Friday, November 22, 2019

Community Care Collaborative | Martinsville provides teaching ground to enhance student’s capacity for quality care
Community Care Collaborative | Martinsville

Chris Breedlove (LUCOM Marketing)

Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) sent its faculty and staff as well as student-doctors to Martinsville, Va., earlier this month, for the annual Community Care Collaborative | Martinsville (CCCM). This event, coordinated by the LUCOM Office of Clinical Collaboration and Education (LUCOM-OCCE), is planned with the community members of Martinsville and surrounding counties in mind. For the last five years, the event has been designed to bring together several nonprofit organizations that surround the City of Martinsville, each one sharing similar goals of providing quality care to patients and hopefully connect them for follow-up care regardless of insurance or income status.

The community clinic event was held at the First United Methodist Church, inside the Uptown Ministry Center, in downtown Martinsville and welcomed over 350 patients.

Community Care Collaborative | Martinsville“This [clinic] is an important way for faculty and students to live out a key part of LUCOM’s mission to ‘prepare physicians who dedicate themselves to excellence in osteopathic medicine through service toward their fellow man.’ I’m thankful for the opportunity to serve families in the community and it’s a joy to meet new people in the community of Martinsville and meet healthcare needs,” said Amber Fedin, DO, FAAFP, FACOFP, assistant dean of clinical education.

Collectively throughout the day-long clinic, LUCOM was represented by 11 faculty and 102 student-doctors. Averett University School of Nursing sent 24 of their student-nurses and the University of Lynchburg – School of PA Medicine sent 30 of their Physician Assistant (PA) students along with four of their faculty. There were hundreds of volunteers. This year, the Virginia Dental Association (VDA) was able to incorporate its robust Mission of Mercy project to provide oral screenings, teeth cleanings, extractions and fillings for hundreds of patients throughout the day; 30 dentists volunteered.

Community Care Collaborative | MartinsvilleFor Kathleen P. Bogacz, MD, FACP, these community clinics offer opportunities not only to build upon existing relationships but also to expose Liberty’s osteopathic medical students to look beyond the larger cities and consider smaller rural areas to practice one day. “Relationships with the communities around us expose our students to the great need in underserved areas. Rather than staying in the ‘big city’ where they may train, they remember these communities and hopefully come back to be the doctor that these folks need. By rubbing shoulders with them now, our students are more likely to return to these areas in the future to be the community docs.” Dr. Bogacz serves as an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine.

“Every CCCM is different yet shares so much with the prior ones. We learn and build on the experiences and they just keep getting better. Working together for the good of all is a slice of heaven here on earth. I am humbled and honored to be part of this,” added Dr. Bogacz.

Community Care Collaborative | MartinsvilleTo add in their training of becoming osteopathic physicians, students are paired together; one providing the initial evaluation of a patient and the other transcribing. After the initial assessment, they both present to a LUCOM faculty member (preceptor) to confirm their approach of care to the patient. With each new patient encounter, the team rotates responsibilities. As with the previous clinics, ophthalmological care was also available under the supervision of David F. Klink, DO, associate professor of ophthalmology.

“My hope is that the students will gain experience talking with patients and showing compassion and empathy. Also, this outreach gives them a tangible way to realize why they are in medical school and encourages them to press on to the high calling that God has given them,” said Sigmund P. Seiler, MD, associate professor of family medicine. “It is exciting for me to see our students praying with patients along with providing medical care and osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). The ability for our students to mentor each other is also invaluable.”

Community Care Collaborative | MartinsvilleAdditional services available throughout the clinic were flu shots, health education, vision refraction and glaucoma checks, foot and nailcare, haircuts, Medicaid sign-ups, and connections with local care providers for follow-up appointments.

“We’re inviting people in from the community, from all walks of life, no matter their economic status or health history. They get to sit across from a student physician and a practicing physician. We learn about their struggles and the care they have received in the past,” said Claire Lockman, Class of 2023. “It is a blessing to be hands-on as a student-doctor and share a moment with these incredible people.”

For first-year student-doctor, Sandra Vargas-Ortega, the event was special for her because it allowed a connection with someone in need. “As students we get to see what we’re learning about in medical school. We’re able to place it into practice and give that humanistic care to our patients. Medicine is about people, not just about science. These clinics that LUCOM help to plan are a simple reminder of why we as medical students go into medicine because you see people and they matter.”

Community Care Collaborative | MartinsvilleThe Community Care Collaborative clinics are held once every fall in Martinsville, Va., and in the spring in Lynchburg, Va. The first was held in October 2015 and to this date, over 1500 patients have been provided care.

The Community Care Collaborative | Martinsville, this year, was supported by the following organizations:

View more images at Facebook.com/LibertyMedicine.