Spring Break
Clinic provides health services to the uninsured
Students are given opportunity to shadow doctors, gain first hand working experience
Lauren Sigel
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: News
The Oregon health care system isn't perfect. For those who fall through the cracks and don't qualify for the Oregon Health Plan or can't afford private health insurance, there are the Community Outreach, Inc. Medical Clinics.
The Community Outreach Medical Clinics provide five medical clinics per week - three at the Corvallis facility, one clinic in Albany and one in Lebanon.
The clinics are vital to community members who otherwise could not afford to receive medical care due to lack of insurance.
"Each clinic is anywhere from three to four hours in length," said Lisa Quick, M.S. and Health Services Director for the clinic.
"We have a minimum of three student volunteers at each one, along with other non-student volunteers of course."
"We see a lot of pre-med students volunteer here, along with a lot of Spanish majors who work as interpreters or pre-med students with a minor in Spanish," Quick said.
"However, you don't have to be a pre-med student to volunteer here. We've had a wide variety of majors volunteer here because they wanted to or because they wanted community service hours."
Pre-med volunteers have the opportunity to shadow a doctor or nurse practitioner - who also volunteer their time at no charge - but are not allowed to diagnose patients.
Most volunteers help out with administrative duties, such as filing medical charts, checking in patients or coordinating the clinic.
"Volunteering here has been very helpful in the aspect of seeing patients that you normally wouldn't see in a regular health clinic," said Jessica Fowler, a senior majoring in biology.
"Most of these people are in unfortunate financial situations and without this clinic, they wouldn't be able to receive any care whatsoever."
Volunteers are also exposed to vital medical terminology and gain knowledge of how to treat everyday medical ailments. They also make connections that come with shadowing health care professionals.
"If you are applying to med school, there are some great opportunities here to get letters of recommendation from the doctors and various health care professionals who work here," said Lea Vanlue, an OSU alumna and current Certified Nurse Assistant.
"It gives you a big appreciation for the doctors and nurses who volunteer their time for these patients."
The Corvallis Clinic is located on 865 Reiman Avenue. For more general information or for information regarding volunteering, visit www.communityoutreachinc.org.
The Community Outreach Medical Clinics provide five medical clinics per week - three at the Corvallis facility, one clinic in Albany and one in Lebanon.
The clinics are vital to community members who otherwise could not afford to receive medical care due to lack of insurance.
"Each clinic is anywhere from three to four hours in length," said Lisa Quick, M.S. and Health Services Director for the clinic.
"We have a minimum of three student volunteers at each one, along with other non-student volunteers of course."
"We see a lot of pre-med students volunteer here, along with a lot of Spanish majors who work as interpreters or pre-med students with a minor in Spanish," Quick said.
"However, you don't have to be a pre-med student to volunteer here. We've had a wide variety of majors volunteer here because they wanted to or because they wanted community service hours."
Pre-med volunteers have the opportunity to shadow a doctor or nurse practitioner - who also volunteer their time at no charge - but are not allowed to diagnose patients.
Most volunteers help out with administrative duties, such as filing medical charts, checking in patients or coordinating the clinic.
"Volunteering here has been very helpful in the aspect of seeing patients that you normally wouldn't see in a regular health clinic," said Jessica Fowler, a senior majoring in biology.
"Most of these people are in unfortunate financial situations and without this clinic, they wouldn't be able to receive any care whatsoever."
Volunteers are also exposed to vital medical terminology and gain knowledge of how to treat everyday medical ailments. They also make connections that come with shadowing health care professionals.
"If you are applying to med school, there are some great opportunities here to get letters of recommendation from the doctors and various health care professionals who work here," said Lea Vanlue, an OSU alumna and current Certified Nurse Assistant.
"It gives you a big appreciation for the doctors and nurses who volunteer their time for these patients."
The Corvallis Clinic is located on 865 Reiman Avenue. For more general information or for information regarding volunteering, visit www.communityoutreachinc.org.
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