Advancing Primary Care Training in Health Care for the Homeless Nadine Chipon Schoepp, D.O Assistant Professor in Family medicine NSU-COM

Transcription

1 Advancing Primary Care Training in Health Care for the Homeless Nadine Chipon Schoepp, D.O Assistant Professor in Family medicine NSU-COM The project described is supported by grant number D56HP20778 from HRSA BHPr

2 Attitude It is our best friend or our worst enemy. It is more honest and more consistent than our words. It is an outward look based on past experiences. It is a thing which draws people to us or repels them. It is never content until it is expressed. It is the librarian of our past. It is the speaker of our present. It is the prophet of our future. John Maxwell in The Winning Attitude

3 Project HOPE In 2010, Nova Southeastern University s College of Osteopathic Medicine was awarded a five-year Pre-doctoral Primary Care Training grant from the Health Resources Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

4 Program Objectives Improve variables that impact health care for the homeless provider attitudes toward the homeless the awareness of medical and social issues that are prevalent among the homeless and student attitudes regarding the homeless Minimize patient error in caring for the homeless and insuring patient safety Provide primary health care to the homeless integrating behavioral and primary health using an inter-professional approach

5 The Case for Primary Care An aging HCH workforce Training Fewer young physicians entering primary care Indications that adverse attitudes of medical providers contribute to reduced quality and access to care for those experiencing homelessness. These counterproductive traits most likely stem from training that did not adequately prepare students and physicians to sensitivities in working with this population.

6 Project HOPE Project HOPE Homelessness in Osteopathic Pre-doctoral Education - responds to a curricular deficit in the education of medical students toward the health care needs of those experiencing homelessness.

7 Evaluation of Attitudes Pre-Health Professionals' Attitudes Toward the Homeless Preliminary results: NSU-COM M1 class: 83% of students agreed that homeless people have the right to basic health care 87% agreed to feeling comfortable being part of a team when providing care to the homeless. 94% female students vs. 78% male students agreed to homeless patients having the right to basic health care As a curriculum that is focused on both primary care and care of the underserved is received by both male and female students, it is hypothesized that this gender discrepancy will become insignificant by the end of the four years of medical school.

8 I really enjoyed the Health Fair! I had such a great and educational time working with the homeless population at the shelter and providing them with much needed screenings. I would definitely participate at events held there in the future. Angelina Somoracki, OMS-1

9 Thank you for making this [online didactic module on homelessness] a mandatory part of our curriculum. To be honest, I was at first annoyed with the requirement due to my busy schedule, etc, but mostly because I myself have worked extensively with homeless and underserved populations here in the U.S. and in several developing countries, so I thought I would be wasting 2 hours on something I already know all about. Turns out, I was totally wrong...your PowerPoint highlighted some important statistics that I was unaware of, and the articles were very helpful in terms of techniques and resources that we as health care providers (and even now, as med students) can use to help patients out in the field. Social medicine is one of my passions, and since beginning my IM rotation this month, I've come across many patients receiving "band-aid" care and not getting the help they need for chronic, underlying issues. In my spare time I've been trying to find the untapped resources that exist here (I'm in Naples) and to locate a good social worker for advice, so that I can connect my patients with the services that are available. Your module basically provided a mini hand-book on how to go about this, so I just wanted to say THANKS! Belinda Collias, OMS-III

10 This [homeless specific rotation] was a pivotal change in my experience for both one-on-one patient encounters and my own perspective on how homelessness shapes health care needs. The rotation became less about plugging in the data and more about an appreciation for the complexities that were attached to the patient in the room issues like safety, travel, food, shelter, clothing and adverse life events. I knew these concerns existed before, but prior to this rotation, I had found it commonplace to dismiss a patient s difficult social issues, abandoning these needs to social workers as If they had limited merit for physicians. Mark Alexander Gonzales, OMS IV

11 My experience with Project HOPE at the Camillus House was one of the best electives I had as a fourth year. I was inspired, challenged, engaged, and educated in ways that other rotation sites were lacking. I was blown away by the entire staff at the Camillus House. Their commitment to serve was evident through kind words, detailed patient education, prompt follow up, appropriate diagnosis and treatment, and an overall positive attitude that was prevalent throughout the clinic. Every patient was treated with the utmost respect regardless of socioeconomic status and patient care and well being was held at the highest regard. Emily Greer, OMS IV

12 Working with the homeless population at the health fair really opened my eyes as to the impact we can have on improving the outlook of the homeless population. As students we can spend more time with each individual and give them a valuable interaction that may not be available for this population when they are seen at busy clinics. The homeless population was so happy to have us there that it made the experience even more worth it! Milla Kviatkovsky, OMS-1

13 My personal take-away from the rotation was not just about a catalog of data or facts, but also about the hope that my restored sense of humanism and social responsibility will be more durable and intrinsic in the future. Mark Alexander Gonzales, OMS IV

14 The role models I had at Camillus House were people that I strive to be like; supporting patient independence, commitment to serving indigent populations, and valuing humanity. The training I received here, will without a doubt, prepare me to be a better physician in the future and I am very appreciative of my time at Camillus House with Project HOPE. Emily Greer, OMS IV

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