The Emory PA Program is proud of its history of community involvement and
collaboration.
As noted elsewhere, our collaborative service-learning project with south
Georgia partners, the South Georgia Farmworker
Health Project, has become an important component of our Program. Typically
35-40 senior PA students work with faculty and physicians, providing free care to
1200-1600 farmworkers and family members in south Georgia over twelve days of
makeshift clinics in June. In 2003, the Program was recognized as a finalist for
the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus-Community
Collaboration.
Our efforts in south Georgia would not have been possible
without the assistance of many partners. We greatly appreciate the
organizations, individuals, and companies that have joined us in providing care
to this underserved population. Please take a moment to view the list of some of
our partners.
Our efforts in south Georgia led us to consider how we could develop a
service-learning opportunity in metro Atlanta. In 2001, the Emory PA Program
received a student-authored grant from the PA Foundation to aid in establishing
a student-run free clinic in Atlanta’s
underserved communities. This vision,
sparked by the Class of 2003, was to provide accessible and quality health care
to the medically underserved and, at the same time, valuable and meaningful
learning experiences for PA students, medical students, and all who volunteer.
Initially, the PA Program hoped to work with Physician faculty and a community
partner to open a part-time free clinic in the north DeKalb county region.
However, over the past two years, our planning and conversations with community
leaders and organizations led us to the conclusion that our resources could be
best utilized working with an organization already providing care to the
underserved.
The Good Samaritan Health Center
(GSHC) was founded in 1998 by Dr. Bill Warren, a pediatrician who envisioned a
faith-based clinic that would provide quality medical care to Atlanta’s
uninsured / underinsured populations. The clinic is located at 239 Alexander
Street N.W., near Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta and provides an
extensive array of services, including medical, dental, social, health
education, and counseling. A diverse group of patients access the GSHC,
consisting of recent immigrants, the working poor, the homeless, and destitute.
Although the clinic operates on a sliding fee scale model, only 20% of its
expenses are paid through patient fees; and if a patient cannot pay, they are
still provided care. Up to 80% of its operating expenses are through private
donations and volunteer work by physicians, PAs, NPs, dentists, and other
volunteers. Follow
this link to watch a short video about the Good Samaritan Health Center
(this requires the free Real Player and a high speed connection).
The GSHC’s accessible, quality medical care has led to growing popularity and an
increasing demand for its services. In 1999, the clinic provided care for 6,682
patients. In 2002, GSHC had served 14,461 patients; this increased to a total of 17,000
patient visits by the end of 2003. Due to demands for clinic appointments
exceeding their capacity, collaboration with the Emory PA program was seen as a
viable way to provide an extended-hours clinic on Saturdays, and to provide
students with opportunities to learn medicine, cultural sensitivity, and social
responsibility. These Saturday sessions will be staffed by a variety of
volunteers, and students will see patients under the supervision of physicians.
The Saturday clinic opened its doors in July 2004. If
you would like more information, or to participate, please contact Tom Himelick,
Director of Community Projects, at the Emory PA Program at 404-727-1360 or at
web@emorypa.org. You can also
download and print a brochure (Adobe PDF
format) about this collaborative project.
