Nola Reporter

Tulane School of Medicine’s Student Clinic Council (SCC) has embraced  the important mission of providing access to health care for  underserved populations in New Orleans.

SCC is a collection of medical student volunteers who operate free  clinics throughout the city. Under the leadership of Helen Pope, an SCC  faculty adviser and instructor of medicine at the medical school, and  Mallory Loe, this year’s SCC president and third-year medical student,  SCC expanded its offerings to 30 clinics across the Greater New Orleans  area this spring.

“During my first clinic leader shift at Ozanam Inn, a patient thanked  us for holding clinic and said, ‘If you all weren’t here, a lot of us  would not receive any health care.’ This statement is the epitome of why  I wanted to become a clinic leader — to provide free medical services  for our community members who do not have the means to access it on  their own. I am grateful and honored to play a small part in caring for  the people of New Orleans,” said Neha Arora, a second-year medical  student and preceptor leader at Ozanam Inn.

Expanding their services is a priority for SCC, which served over  3,000 patients this year. SCC clinics offer a vaccine krewe at six  sites, patient education at two sites, preceptor clinics at six sites, a  specialty referral clinic at one site and screening and testing  services at 15 locations.

The vaccine krewe currently offers flu, pneumococcal and Hepatitis A  vaccines and hopes to offer COVID vaccines in the near future.

The preceptor clinics, located at Bridge House, Street Health, Ozanam  Inn, New Orleans Mission, Luke’s House and Grace House, serve as a  bridge to primary care for patients. Many patients do not have access to  consistent primary care, so SCC has a unique and essential role to help  meet these needs and allow patients to take ownership of their health.  For example, leaders at Luke’s House determined a need in their patient  population and are now working with residents from LSU Health to offer  ophthalmology services.

The specialty referral clinic, Fleur de Vie Nola East, offers  multiple subspecialties including dermatology, nephrology and  endocrinology. In addition to clinic services, patient education  programs are offered at Bridge House and Grace House.

Other clinical services operated by SCC are the Asian Pacific  American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) Screening Clinic,  tuberculosis screening clinics at six sites throughout the city and  Acacia, which provides screening services for sexually transmitted  infections as well as counseling resources at eight sites.

The services provided by SCC to the New Orleans community serve as an  inspiration for both volunteers and patients alike. “The site at the  Broadmoor food bank brings care to the community in a way that’s  different from our other Acacia sites. It’s so fun to sit down with the  patients from the neighborhood and see them on a regular basis. The  patients make me feel welcome and part of the community, and I hope I am  doing the same for them. I absolutely love spending my Monday mornings  in Broadmoor!” said Carlisle Washburne, a second-year medical student  and Acacia leader at the Broadmoor food pantry.

The SCC is always in need of preceptor physicians and medical student  leaders to provide care for patients and to further the clinic  projects. To learn more about SCC, click here. If interested in volunteering or contributing to a specific clinic project, reach out here.

Original source can be found here.