Tackling health disparities in the community
Posted: November 24, 2014
Eleven ATSU-SOMA students participated in a recent biannual health fair coordinated by the Buddhist relief organization, the Tzu Chi Foundation. The community event, held in Chandler, Ariz., brought together healthcare practitioners, medical students, premedical students, and other volunteers in greater Phoenix to provide care for the uninsured, the underinsured, and those who lack access to healthcare. People throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area and Maricopa County came from many miles away to be seen by physicians, receive screening examinations, referrals to specialists, treatment, and to learn more about prevention and self-maintenance for chronic diseases and health in general.
The Health Disparities Interest Group (HDIG), an ATSU student organization in its third year and currently lead by Joshua Wy, OMS I, endeavors to build and maintain collaborations with local community organizations that are actively working to address and overcome health disparities. The Tzu Chi Foundation, whose paradigm of “compassionate relief” frames their outreach and activism work, has become an incredible ally for HDIG. “The manner in which the health fair was organized provided students an opportunity to shadow and assist clinicians from varying disciplines and to meaningfully interact with and learn from patients with different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds,” said Wy.
Starr Matsushita, OMS I recalled, “I hope we can all take a moment to recognize how meaningful the health fair was for many of the patients today.” “These are the moments that are going to define who we are as doctors.”
“One of the most meaningful experiences of the day to many of us was when one of our patients expressed that the care we provided and the compassion we demonstrated for her was greater than any she had experienced before while receiving medical care,” said Julian Hirschbaum, OMS II. “As members of HDIG, students of ATSU-SOMA, and future physicians, we will maintain our focus and active roles within the community and continue to work toward decreasing the burden of health disparities throughout the community, one health fair at a time.”