I was recently offered a position volunteering at the Columbus Free Clinic (CFC)!

The CFC is a free clinic open every Thursday night that is located on the northern edge of campus and is managed by the Ohio State University College of Medicine. Staffed with physicians and medical students, this wonderful operation is devoted to providing free health care to those who do not have access to it otherwise. With this, the CFC significantly impacts the health/wellness of the underserved population residing in Columbus.

As a volunteer, I work within the referrals department of the clinic. My job is to navigate the electronic medical record (EMR) and call patients who have recently been referred to a specialist and inquire as to whether or not they have successfully made it to their appointment. The purpose of these calls are to ensure that a larger number of referred patients are actually making it to their referrals, thus increasing the overall referral success rate and hence increasing the rate at which care is received by patients.

The referrals department is a relatively new installment to the clinic, and I am looking forward to making the most out of such an experience!