1. Service Learning at Cleveland Clinic
Julie Novario PH Service Learning Practicum in Community Based Public Health
Faculty Mentor: Cindy Widuck
Improving Vaccination Rates in the Office
For my first project I was tasked with improving the follow-up vaccination rates for patients at the Solon Family Health Center. Over 200 patients were helped
This was a project that had been on the back burner for quite some time and the clinic saw me as the perfect opportunity to finally get it started
I was given an extensive list of patients that were due for further rounds of HPV, hepatitis, MMR, & DTP vaccines
I began with calling each patient & advising them on what vaccines were needed, giving a brief overview of why they are important, then created them an appointment or referred them a phone # to schedule a visit in the future
Living Will and Advanced Directives
My second project was assisting Dr. Chandra Prakash in Community Internal Medicine
Dr. Prakash’s patients were given information packets at their latest visit regarding living wills and advanced directives
My job was to make follow-up calls to these patients and ask if they hand any questions or concerns about the information given
Whether it been basic information or help needed completing the forms, I was able to assist over 60 patients with this often times difficult subject
Community Partner
Name: Cleveland Clinic
Location: Solon Family Health Center
Supervisor: Michele Anthony, Team Lead RN of Family Medicine
Mission Statement: The mission of Cleveland Clinic is to provide better care of the sick, investigation into their problems, and further education of those who serve.
Project Purpose: 1) Increase vaccination appointments made for patients in the office 2) Assist patients with living will and advanced directives
Methods & Other Trainings:
The onboarding process to become a student for the Cleveland Clinic included over 10 hours of ethics training
Once onboard, I began EPIC training
EPIC is the electronic health record system used by the Clinic, as well as hospitals worldwide
During my service-learning experience, I also learned on-base electronical medical record indexing, used in most healthcare systems
Course Concepts:
Service-learning course concepts I applied the most to my experience:
Utilize a variety of active learning methods: peers, community members, faculty, & community
Develop critical thinking, communication, teamwork, & leadership skills needed for prospective careers
Prioritize & advocate for health equity & social justice in the community
Doctors, nurses, staff, & patients influenced my learning at the clinic
Speaking in person or on the phone with patients daily, I was able to effectively communicate while improving the health equity of the community and advocate for them as well
Photo from newtarget.com