Healthy Communities Coalition thanks Silver Springs resident and PhD student Karen Pugh for her Dec. 2017 presentation to the Coalition regarding UNR School of Medicine’s Rural Outreach Mobile Clinic. THE first free clinics are expected to be offered in the Yerington, Silver Springs and Smith Valley areas. Below are notes from her presentation.
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine’s Rural Outreach Clinic
The ROC Mission Statement: “The Rural Mobile Clinic (ROC) is a non-profit medical service on wheels that aims to address the health disparities of rural communities in northern Nevada. Our mission is to offer general/family medical services to populations who do not have access to healthcare due to their socioeconomic and geographic disadvantages. The team working to make this vision into a reality includes medical students, physicians, non-profit organizations and faculty of University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. We are also dedicated to education through mentoring and engaging students in rural areas to be involved in medical pathways (medical research, MD, RN, PA). By reaching out to these marginalized communities we hope to improve the quality of healthcare and life for families in Nevada.”
ROC Core Values:
Service – the action of helping someone and/or supplying a public need. ROC is dedicated to a commitment of service to the communities where healthcare disparities are prevalent.
Leadership – the concept of leading others with experience, confidence, wisdom and knowledge. ROC is founded by bold leaders who undertook the commitment to directly improve public health in rural Northern Nevada.
Equality – the state of equivalence, especially in regards to status, rights and opportunities. While healthcare services are disproportionately accessible with respect to spatial division in the state of Nevada, we hope that the application of these core values will improve healthcare accessibilities in Nevada.
Advisors:
Wilfredo Torres, M.D. Assistant Dean of Admissions, Diversity and Inclusion
Gerald Ackerman, Assistant Dean, Rural Programs; Director, Office of Rural Health
Karen Pugh, Ed.S., Learning Specialists, Years 1 and 2
Patrick Enking, M.S., PA-C, DFAAPA Professor; Director of Clinical Education, Physician Assistant Studies Program, Director of Rural Medical Education
Student Interest Groups (SIG):
Rural SIG: Established in order to provide medical students an opportunity for clinical exposure in the rural communities of Northern Nevada. By promoting clinical practice disparate from any other medical related experience, we hope to recruit health care professionals and medical students to provide their medical expertise in these underserved communities.
LMSA SIG: The Latino Medical Student Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded to represent, support, educate, and unify US Latino(a) medical students.
People and Partners
R.E.A.C.H. (Research Education Access to Community Health), Las Vegas, Nevada
Student Outreach Clinic (SOC), University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
Heidi Parker, MA Executive Director, Immunize Nevada
Suzanne Domoracki, Program Director Nevada Drug Card
Services to Be Offered
All services will be provided free of charge; waiting for final input from legal regarding identification (required to show or not).
Phase I: Immunization clinics (Yerington, Silver Springs, Smith Valley). These clinics will focus on “back-to-school” immunizations and adult immunizations (i.e., flu)
Phase II: Family / Wellness Exams. Potential for scheduling student athletic exams in July in conjunction with a immunization clinic
Phase III: Veteran’s clinics; homeless clinics
Where Does ROC Stand Now?
ROC constitution is going through it’s final edit.
When completed, it goes to Matt Malone, Senior Associate Dean, Legal Affairs and Jeremy Alltop, Senior Associate Dean, Administration and Finance for approval.
Van to be delivered in 2018.
First planned clinic for immunizations will be scheduled for 2018.
Lyon County (3 locations: most likely Yerington, Silver Springs, Smith Valley).
Questions?
Karen L. Pugh, PhD Student kpugh@med.unr.edu
UNR Med Learning and Wellness Resource Center
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
