Jason Bourland, right, a first year medical
student at the UT Medical School,
discusses treatment possibilities with
Amos Jones, a patient at the HOMES
Clinic. The student-run clinic provides
health care services and education to
homeless individuals in Houston. Photos
by
Kelly Neely
Every Sunday at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Houston, student volunteers gather together at the HOMES Clinic to provide health care and education for Houston’s homeless.
The Houston Outreach Medicine, Education, and Social Services Clinic, or HOMES Clinic, is a student-run free clinic that provides primary care services and education to homeless individuals in the heart of downtown Houston.
This multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary clinic unites students from the UT Medical School at Houston, the UT School of Public Health, Baylor College of Medicine, as well as the University of Houston College of Pharmacy and Graduate College of Social Work. Healthcare for the Homeless – Houston (HHH) founded the free clinic in 2000. UT medical students have participated in this student-run clinic since its inception.
“The clinic gives students the opportunity to gain more clinical experience,” said Andrew Harper, M.D., an associate professor at the UT Medical School and the UT faculty advisor for the HOMES Clinic. “It’s an opportunity for them to learn about the particular health care needs of the homeless population, learn about the health care delivery system and learn how each member of the interdisciplinary team fits into the health care system as a whole.”
HHH oversees all clinical operations for the student-run clinic. At the clinic, students work in multi-disciplinary teams to provide care, support, and education to underserved patients. The student teams are led by third- or fourth-year medical students and overseen by physician volunteers.
Sara Staggs (left), a student and graduate assistant
at the UT School of Public Health, and Layla Becker
(right), a student at the University of Houston
Graduate College of Social Work, team up to provide
support and education to William Mitchell, a patient at
the HOMES Clinic. The multi-institutional and
multi-disciplinary clinic brings together students
from various schools and disciplines to health care
and education for Houston’s homeless.
“First, each patient is seen by the student teams; then the students present the patient’s case to the attending physician, who provides feedback and recommendations,” said Kevin Hoffman, a third-year medical student at the medical school and student executive director of the HOMES Clinic. “This teaches the students how to present cases and what’s going to be expected of them in their clinical rotations, as well as giving them the opportunity to serve the community and provide care.”
The HOMES Clinic is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays only. During clinic hours, the student teams normally serve 10 to 20 patients. The students provide initial care for the patients but also help them identify other resources available to them throughout the community.
“We get health care started for these patients but more than that we try to work on the social issues,” said Hoffman. “Sometimes, we’re the patient’s first step to getting started with social workers, shelters and the health care system. The clinic is a stepping block for them; we show the patients what they need to do so hopefully they’ll take the initiative to help themselves. ”
Physician volunteers needed
As a student-run organization, the HOMES Clinic is in constant need of physician volunteers to oversee the student teams. The physician volunteers assist the students with diagnosis and treatment of patients, as well as provide a learning experience for the student volunteers.
“The physician volunteers are technically the physician of record for the patients. Their role is to supervise and direct the care that the patient is receiving,” said Harper. “Without physician volunteers, the clinic can’t operate.”
Hoffman highlighted the necessity for UT doctors to volunteer. “As students, we can only see patients while under physician guidance; if we don’t have any physician volunteers than the clinic can’t open.”
With the contribution of student and physician volunteers, the HOMES Clinic provides quality, accessible health care to homeless Houston residents. Since its inception, student volunteers at the HOMES Clinic have served more than 1,000 patients. In addition to providing much-needed care, the clinic provides a unique learning experience to future health care professionals studying at the major higher educational institutions of Houston.
Physician preceptors are needed to work at the clinic, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., two to three Sundays a year. Physicians wishing to volunteer should contact Kevin.L.Hoffman@uth.tmc.edu
The HOMES Clinic is located at 1212 Prairie St. To volunteer at the HOMES Clinic, go to http://homes-clinic.com/volunteerinfo.aspx
—Kelly Neely, Institutional Advancement
Date Posted: 04/29/2008
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