The SHARING (Student Health Alliance Reaching Indigent Needy Groups)
Clinic is one of few clinics nationally that combine service to the underserved
with an opportunity for students to learn. In May, Theresa Spitzer,
an African-American an arising second-year medical student at the University
of Nebraska Medical Center, will become coordinator of volunteer services
at a new sexually transmitted disease component of the clinic.
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.
“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.
Spitzer, a 1996 graduate of Lincoln High School, was appointed to be
the first coordinator of the new STD/AIDS clinic. In 1999, she received
a three-month fellowship from the University of Maryland Medical School
to conduct HIV/AIDS research in Kingston, Jamaica. She also did volunteer
work with infectious disease clinics in Atlanta, Ga., while an undergraduate
student at Spelman College.
We will be doing pre- and post-test counseling on all sexually transmitted
diseases, Spitzer said. Nurses will do the blood draws, but students
will discuss prevention, education and empowerment issues with the men
and women who come for assistance.
I will be responsible for assigning student volunteer duties, as well
as making sure the operations run smoothly for our staff and for the many
people we anticipate serving. I cant believe the quality of learning
experiences UNMC makes possible for students. I am interested in
possibly pursuing a career in infectious diseases and this is just a great
opportunity.
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.