Urban/Local Underserved Populations

Community Health Centers

Many of our faculty members work with underserved populations in most of the federally-qualified health centers (FQHCs) across the city and county, and most can invite medical students and residents to experience work in a community health setting.

Faculty has served as medical directors at our local Healthcare for the Homeless Program and Crossroad Health Center.

Other faculty members provide important neighborhood health at Mt. Healthy Family Practice, public health primary care at City of Cincinnati Primary Care locations, and care to LGBTQ+ individuals/individuals living with HIV at Equitas Health.

At several of these sites, learners can experience providing Medication-Assisted Treatment for Substance Use Disorders in the primary care setting.

The HealthCare Connection

May 25, 2022, 14:39 PM by Francisco De La Garza Iga

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Free Clinics

Free clinics are an important source of healthcare for many of our most vulnerable neighbors, especially our Latinx neighbors and those impacted by homelessness. Faculty members serve as medical directors of a new Student-Run Free Clinic operating out of the Healing Center and volunteer at both the Good Samaritan Free Health Center and MedVoUC. Seasonally, faculty also supervise learners providing care to the staff of horse racing teams at Belterra Park, many of whom are migrant workers that stay in dormitories near the stables while their horse is racing in Cincinnati.

Care of Homebound Older Adults

Faculty and residents provide care to urban, dual-eligible homebound older adults through a Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) practice within The Christ Hospital Family Medicine Center, where residents provide continuity care.  Residents participate in a longitudinal home visit curriculum throughout residency and geriatric fellows follow two homebound older adults throughout their training. Faculty and residents work with the Division of Research to understand the lived experiences of their patients and strive to better meet the needs of this vulnerable group. This program has brought residents out of the medical institution into the community they serve, with the HBPC practice focused on neighborhoods around the University of Cincinnati and Christ Hospital.

Neighborhood Partnership

Faculty and residents have partnered with a non-profit neighborhood community development corporation to work with the predominately African American neighborhood of Walnut Hills. Based on the priorities of the community, residents have continued and grown an after-school STEM program for elementary and high school students, working with volunteers from the medical school, pharmacy school, psychiatry residents, and office staff to expose students to different healthcare professionals. The program was also adapted to help provide STEM programming for a summer camp during COVID19 when teaching and volunteering opportunities were limited. Residents also teach preventive health to high school students as part of their outpatient pediatrics curriculum. Finally, multiple grant-funded initiatives addressing food insecurity in families and older adults are underway. Residents and faculty have also supported community gardens alongside teachers from the elementary school, community and student volunteers through weekend gardening events.