The Bridge to Care Clinic has been in operation since April 2, 2014. We currently see patients one night a week with approximately 500 patient visits every year. This entirely student-run free clinic brings together all levels and disciplines of students at GW SMHS. Our mission is to bridge patients who were not previously part of the healthcare system to formal care either at our own clinic or at one of our community partners. We provide medical services for uninsured or underinsured patients free of charge regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or documentation status. All care and diagnostic testing provided by our clinic are provided at zero cost to our patients. We have partnerships with other community partners and clinics to provide subspecialty care that is outside the scope of our practice.
- Clinic Model
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Bridge to Care is a medical student-run free clinic that offers primary care services and operates out of Family and Medical Counseling Services in Seat Pleasant, MD. We provide free care to patients ages 18 and over, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
The services we provide include:
- Well Exams
- Evaluation of non-emergent medical conditions
- Long term management of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity
- Routine Laboratory Tests (Phlebotomy, urine and stool tests, Pap smears)
Patients are seen by a team of student volunteers consisting of medical students in their first or second year, fourth year medical students in an elective rotation, and physician assistant students. All aspects of care are supervised by our volunteer attendings who mentor teams in devising care plans for patients.
Community-based referrals are managed by our Patient Navigator Program. Patient Navigators help our patients navigate the healthcare system, as well as connect them to other necessary services. These services include:
- Linking eligible patients to insurance
- Identifying medical and non-medical resources for patients in need
- Managing specialty referrals to outside institutions
- Building relationships with our community partners to continually expand our referral network.
- Clinic Positions
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Position Description Clinical Directors
Two medical students act as Clinical Directors to manage the operations of our Bridge to Care Clinic. Interested first year students can apply at the end of their first semester and will serve a one-year term.
Managers Exam Room Volunteers Exam room volunteers are responsible for seeing the patients on a given clinic night and work with the volunteer attending to facilitate patient care. These volunteers are fourth year medical students on an elective rotation.
Fourth Year Liaisons Fourth Year Liaisons are fourth year medical students who work with the exam room volunteers to manage the follow-up care for all of our patients.
Patient Navigators Patient Navigators include volunteers from the M.D. Program and PA Program. They work with our patients and exam room volunteers to facilitate community referrals for our patients. Interested first year medical students and PA students can apply at the end of their first semester.
Spanish Interpreters Spanish interpreters are volunteers from the M.D. program who help us better serve our large Spanish-speaking patient population. Interested first year medical students can apply at the end of their first semester.
Volunteer Attendings - Appointments
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For appointments at Bridge to Care, please call (202) 758-5739 and leave a message asking to be scheduled during Healing Clinic hours. For all other inquiries, please email us at bridgetocare [at] email [dot] gwu [dot] edu (bridgetocare[at]email[dot]gwu[dot]edu).
Hours: Thursdays from 5:00 - 7:30 PM (The first appointment time is at 5:15 PM, and the last is at 6:45 PM)
Location: 5936 Martin Luther King Jr Hwy, Seat Pleasant, MD 20743