Health Resource Center

Neil Patel, Summer 2010

As an intern with Health Resource Center of Cincinnati (HRC), I have cultivated an appreciation for UHP"s mission to serve underserved populations. HRC is an organization that provides free-of-charge medical, mental health and substance abuse services to indigent individuals who would otherwise have no avenue to care. With a staff composed of therapists, physicians and nurse practitioners, the opportunity for learning was tremendous. With this diversely trained staff, it is no surprise that since its inception, HRC has been a learning institution intimately tied with the students of the University of Cincinnati.

This summer allowed me to experience the whole healthcare process, through a small non-profit organization. This process started under the guidance of the Front Desk Manager who initiated the process of new client intake forms. Soon after, I would assist therapists to interview the client, create a Diagnostic Assessment Form, and get a thorough picture of this clients’ background and life circumstances. In the process, I saw the plight of numerous clients who were unable to be seen by any of the city’s other agencies. With many of the individuals failing to qualify for Medicare, Medicaid, SSI, or SSDI, we were their only viable option for continued care.

Before an individual would see a therapist or physician, I was able to triage these individuals for basic screenings including blood pressure, glucose levels, and take a basic medical history. This is when I would truly get to know a patient, listening to their life story. I was astonished by almost every patient’s commitment to their work and family, but their unfortunate life circumstances that left them homeless or jobless.

I would sit in on medical consultations, and in the process learn volumes about some of the most prominent conditions afflicting society, notably Hypertension and Diabetes. I gained an appreciation for a thorough medical history and physical, as well the methodical approach required to arrive at a diagnosis. Or, if the client faced a mental illness, I was able to see not only the gravity of chronic mental illness on the well-being of an individual, but also on the environment in which that person lived. I gained an understanding of the immense difficulty these individuals often face in securing employment, or maintaining family relations, among others. Their chronic medical or mental illness only magnifies their struggle. Without the care of physicians involved with underserved populations, these individuals would likely face their battles alone.

With both medical and mental health professionals, I absorbed a foundation for how to make key clinical diagnoses. I also learned much about the pharmacologic treatments to many of those diagnoses. Under the supervision of the nurses and nurse practitioners, I was able to learn the intricacies of correct prescribing, dispensing, and the dosing of many drugs.

In retrospect, my summer with HRC was one of the most fulfilling experiences I have ever had. My experience has matured my view of healthcare, and its vast disparities, especially in regards to those with least access to it. I also cultivated an understanding of the difficulty in managing a non-profit healthcare agency in a troubled economy with diminishing funding sources. After witnessing the suffering many Cincinnatians face, I now grasp the integral importance of HRC and other UHP sites within the framework of healthcare in Cincinnati to make a valuable difference in the lives of the unfortunate. As an aspiring physician, UHP has certainly reaffirmed my belief that it is the duty of every healthcare professional to serve patients of all backgrounds. I am confident the experience has paved the way for me to become an increasingly aware, socially-responsible physician.