Medical Students Open UR Well Clinic in Maplewood Neighborhood
Click Here for a Spanish language verson.
Students from the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD) are opening a UR Well Student Outreach clinic at St. Luke Tabernacle Community Church, 1261 Dewey Ave. in Rochester. An open house is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Community leaders, interested residents, and local media are invited to attend.
Beginning Sept. 24, the walk-in clinic will provide free health care services for adults who lack health insurance. This is the third UR Well clinic in Rochester, and the first to routinely provide translation for Spanish-speaking patients.
“Despite the Affordable Care Act, we are still seeing a significant number of Rochester-area adults who are uninsured or underinsured,” says second year medical student Seth Tobolsky. “We suspect we will reach even more when language is no longer a barrier for some of them.”
The community-based clinics served 400 patients in 2013, providing an estimated $170,000 in free services. Patients are cared for by SMD students, in consultation with on-site physicians from UR Medicine and elsewhere. The newest clinic will start by offering care for acute illnesses, routine physical examinations, and referrals to other free health care services, where patients can receive follow-up treatment. Initially, the clinic will be open on the last Wednesday of every month, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Adult patients will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis; pediatric services will not be available.
UR Well is supported by volunteer faculty members and the University’s Center for Advocacy, Community Health, Education and Diversity (CACHED). It is one of several CACHED programs designed to broaden the scope of medical education to include experiences outside the classroom and create cross-culturally competent physicians.
The UR Well clinic is located in St. Luke Tabernacle’s JoAnn McDonald Health and Wellness Center. The new Center is also offering support for victims or potential victims of domestic violence, legal referrals, an Assisting Children Through Transition (ACT) program for families experiencing separation or divorce, and information regarding substance abuse and addiction treatment. In addition, the church is partnering with the Hillside Children’s Center’s Reinvesting in Youth program targeting young people who are involved with law enforcement or the juvenile justice system.