Clinics For The Underserved - Jason Heine

Project Summary:

Physician recruitment, retention and orientation for MEDIC clinics. In order to continue to serve the medically underserved of Madison, there are 5 free student/faculty run clinics in Madison. In order to operate, the MEDIC clinics require volunteer physicians. Traditionally many of the volunteers have come from UW Department of Family Practice as well as other UW Practitioners. With the development of a new clinic (Briarpatch) and the continued need for free care at the MEDIC clinics, more physician volunteers are needed.

Major Steps Taken as of Dec. 99

Created new documents for orientation and recruitment of new physicians.
Attended meetings (UW Dept Family Medicine, and State Med. Society) to ask docs to volunteer.
Worked with a contact at Dean to recruit physicians from Dean.
Will be speaking at two more meetings in January with retired physicians, and Dean physicians about MEDIC.

Major Challenges

Being taken seriously by physicians as a medical student.
Learning the history of what has been done in past.
Understanding legal issues about volunteering - malpractice and licensing especially for retired physicians.

Partnerships Developed

With Jenan Yasiri at Dean who works in community development. She has helped me recruit physicians and asked me to talk in January. I have helped her recruit students to work at health check fairs run by a number of community agencies.
Ann Behrmann - doc at Group Health who wants to help me recruit for MEDIC.

LOCUS's Role in Your Project

Being in LOCUS has helped because I have received suggestions from colleagues and docs. Also, Dr. Beasley was at the state medical society when I presented MEDIC and by knowing him through LOCUS, he spoke up and plugged MEDIC.