Crossroad Health Center Pediatrics

Aaron Hudson, Summer 2010

Crossroad Health Center, founded in 1992, was originally established to provide comprehensive health care coverage to one of the most underserved populations in Cincinnati living in Over-the-Rhine. Intertwined with the need to provide fundamental health care is the desire to serve others with the fervor of Christ. Recently, their local capacity was expanded, and a new pediatric clinic located in western Cincinnati was opened. This is where I was introduced to the practice of pediatrics and the true ideals of humanity.

While I was at Crossroad I had the opportunity to serve in a variety of means, primarily consisting of assisting in the move from traditional medical records to electronic medical records, supporting the staff, and shadowing the primary providers. One thing I learned very quickly was that no two days are the same, and no two days required me to fulfill the same tasks. The clinic was quite small, consisting of two nurses, a receptionist, and a single physician, and whenever any of them needed a hand I was able to help out. I certainly realized very soon that being a part of the team meant that I would volunteer for anything, just as my co-workers had done many times before.

I had the pleasure of getting to know many of the patients on a personal level. It is interesting how working in a fast-paced, clinically demanding setting can make you realize how important it is to really get to know the people you are serving. I had the privilege of spending a few more minutes with each patient than the average health care provider, and I think in every scenario those few minutes of intent listening made a bit of a difference.

As a medical student I find it very easy to get used to sitting back and accepting the fact that there is not much you are capable of doing yet, and therefore most of your time is spent watching and learning. At Crossroad Health Center the providers made a very conscious effort to make me part of their clinical team. I was consistently handed patients, ranging from newborn weight checks to 17-year-old acute-case adolescents, whom I was responsible for. The experiences I have had interacting with these individuals and their families has completely altered the way I view the physician-patient relationship. It is quite apparent, now, that continuity of care is not confined to the traditional 9 to 5 mentality, but extends well beyond the scope of what most consider comprehensive. I hope that one day I will have the opportunity to help others in a manner so respectful and gracious as those who I spent time with at Crossroad Health Center.