The SHARING (Student Health Alliance Reaching Indigent Needy Groups)
Clinic, sponsored by the University of Nebraska of Nebraska Medical Center,
is one of few clinics nationally that combine service to the underserved
with an opportunity for students to learn.
The student operated SHARING Clinic, located in the South Omaha Neighborhood
Association (SONA) Clinic at 5211 S. 31st St., was founded in 1997 as a
way to provide care for the medically underserved in the community. Since
its inception, more than 400 volunteers have provided primary medical services
to more than 1,000 under or uninsured patients. Patients are asked to pay
$5 per visit but no one is turned away based on finances.
In recognition of the SHARING Clinics work in South Omaha, Gov. Mike
Johanns has proclaimed the week of April 15-21 as SHARING Clinic Week in
Nebraska.
In addition, the SHARING Clinic has received the Secretarys Award for
Innovations in Health Promotion and Diseases Prevention from the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Federation
of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions (FASHP). UNMC
received $7,500 by taking first place in the interdisciplinary award category.
The award recognizes forward-thinking proposals by health professions
students and generates creative strategies for addressing goals outlined
in HHS Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health.
The money will be used to start the SHARING Clinics newest addition, a
STD/HIV clinic.
“This clinic has made a significant difference in the lives of those
patients who have been seen,” said Jim Medder, M.D., associate professor
in the department of family medicine. “Services are provided that otherwise
would be unavailable to those without health care insurance.”
UNMC medical, nurse practitioner and pharmacy students run the year-round,
weekly clinic. UNMC Family Medicine doctors and UNMC College of Nursing
nurse practitioners supervise the students, who provide services such as
drug prescriptions for patients with diabetes and hypertension, referrals
for patients who need specialty care, diagnostic testing, health care maintenance,
and counseling. About 15 to 20 patients are seen each Tuesday.
Over the years, the students have expanded the SHARING clinic’s services
to include pharmacy, social services and lab/X-ray. The clinic provides
four extra summer clinics, along with the UNMC Pediatric Interest Group,
for free school physicals, immunizations and lead screening to children
in the area.
Dr. Medder, Paul Paulman, M.D., professor in the department of family
medicine, and Kate Fiandt, associate professor in the College of Nursing-Omaha,
serve as faculty advisors to the students who run the clinic. Students,
however, deal with the day-to-day issues of running the clinic, including
scheduling, finances, staffing and quality of care.
“They are learning valuable lessons that can’t be taught except by experience,”
Dr. Medder said.
Dr. Fiandt agreed. “This is a wonderful way for students to tests their
‘leadership wings’ in a safe environment and get positive feedback for
their good work. It’s also an opportunity for them to understand the “whole”
situation of a health care problem and see the patient in the context of
their family and social situation.”
Through the SHARING Clinic, students have more direct and comprehensive
patient care responsibilities in their first two years at UNMC.
“I enjoy watching the students struggle with, and learn from, the administrative
details of running a clinic,” Dr. Paulman said. “I love working with the
students in the clinic as they learn how to interact with patients and
learn from their clinical encounters.
“I’m extremely proud of the way the students have started and grown
the clinic. This is community medicine at it’s finest!”
Dr. Medder also enjoys supervising students as they see patients. “Their
enthusiasm is contagious and reinvigorates my faith in the goodness and
charity of the next generation of future clinicians. I’m proud to be able
to participate in the students’ achievements over the past few years.”
In late May, the SHARING Clinic plans to begin offering testing, counseling
and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. This clinic
will be unique in offering full-time Spanish translation as well as being
more accessible to south Omaha residents who currently go to Douglas County
at North 50th and Ames, said Colene Anderson, a second year medical student.
“This clinic will provide a needed service to our patients, and allow
our students a real life clinical experience in this very important area
of health care,” Dr. Paulman said.
SHARING Clinic volunteers will work with the Douglas County Health
Department to provide quality service to patients while maintaining strict
confidentiality. The Douglas County Health Department has a public STD
clinic, but it is about 10 miles away. Initially, the SHARING STD/HIV Clinic
will be open the first and third Wednesday of the month.