Some ask for vitamins, others seek a medical exam, and still
others look for a friendly ear to listen to their troubles.
Bringing an array of health concerns, members of the homeless
and low-income population of West Hollywood come to Mobile Clinic
““ a weekly drop-in health service run by UCLA students.
In the fading evening light, undergraduate and medical school
students cheerfully dole out socks, hygiene kits and vitamin
packets to those who just want to stop by.
Other clients sign in to receive an evening’s worth of
care: a lengthy conversation with undergraduate caseworkers
detailing their medical history and current living situation, an
exam performed by medical school students, and possibly medication
prescribed by the attending physician or a referral for medical
services elsewhere.
Situated just outside a parking lot on a quiet street, Mobile
Clinic offers non-emergency care for those who otherwise might not
be able to find it.
A few tents, a truckload of medications and clothes, boxes of
medical records and a large group of student volunteers and
community members turn the usually quiet corner of Sycamore Avenue
and Romaine Street into a lively meeting place every Wednesday
evening.
Student volunteers agree that the most important thing Mobile
Clinic offers is a consistent, safe environment where they can
share their life stories ““ something they can’t find
elsewhere.
“Here they can talk comfortably about anything. … Most
importantly, they have friends,” said Rakhsita Satyarthi, a
fourth-year biology student who joined Mobile Clinic at the
beginning of last year.
“So many people in the community ignore them,” she
said. “Here they feel like they’re actually
people.”
Sharing personal troubles and life experiences can greatly
improve a person’s well-being, said Voltaire Sinigayan, a
coordinator of Mobile Clinic and second-year student in the
Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program.
“Just talking about your life and experiences is a great
tool in medicine,” he said.
The importance of reliable emotional support Mobile Clinic
provides for this underserved population keeps Sinigayan coming
back every week.
“A lot of times they don’t get to talk about their
life, their current situation,” he said. “We really sit
down and listen to their story.”
Mobile Clinic is part of the student-run Mobile Clinic Project
at UCLA, which aims to provide street-based health and social
services to underprivileged populations in Los Angeles. It began in
2000 as a partner of the Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition,
which serves food to the homeless every night on the same
street.
Undergraduate students who participate in Mobile Clinic enroll
in a UCLA class intended to give them a foundation of knowledge
about providing service for at-risk populations.
Students in Community Health 187 are trained as caseworkers and
learn about the people they serve to supplement their hands-on
experience gained at Mobile Clinic and partner programs.
In addition to Mobile Clinic, students can volunteer with Common
Ground ““ a youth drop-in clinic that runs on Tuesday evenings
in Santa Monica ““ or with the Food Coalition.
Student volunteers said they work with 10 to 15 clients each
week. A number of other clients come to pick up hygiene kits
containing items such as toothbrushes, soap, vitamins and
socks.
Clients said they appreciate the devotion students have to
providing a positive environment for them.
“The whole staff is fabulous. … They are unbelievably
friendly and thorough,” said Alan Razen, as two medical
students began examining his mouth. Alan has been frequenting
Mobile Clinic for the past six months.
Mobile Clinic gives students interested in health care a
perspective on the public health care system that is different from
one they might gain volunteering in a hospital or clinic.
People often come to the clinic with health issues that are
difficult to address because they do not have access to basic
remedies.
“You can’t tell (clients) to rest, stay warm and
drink orange juice with a simple cold,” Satyarthi said.
“They have no resources.”
Community members come to the clinic with an array of social and
health issues, many of which volunteers say cannot be fixed until
clients are ready to help themselves.
“You can’t solve their problems. It’s
frustrating, but a more realistic look on health care,”
Satyarthi said.
People requiring serious medical attention are referred to the
emergency room or given a referral to a specialized clinic, along
with a map and bus tokens to assure they can get there.
Traveling from Westwood to an area of West Hollywood hidden
behind large businesses and fancy storefronts, students said they
gain a new perspective on an often misunderstood population.
Satyarthi said that before working with Mobile Clinic, she held
a typical view of homeless people. She assumed their situation was
a result of personal choices, probably involving drug or alcohol
abuse.
Her belief was shattered when she met her first client last
year, who was a college graduate and was homeless because of a
string of bad luck involving layoffs and family issues.
“These people are people and they’re a lot more like
me than I thought previously,” she said.
Though Mobile Clinic boasts a large number of student
volunteers, Sinigayan said he often has trouble finding doctors
from the medical school to volunteer their time as attending
physicians.
“One of the most challenging aspects of coordinating the
program … is finding those few doctors who are willing to come
out and volunteer,” he said.