Community Service Offers Opportunities to expand knowledge while providing care

The Rewards of Reaching Out
 
 

xtending the clinic to the community, several programs at the School of Medicine make it their mission to reach out to South Florida patients often overlooked and untreated. Whether their problem is a lack of insurance or a lack of transportation, residents of underserved neighborhoods on the periphery of the medical center can still benefit from the expertise and compassion of UM faculty and students.

At the Miami Hope Health Center, Angela Burrafato, M.D., finds the reward of community medicine in helping her patients learn to help themselves. A partner of the Homeless Assistance Center, the Hope clinic provides services from triage through general medicine to Miami’s homeless population. As medical director, Burrafato oversees the rotations of School of Medicine students through the center, which she cites as essential components to their education.

“Working here helps students apply the skills they’re learning to real people,” she says. “They’re learning through time and experience, not just what is in a book.” Burrafato’s dedication to her students earned her a teaching award at this year’s commencement ceremony.

Through the efforts of Robert Schwartz, M.D., chairman of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, residents of Miami’s Overtown community need look no farther than their own neighborhood for quality clinical care. Established in 1998 under the direction of Schwartz, with the support of the Public Health Trust and the Overtown Community Board, the Jefferson Reaves Sr. Health Center provides comprehensive health care services in pediatrics, adolescent and adult medicine, low risk obstetrics, gynecology, and geriatrics. Mental health care, immunization programs, and complete dental services also are provided. Joining UM physicians, residents, and the center’s own staff, students from the School of Medicine rotate through the clinic for primary care training.

Schwartz’s outreach efforts also were honored this spring when the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce named him a Health Care Hero. “This award belongs to the faculty, residents, and students who take care of the Overtown community,” says Schwartz. “Before this center began, the majority of patients in this community sought care from the emergency room or urgent care center, where they waited long hours and never had a personal physician who cared for them or their families.”

Combining the educational and community partnership missions of the School of Medicine, the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) promotes collaboration between academic institutions and health care programs for underserved populations. A national organization, AHEC bases its South Florida initiatives at UM’s Office of Community Health. In addition to providing physicians and expertise at local clinics, the program also coordinates training for medical students, as well as continuing medical education for health care professionals.

“The UM/Jackson medical center needs to reach out to the South Florida community,” says Arthur Fournier, M.D., associate dean for community health and AHEC director. “Our outreach to this diverse population not only provides us the opportunity to give something back, but it’s quite a learning experience, as well. By serving our community, we’re also serving ourselves.”