The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #51854

Koy Parada, MPH, PhD, UCLA, 3642 La Crescenta Avenue, Glendale, CA 91208, 818-248-3370, koy@ucla.edu

The goal of our initiative has been to develop a student-run clinic to provide basic health care and social services to a homes population in Los Angeles. The clinic -- known as the UCLA/GWHFC Mobile Clinic Project -- provides mobile services one evening a week in a street setting in an industrial area of LA. The project is run entirely by UCLA students from the schools of public health, medicine and the undergraduate college.

Koy Parada and Kevin Riley (UCLA School of Public Health) were the project coordinators who guided the planning activities and subsequent administration of the clinic. This role has involved a variety of practice components, including recruiting an interdisciplinary group of students to participate in the projects, conducting a needs assessment, consultation with UCLA faculty and the community.

The initiative as resulted in a successful mobile clinic that has provided services to over 200 patients. We have built collaboration between the university, community stakeholders and have developed a valuable opportunity for student learning and practice.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about a student-run, street-based effort to provide services to unsheltered homeless, transitnetly housed, and low-income individuals;
• Observe how a successful partnership between the UCLA school of public health and non-profit community-based organization can successfully meet the needs of all parties;
• Gain insight into how public health practice activities promote students' knowledge by appling class lessons to community service experiences.

Keywords: Public Health Education, Community-Based Public Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.