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MEDICAL STUDENT

PERSPECTIVES

CARING FOR SAN ANTONIO’S REFUGEE POPULATION

By Prem Menon

Hidden behind the hectic scene of the

renowned Medical Center in San Antonio, a

small Episcopal Church houses a well-equipped

clinic for the city’s growing refugee population.

As everyone winds down on a Wednesday

evening to power through the rest of the week,

the refugee clinic opens its doors to deliver

quality care. Every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to

7 p.m., refugees from varying countries arrive

at St. Francis Episcopal Church seeking med-

ical and dental care.

In September of last year, Texas pulled out of the refugee resettlement Above photo shows SARHC’s patient-centered care in pa-
program, which has resulted in less access to care for refugees settling in tient room at St. Francis Episcopal Church with (from left)
Texas. In the past couple years over 7,000 refugees have resettled in Texas, medical student leaders Mitchell Falkner and Emily Gal-
which is more than any other state in the country. lagher, dental hygiene student Guadalupe Morales, Arabic
interpreter Wisam Al Habeeb, and dental student Alex Dol-
San Antonio Refugee Health Clinic or SARHC forms the bridge be- bik evaluating a refugee patient.

tween refugees and access to proper medical care. SARHC is one of the

only refugee-centered student-run free clinics in the country, and aims to address the health and social needs of the 5,000+ refugees

living in northwest San Antonio. The demographic of the refugee population in San Antonio is primarily of Bhutanese and Middle

Eastern origin. However patients from all over the globe are seen. The clinic strives to serve as an initial safe and trustworthy location

for refugees to overcome inhibitions/fears and to take charge of their own health. The clinic has translators that work to understand

the needs of the patients as communication is the biggest barrier they face. The clinic not only stands to foster independence within

the refugees and introduce treatments with preventative care, but it also brings a social component to allow a relationship to be formed.

The acute care clinic setup in the halls of St. Francis Episcopal Church is a cooperative effort between UT Health SA students of

medicine, nursing, and dental schools to bring collaborative care. The clinic allows UTHSA students to sign-up for volunteering via an

online portal. Clinic begins with a brief orientation to educate first-time volunteers about how the clinic runs. Clinic flow consists of

a team (a medical student, a nursing student, and a dental student) taking vitals, full history and physical of a patient. After assessing

the patient, the team reports back to one of the volunteer attending physicians. The team with the attending physician will see the

patient together to conclude the case. SARHC does not stop at medical and dental care, but also offers a full pharmacy in-clinic to

provide medications to patients free of charge including any lab work.

Through educational workshops and insurance seminars conducted with the help of social service volunteers from the Center for

Refugee Services (CRS), refugee families learn about access of care, preventative measures, sanitation, benefits and available health care

options. Through the successful management of the clinic, students learn the need to deliver treatment to underserved populations

and the value of collaboration through an irreplaceable interdisciplinary approach to care.

Prem Menon is an MS2 at UTHSA and is a current medical student leader at the San Antonio Refugee Health Clinic.

22 San Antonio Medicine • January 2018