Student directors of the USF Health BRIDGE Clinic presented nationally – with several of them won recognition for their work – at the annual Society of Student Run Free Clinic Conference (SSRFCC) held in Phoenix in January.
This year’s SSRFCC meeting included more than 500 participants and featured more than 160 posters and 50 oral presentations. Students from across USF Health were among those presenting.
“This year’s event had an unusually high number of students from our USF Health BRIDGE Clinic,” said Katy Dean, fourth-year medical student and the executive student director for the BRIDGE Clinic.
“Every day we work on BRIDGE responsibilities and making sure we care for our patients, but this conference once a year is an opportunity for us to not only demonstrate our successes but also share and learn from other clinics to help us improve,” said Eduardo Gonzalez, MD, FAAFP, associate professor of family medicine and a physician mentor for BRIDGE. “Our USF students have remained very active at these conferences and continue to demonstrate their passion for BRIDGE and their ability to excel.”
The BRIDGE clinic – a nationally recognized, student-run free community clinic – provides primary medical care for more than 800 underserved patients a year from the University Community Area one night a week inside the USF Health Morsani Center for Advanced Health Care. A recent donation of goods, services, office space and personnel by Florida Hospital Tampa allowed for an additional night to run the clinic and helped significantly increase the number of uninsured patients seen through the BRIDGE clinic, expand specialty care and procedures, and cut weeks off the appointment waiting times for new and established patients.
The BRIDGE Clinic is staffed and directed by students from the colleges and schools of medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, public health and social work, as well as student interpreters, and are supervised by USF faculty.
Presenters involved at this year’s SSRFCC meeting included:
Pharmacy
“Pharmacy student peer-to-peer mentoring in a student run free clinic.” Authors: Ellen Bickel, Vanessa Ulloa, Jonathan Santizo, Amy Schwartz, PharmD; John Clark, PharmD, FASHP; Joseph Fierro, PharmD. Received the certificate for scholarly achievement for this poster.
“Descriptive analysis of workflow processes associated with the operation of a student-run free clinic.” Authors: Vanessa Ulloa, Ellen Bickel, Jonathan Santizo, John Clark, PharmD, FASHP; Joseph Fierro, PharmD; Amy Schwartz, PharmD.
“Pharmacy student-directed efforts in improving influenza immunization rates in an underserved population.” Authors: Jonathan Santizo, Ellen Bickel, Vanessa Ulloa, Sonnia Zambrano, John Clark, PharmD, FASHP; Joseph Fierro, PharmD; Amy Schwartz, PharmD.
From left, Sonia Zombrano (pharmacy student), Ellen Bickel, Vanessa Ulloa, Johnathan Santizo (current BRIDGE Pharmacy Directors).
Physical Therapy
Panel: Models of Physical Therapy Clinics and Care: Brittany Davis, SPT, ATC.
“Correlating between Initial Patient Satisfaction and Follow-up attendance in the BRIDGE Physical Therapy Patients.” Authors: Kelly MacDonald, Julian La, Seok Hun Kim, PT, PhD; William S. Quillen, PT, DPT, PhD, FACSM; Rebecca Edgeworth, PT, DPT, OCS.
Kelly MacDonald and Julain La, 2nd year physical therapy students and the current BRIDGE Physical Therapy directors.
“Patient Satisfaction in a Student-run Free Physical Therapy Clinic.” Authors: Brittany Davis, SPT, ATC; Emily Ojea, SPT; Seok Hun Kim, PT, PhD; William S. Quillen, PT, DPT, PhD, FACSM; Rebecca Edgeworth, PT, DPT, OCS.
Brittany Davis, 3rd year DPT student and past BRIDGE Physical Therapy Director.
Medicine
“Specialty-Care Referral Services at the BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic: Where are Patients Being Referred to and What is the Completion Rate for these Requests?” Authors: Douglas Rausch, Johan Vargas, Viktor Flores, Lucy Guerra, MD, Eduardo Gonzalez, MD. Received the certificate for scholarly achievement for this poster.
Douglas Rausch, graduate of medical masters program and BRIDGE volunteer with his winning poster.
“Colon Cancer Screening at USF’s BRIDGE Clinic.” Authors: Luis Perez-Mena, Michael Bilak, Bailee Olliff, Frederick Slone, MD, Eduardo Gonzalez, MD. Received the certificate for scholarly achievement for this poster.
“Analyzing the Efficiency of a Student-Run Free Diabetes Class.” Brian Atkinson, Viktor Flores, Stephanie Hudey, Richard Roetzheim, MD, Eduardo Gonzalez, MD.
“The Challenge of Improving Operational Efficiency at the USF Health BRIDGE Clinic.” Stephanie Hudey, Seth VanZant, Kathryn Dean, Eduardo Gonzalez, MD.
Oral Presentation: Women’s Health at USF’s BRIDGE Clinic: Bailee Olliff, Jewel Brown, Matthew Wollenschlaeger, Kathryn Dean, Lucy Guerra, MD, Eduardo Gonzalez, MD.
Photos courtesy of Katy Dean, fourth-year medical student in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.