The Role of Public Health Students in an Interprofessional, Student-Led Clinic
Presenter Biography
Rachel Lockard is currently a master’s in public health student in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. She has been a member of Bridges Collaborative Care Clinic (BCCC) since 2017 and has held multiple positions in the organization including Co-Chair and a member of the Board of Directors. She is completing her culminating experience in PSU’s Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative. Rachel entered the research field at the Division of Neuroscience in the Oregon National Primate Research Center and continued working in basic science at the OHSU Casey Eye Institute Ophthalmic Genetics Department. She currently works as a student research assistant in the Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology.
Institution
OHSU
Program/Major
Health Systems Management and Policy
Degree
MPH
Presentation Type
Presentation
Room Location
Smith Memorial Student Union, Room 294
Start Date
April 2019
End Date
April 2019
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/30947
Abstract
Bridges Collaborative Care Clinic (BCCC) is Oregon’s first multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary student-run free clinic. Portland, OR declared a housing state of emergency in 2015; BCCC is a student-driven response to this important public health issue. BCCC is a partnership among Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University, and Transition Projects. BCCC’s mission is to engage vulnerable populations by providing low-barrier, participant-centered care and services in the Portland metro area through an interprofessional, student-led clinic.
The clinic opened in October 2017. This presentation describes the first year of operations, early successes in achieving the mission, and the specific role of public health students in addressing social determinants of health. The clinic operates in Transition Projects facilities for individuals transitioning out of homelessness. Medical and dental clinics are student-run and faculty supervised. As an interprofessional collaboration, BCCC engages students from public health, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, counseling, physician’s assistant, law, and social work programs. The effectiveness of this interprofessional model is assessed through student program demographics, diversity in leadership roles, and student curriculum development. To foster patient-centered services, trainings in cultural humility, understanding trauma, de-escalation techniques, and motivational interviewing were implemented for all volunteers. Public health student-facilitated health promotion and education programs include healthcare navigation, yoga, nutrition, and understanding chronic conditions. Clinical impact, medical history, diagnoses, and referrals are tracked routinely. Public health students shape clinic practices by measuring social determinants of health experienced by participants, assisting with healthcare navigation, and facilitating care coordination.
The Role of Public Health Students in an Interprofessional, Student-Led Clinic
Smith Memorial Student Union, Room 294
Bridges Collaborative Care Clinic (BCCC) is Oregon’s first multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary student-run free clinic. Portland, OR declared a housing state of emergency in 2015; BCCC is a student-driven response to this important public health issue. BCCC is a partnership among Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University, and Transition Projects. BCCC’s mission is to engage vulnerable populations by providing low-barrier, participant-centered care and services in the Portland metro area through an interprofessional, student-led clinic.
The clinic opened in October 2017. This presentation describes the first year of operations, early successes in achieving the mission, and the specific role of public health students in addressing social determinants of health. The clinic operates in Transition Projects facilities for individuals transitioning out of homelessness. Medical and dental clinics are student-run and faculty supervised. As an interprofessional collaboration, BCCC engages students from public health, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, counseling, physician’s assistant, law, and social work programs. The effectiveness of this interprofessional model is assessed through student program demographics, diversity in leadership roles, and student curriculum development. To foster patient-centered services, trainings in cultural humility, understanding trauma, de-escalation techniques, and motivational interviewing were implemented for all volunteers. Public health student-facilitated health promotion and education programs include healthcare navigation, yoga, nutrition, and understanding chronic conditions. Clinical impact, medical history, diagnoses, and referrals are tracked routinely. Public health students shape clinic practices by measuring social determinants of health experienced by participants, assisting with healthcare navigation, and facilitating care coordination.