receive thorough training in clinic management and serve under the direction of UCI faculty physicians, led by medical director Dr. Emily Dow and Dr. Alberto Manetta, associate dean of diversity in the medical school.

"With so many uninsured patients and no systemic solutions in sight, it is important that we take individual responsibility for the health of our communities," said Shannon Toohey, a second-year medical student and clinic organizer. "By donating a little bit of time, we can make an enormous difference in the lives of others, which is a pretty small contribution for such a large outcome."

The UC Irvine Outreach Clinic is an extension of a previous effort to address the healthcare needs of underserved populations. For the last 10 years, UCI students ran Clínica Cariño, a monthly clinic in partnership with Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen in Santa Ana.

Financial and faculty support from the UC Irvine School of Medicine and private donors allowed the students to offer free clinical services weekly. The UC Irvine Outreach Clinic plans to eventually expand its locations and days of operation and offer mental health, dental and vision care.

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A grand opening is set for 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Hurtt Family Health Clinic, 1 Hope Drive, Tustin.

For more information about the UC Irvine Outreach Clinic, see http://ucioutreachclinics.org/.

About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 27,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The top employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4.2 billion.

Source: Tom Vasich
University of California - Irvine

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