USA Student Run Free Clinic Volunteer Orientation
Thank you for volunteering with us! Volunteers are required to read this material and take a quiz on it prior to working at the clinic. 2
Mission statement The University of South Alabama Student-Run Free Clinic (USA SRFC) is a student initiative with the purpose to enhance wellness in underserved and vulnerable populations of Mobile, Alabama. Through the USASRFC, students across multiple health and social science disciplines will collaborate to empower patients through health education, the promotion of health literacy, and improving access to community health resources. The clinic aims to provide experiential learning for students to practice clinical and communication skills while improving sensitivity to vulnerable populations and promoting a life-long commitment to service. 3
Purpose To Serve 1. Improve the health status of vulnerable or underserved populations 2. Provide preventative care and health education to the patients of the USASRFC 3. Provide referrals for patients who need direct mental or medical care 4. Identify and facilitate access to existing community resources as needed to improve patient wellness 5. Link community stakeholders and leaders to improve the health status of the underserved within the Mobile community To Teach 1. Provide service-learning opportunities for students in the College of Medicine, College of Nursing, the College of Allied Health Professions, the Department of Social Work, and other participating departments 2. Facilitate interprofessional collaboration among students through team-based patient care experiences 3. Give students real-world opportunities to refine clinical skills, to improve patient-provider communication, and to provide health education 4. Develop concepts of patient-centered care including patient advocacy and patient privacy protection 5. Equip students to engage and effectively care for diverse and underserved populations 6. Provide opportunities for self-directed student research and presentation of findings at national conferences 7. Entrust meaningful leadership experiences to students 4
Services Health and Wellness Checks Preventative Health Care Mental Health Services Health Education Referral Services Advocacy 5
Clinic location and hours 15 Place is a multi service center for the homeless and is the central site for coordinated assessment. This center facilitates access to resources that are available through other agencies. Its services range from Veteran s services, low-cost housing programs, mental health services, health care and more basic needs such as laundry and shower facilities. 15 Place 279 N Washington Ave, Building B Mobile, AL 36603 Google Maps: https://goo. gl/maps/hwy2bzpg1lr2 Hours Clinic is open to patients from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM on most Saturdays. Volunteers must arrive at the clinic at 8 AM for a pre-clinic discussion on roles of volunteers and to split up into teams. A debriefing session takes place after clinic closes. From 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM, a group discussion on topics such as interesting medical cases, learning experiences, or on safety in the clinic will take place. So plan for 8 AM to 12 PM 6
Current disciplines represented Audiology Medicine Nursing Occupational therapy PA Pharmacy Social work 7
Dress code and things to bring Wear discipline-specific colored scrubs if possible For example, medicine wears gray scrubs and nursing typically wears blue ones If your discipline does not have a specific scrub color, you may wear any color For disciplines who do not typically wear scrubs, you may wear business casual clothing with closed toed shoes Wear name badges/student IDs that identify you and your discipline Please do not wear white coats Feel free to bring tools such as a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, pen light, etc. 8
What to expect The clinic has 2 exam rooms Volunteers will be divided into 2 interdisciplinary groups who will work as a team to see patients and address their chief complaints The goal is for teams to combine their various strengths, skills, and knowledge to care for the patients Volunteers have the opportunity to ask the patients questions, take histories, record vitals, perform parts of a physical exam, chart using EMR, and counsel the patient Each group will present the patient to the provider and engage in medical decision making 9
Electronic medical records (EMR) We are in the process of transitioning from paper charts to EMR We currently use Practice Fusion software Any discipline is allowed to sign up for the EMR spots and they still count for volunteering hours Watch this tutorial if you are interested in data entry: https://drive.google. com/a/jagmail.southalabama. edu/file/d/0b1qwjf2nkfy8mhjdynzisw xvvms/view?ts=560d8b06 10
What we expect You have the opportunity to learn from real patients and they will learn from you, a future medical health professional The behavior and attitudes of volunteers also reflect upon the clinic, their discipline, and the University of South Alabama Volunteers are expected to abide by HIPAA guidelines Commitments It is imperative to let the volunteer chair or your discipline liaison know if you cannot make it to clinic for the shift you signed up for We keep track of no-shows 11
Safety protocol material Safety for patients and volunteers is very important Volunteers should know who the Clinic Coordinators are (they will be wearing white coats) All volunteers must be HIPAA compliant regarding patient information Use universal precautions when working in the clinic Use gloves, proper handwashing, disposal of hazardous materials, etc. The clinic is a healthcare setting so please treat it as such 12
Safety protocol material The Clinic Coordinator is the best person to speak with regarding protocols or policies; if you ever have a question simply ask them Always use the buddy system; no volunteer should ever be alone Do not wear your stethoscope around your neck; keep it in your pocket or carry it in your hand Under no circumstances should a patient be alone in the exam room, or alone with a student If need be, ask the clinic coordinator to stay in the room to ensure there are two students present When examining a patient, always try to keep yourself between them and the door If any sort of incident or disruptive behavior arises, inform the clinic coordinator immediately If a patient becomes disruptive have someone inform the Clinic Coordinator and let them address the problem Have two volunteers stay with the patient at all times; if there is threat of violence all volunteers should remove themselves from the situation and inform the Clinic Coordinator, Faculty, and 15 Place staff 13
Mandatory Quiz Link: http://goo. gl/forms/0hkdbi1jap Must be taken once per semester and prior to your shift You may be required to retake the quiz if performance is poor 14
Miscellaneous Email us with any suggestions! Clinical material Learning or honing clinical skills is very encouraged at the SRFC We suggest that volunteers seek out videos or clinical material on topics such as motivational interviewing, properly taking vitals (such as blood pressure, respiratory rate, and heart rate), and the basics of a SOAP note You do not have to have all of these skills mastered to work in clinic; they are just suggested materials that may make your team more efficient Contact information: Maelynn La (Volunteer Chair, Med): ml802@jagmail.southalabama.edu Will Lightfoot (Risk Management, Med): rwl1521@jagmail.southalabama.edu Austin Cook (President, Pharmacy): amc0095@tigermail.auburn.edu Kelli Caddell (Pharmacy Liaison): knc0028@tigermail.auburn.edu Allison Ladner (Nursing Liaison): agl1101@jagmail.southalabama.edu Morgan Watkins (Social Work Liaison): maw1223@jagmail.southalabama.edu Lexi Niemann (Audiology Liaison): ann1422@jagmail.southalabama.edu Regina Weitzel (OT Liaison): rmw1521@jagmail.southalabama.edu Leigh Williams (PA Liason): 15