3/21/2019 0 Comments Day 7: Clinics and CircusToday was one part community outreach and one part pure fun. This morning we met with the staff of the Medina Community Clinic. This clinic is more than its physical location of two offices leased from another nonprofit clinic and another administrative office. It works to bridge the gap between primary care physician visits and follow-ups with specialists where so many uninsured or underinsured patients fall through the cracks. Arshe was the first person we met. As the Executive Director of Medina, she has been wearing, as she put it “50 different hats” since the Clinic was founded in 2014. However, as the clinic has expanded and gained repute other people have joined the Medina team. Judith was the first staff member we met. She is a retired social worker who has been working with Medina for four years. When Medina receives a referral from a primary care physician for an uninsured patient to see a specialist, it is Judith who gets in contact with the patient and helps them understand the next steps they need to take to acquire the necessary documentation, labs, and other clinical tests the specialist will need. She also follows up with the patients to make sure they get their medication and are following any dietary or lifestyle changes that may accompany the doctor’s visit. Helping her with this task is Caesar, who joined the Medina team two months ago and acts as the group’s liaison to the Spanish speaking community, helping patients who are not fluent in English and are sometimes undocumented understand the steps necessary in obtaining proper medical care. Ashe then introduced us to the history of the clinic and the story of its founding. She explained the importance of Sameen’s work to the clinic. While Judith is involved in the day-to-day primary functions of the clinic, Sameen works with community outreach, expanding the network of partners the clinic communicates with and working to organize individual events, such as free flu shots throughout the fall months. Both the outreach, and day-to-day organization are critical for the Medina Community Clinic to expand and maintain its reputation as a positive force in Mercer County. Hopefully they will soon be able to expand throughout all of New Jersey. Students or other individuals interested in volunteering at the Medina Clinic can find links to the organization here: http://medinahealthcare.org Twitter- @Medina_Clinic (Shoutout to Ashe’s daughter Radia because she is the cutest child ever) -Mary Although the Trenton Circus Squad was not a part of the mobile medicine aspect of our breakout trip, we felt that seeing this aspect of the community was crucial to helping us understand Trenton. Formed through volunteers teaching local members circus skills, such as juggling, Ariel’s, tumbling, etc, this circus squad allows for children from the local community to be involved with the arts while providing them with a safe and educational place to spend their time. We watched their radiant and entertaining performance and the bright smiles on the performers’ faces were priceless. -Edwina
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |