News! Transition to Electronic Medical Records
Students at the Mercy Clinic have helped the clinic transition from paper to electronic medical records over the course of four months by scanning patient files for over 4,000 patients. Student volunteers help maintain the electronic system by scanning and uploading incoming labs and diagnostic results. We are currently coordinating student volunteers to help Proyecto Salud Clinics make this transition as well.
Students at the Mercy Clinic have helped the clinic transition from paper to electronic medical records over the course of four months by scanning patient files for over 4,000 patients. Student volunteers help maintain the electronic system by scanning and uploading incoming labs and diagnostic results. We are currently coordinating student volunteers to help Proyecto Salud Clinics make this transition as well.
The Clinical Volunteers Program Planned Track
The goal of the clinical volunteering program is to help students understand healthcare for underprivileged communities. We hope to do this by helping students gain a first-hand, hands-on approach towards primary care for the under-insured through patient interaction and physician shadowing. Our goal is to have graduates of the program dedicate at least part of their medical careers to giving to those less fortunate.
To achieve this goal, we put students through three steps, each of which is described
The goal of the clinical volunteering program is to help students understand healthcare for underprivileged communities. We hope to do this by helping students gain a first-hand, hands-on approach towards primary care for the under-insured through patient interaction and physician shadowing. Our goal is to have graduates of the program dedicate at least part of their medical careers to giving to those less fortunate.
To achieve this goal, we put students through three steps, each of which is described
Administrative Assistance Step
Student volunteers generally start out as administrative assistants, to gain an understanding of the process by which the clinic is run. Administrative assistants begin by collecting patient files and scanning/processing charts and files. As they familiarize themselves with clinic staff and patients, they move on to positions with more patient interaction, such as at the front desk, or helping with patient appointments. |
Health Education Step
Students at Proyecto Salud Clinics are currently preparing presentations to present to patients regarding common issues such as healthy lifestyle, diabetes, and obesity. The goal is to allow patients additional access to health education as a preventative measure. We believe that allowing currently healthy patient’s access to healthy lifestyle guides will help prevent them from suffering from chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes in the future. The additional student volunteers allow patients not suffering from these conditions to learn more about them as a preventative measure. |
Physician Shadowing Step
After students have demonstrated their dedication towards the clinic (usually after 6 months-1 year of service), we arrange to have them shadow a physician, so that they begin to learn the unique challenges facing under-served communities, from the requirement for generic prescriptions to the need for economical solutions. Physicians who have agreed to take on students allow them to see first-hand the difficulties of healthcare for the underprivileged. |
Integrative Initiatives
In addition to our clinically-oriented services, we strive to incorporate other disciplines into our programs ranging from public health and language to education and computer science. These non-medical volunteer opportunities are largely dictated by the needs of individual clinics whether they need help developing an online database or need support to improve access to healthcare. Volunteers choosing to participate in these programs gain valuable experiential learning where they can put into practice what they may be studying at UMD. In this way, not only are they able to reinforce their coursework, communication, and leadership skills crucial to any field, but also give back to the local community in their own unique capacities. Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.
In addition to our clinically-oriented services, we strive to incorporate other disciplines into our programs ranging from public health and language to education and computer science. These non-medical volunteer opportunities are largely dictated by the needs of individual clinics whether they need help developing an online database or need support to improve access to healthcare. Volunteers choosing to participate in these programs gain valuable experiential learning where they can put into practice what they may be studying at UMD. In this way, not only are they able to reinforce their coursework, communication, and leadership skills crucial to any field, but also give back to the local community in their own unique capacities. Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.