HOYA Clinic Gives Back to the District's Underserved

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At first glance, one might assume that the old DC General Hospital campus has shut its doors for good. But that’s not the case- at least not on Tuesday nights. Once a week, a van full of Georgetown medical students drives across town to open the HOYA Clinic, a medical clinic designed to serve the homeless and low-income populations of DC. Tonight, a dozen or so students have gathered in the corridors of the fourth floor of the main building to welcome patients who could not afford to access care otherwise. Within half an hour, two students begin checking in a mother and her children.

Each week brings a variety of patients- and symptoms- to the clinic. Eileen Moore, MD, an assistant professor of medicine who began working with the clinic last year, says 24 people stopped by one night to be examined, although tonight there appear to be just a few. Even though some nights are slower than others, Moore observes that the most common ailments she’s seen have been upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and acute exacerbations of chronic diseases, such as asthma and diabetes. While patients typically only come to the clinic for episodic treatment, a growing number of them are beginning to rely on the HOYA Clinic for regular care.

“I volunteer here because it’s my passion. Increasing access to health care for vulnerable and underserved populations is one of the reasons I went into medicine, and I think that’s the reason that a lot of our students are in medical school. I believe that the students and I think it’s an incredible privilege to serve this population,” says Moore.

Standing around a group of students at the one-time nurses’ station, Moore recounts a story that reveals the clinic’s dedication to its cause. Last fall, Moore administered a pregnancy test and an HIV test to a woman in the clinic. Both tests came back positive.

“We continued to see the woman through her pregnancy, and thankfully she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. After some time, she was able to get back on her feet, and now I see her at my practice at Georgetown University Hospital,” says Moore.

The HOYA Clinic accepts volunteers from all classes in the medical school, providing all med students with an opportunity to contribute. First- and second-year students typically assist with checking in patients, giving them an opportunity to learn about the administrative tasks that are required in a clinical setting. They also assist in gathering patient histories and symptoms at the beginning of the visit. Third-year students have the opportunity to conduct examinations under the guidance of an attending physician, such as Drs. Matthew Levy in pediatrics, or Moore.

As a second-year student, Jason McGowan is getting a taste of that experience, as he prepares to administer a tuberculosis test to a patient for the first time in tonight’s clinic. For him, volunteering with the clinic is about combining his dedication to education and service.

“Volunteering with the clinic allows us to apply the skills we are learning in the classroom, and it’s a way for us to give back to the community,” explains McGowan.

By Ellen Badger, excerpted from the GUMC Update