NBC anchor Tom Brokaw once said, “It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.”
He was referring to volunteers, and the huge impact they have.
This month, I’d like to use my column to encourage members of the College of Medicine faculty to volunteer some of their time in support of the SHARING Clinics.
Started in 1997 as a medical student’s vision of the need for quality care among Omaha’s underserved, the SHARING Clinics have thrived over the past 17 years. They have expanded into five different clinics each with a specific purpose. One clinic provides general health care, while the others are directed at specific disorders – diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases, vision care and dental care.
The SHARING program has been recognized nationally for its award winning efforts. Here’s more information on the SHARING Clinics.
Each year, more than 1,400 patients receive care through the SHARING Clinics. For most of these patients, if it wasn’t for the SHARING Clinics, they would be out of luck. They are people who fall through the cracks….who don’t have insurance or access to health care as we know it.
As you’ve probably noticed, interdisciplinary clinical programs are the future of medicine. At UNMC, the SHARING Clinics were way ahead of the curve. They’ve been providing an amazing interdisciplinary education experience for our students from their inception. They bring together students from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistant, medical family therapy, medical nutrition, physical therapy, and clinical laboratory science.
Obviously, it takes manpower to keep these clinics going. Currently, about 30 UNMC faculty members regularly volunteer their time to mentor and supervise students in the SHARING Clinics.
The biggest need for volunteers is in the weekly SHARING Clinic providing general health services for adults. This clinic begins each Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the UNMC Specialty Care Center, 804 S. 52nd St.
Some of our top faculty members volunteer in the SHARING Clinics. It doesn’t matter what your academic rank is. Faculty are most needed who specialize in family medicine, general internal medicine, and internal medicine subspecialties, but all volunteers are welcome.
The hours you decide to volunteer would be strictly up to you. The more volunteers, the less the commitment needed from any one individual.
This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know our students and help them learn what it means to be a caring physician while at the same time giving back to the community of Omaha by helping care for our most vulnerable fellow citizens.
If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Ricki Otten, uotten@unmc.edu, the faculty board chair for the SHARING Clinics. It will be well worth your while.