Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
7-14-2023
Abstract
The Albuquerque Opportunity Center (AOC) is an emergency overnight shelter run by the local housing non-profit, Heading Home. This clinic provides men experiencing homelessness a temporary, safe place to sleep at night, store their belongings, and access social services. Weekly, the AOC collaborates with UNM HSC to host an interprofessional, student-run, free clinic comprised of students from the MD, Pharmacy, Nursing, and PA programs. During the clinic, medical services are provided at no cost to individuals staying at the AOC, allowing for more ease of access to medical care. Additionally, students are able to reinforce skills obtained in their respective curriculums, learn to work as a team, and come together to problem solve. Each patient seen by a student team is also seen by a supervising licensed attending.
In April of 2023, the AOC clinic officially established a path for Emergency Medicine (EM) residents to participate in the clinic in a leadership role. While ER residents are no strangers to working with Albuquerque’s unhoused population, seeing patients in this low-barrier clinical setting allows ER residents to connect with this patient population with less time pressure and a less pronounced power differential. Additionally, this clinic cultivates opportunities for residents to be teachers and mentors to healthcare student volunteers. Meaningful interprofessional relationships between ER residents and students generate a safe space for students to grow into their professional identities guided by those who have been in their shoes. This healthcare model, which involves both current and future healthcare professionals influences more appropriate care focused on meeting the needs of this marginalized community via continuous exposure throughout their healthcare training. It also ensures that students feel supported by being a part of a team from various healthcare backgrounds with the common goal of providing compassionate patient care.
Recommended Citation
Blasi, Mary; Lila Baca; Sarah Bouquin; and Emily Sarvis. "Teaching Compassionate Acute Care for Albuquerque’s Houseless Population: A Partnership Between UNM’s Student-Run AOC Clinic and the Emergency Medicine Residency." (2023). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hsc_ipe_day/5
Comments
Poster presented at Interprofessional Education Day 2023