Care Harbor Los Angeles is one of the biggest free health clinics in the country. In 2017 it ran from November 17 to 19 at The Reef in downtown Los Angeles. Over those three days it offered free medical, dental, vision and preventive care to an estimated 1,000 patients a day. Among the volunteers were faculty, staff and students from Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU).
Eleanor Mateo of Lawndale came for the first time on Friday, November 17. She is covered by Medi-Cal, yet she has no dental or vision insurance. So she planned to have both her eyes and her teeth checked, even though her last dental visit was 15 years ago. Mateo said she was deeply grateful and so happy that the help nearly brought her to tears.
Students at the exam table
Brooke Atkinson is a second-year student at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP). On Friday she gave a patient Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment. Afterward, she said, the patient told her he had not felt that good in a while. Atkinson had volunteered at Care Harbor the year before as well. Back then she mostly shadowed second-year students and felt lost. This time she was more at ease with the physical exam. She said the event, rather than another day in class, reminded her why she chose medicine.
Natalie A. Nevins, DO, MSHPE, is COMP’s assistant dean of clinical education and serves as medical director of Care Harbor LA. She explained that any patient without a primary care doctor is assigned a medical home before leaving. Everyone who needs mental health services is also seen on site. According to Nevins, the event differs from a one-day clinic because it links patients to ongoing care. That care comes through community partners such as free clinics and federally qualified health centers. She added that when part of the community suffers, everyone shares the responsibility to lift those people up.
WesternU’s College of Optometry also co-led the vision section. There, David Vasquez, 35, of Artesia had his eyes checked by WesternU students. Since he has no insurance, he said, he could not have gotten new prescription glasses without the event. He also found the volunteers friendly and kind.
Ryan Lopez, a third-year optometry student, measured eye pressure with a tonometer and estimated prescriptions with an autorefractor. He called the work rewarding, because students help many people while gaining experience. They also meet patients from all walks of life.
A campus-wide effort
About 40 optometry faculty, staff, students and alumni worked the vision section on Friday morning. As a result, every patient who needed corrective lenses got free prescription glasses through VSP and K-Mars Optical. Raymond Maeda, OD, FAAO, is associate dean of clinical affairs at the College of Optometry. He said students do full exams and see many patients, which sharpens their skills. He also hopes they will keep volunteering at events like this after graduation.
Other WesternU colleges took part too. For example, the College of Podiatric Medicine scheduled more than 25 students, faculty and residents over the weekend. The College of Allied Health Professions (CAHP) sent several volunteers as well. Among them were Dean Stephanie Bowlin, EdD, PA, and Tina Meyer, DHSc, PA-C, associate dean of assessment and strategic collaborations.
Physician Assistant students from CAHP worked alongside medical students and faculty from COMP and UCLA. COMP assistant professor Steven Lam, DO, MSHPE, showed a group of PA students how to assess musculoskeletal problems. First-year MSPA student Jeslin Guzman said her program had not covered that yet, so early exposure was welcome. She noted that many people lack access to such services, which is why the event matters to her.
Early in her morning shift, Meyer consulted with first-year COMP student Oscar Salaiz about a patient. She has spent recent years mostly on administrative work at the college, so treating patients again was a treat. Meyer called the experience collegial and said it felt a bit like coming home. In her view, it reminds clinicians that they chose medicine to work as a team for others.
