When medical school rotations and in-person clinical learning paused earlier this year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, it sidelined medical students when the medical community was being called to action. In response, students mobilized to do what they could to help. Nationally, medical student–led initiatives emerged to support those most vulnerable to the pandemic.
Results of one such initiative by Geisel School of Medicine students, described in “Lessons from a Free Clinic During Covid-19: Medical Students Serving Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Using Tele-Health,” has been published in the October issue of The Journal of Ambulatory Care Management.
Led by second-year Geisel students Katherine “Rin” Heflin ’23 and Leah Gillett ’23, the paper’s lead co-authors, and Abby Alexander Geisel ’20, the Homeless Healthcare Outreach Program is a collaboration between Geisel medical students, Upper Valley Haven, and Good Neighbor Health Clinic that supports those experiencing homelessness in a time of increased health and economic vulnerability. Under the supervision of clinic physicians and administrators—Drs. Peter Mason, Joseph O’Donnell, John Sanders, and John Wasson, along with medical assistant Caroline Watson and Haven staff Renee Weeks and Katie Edwards—the team of Geisel students have been providing regular telehealth check-ins to address the medical, social, and mental health concerns facing this patient population.
