Creating a Sustainable Referral System for a Student-Run Free Gynecology Clinic
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Description: This poster relays our experience creating more comprehensive and sustainable gynecologic services to better serve the uninsured population of Providence, Rhode Island. “Women’s Clinic,” a subset of Clinica Esperanza, functions as the only free clinic providing gynecologic care in the state and relies entirely upon student and physician volunteers. Two student leaders utilized quality improvement principles to assess current practices and procedures that may negatively impact care delivery. We examined the clinic wait list of >100 patients (many of whom were listed for several years) and referral logs, and found no established protocol to identify/address acute concerns or manage referrals in a timely, thoughtful manner. Building off information gathered during waitlist and referral review, we created a system for triaging patients and tracking referrals, and added additional clinic sessions specifically for acute concerns. We engaged in partnership building with subspecialty Ob/Gyn clinics at a large hospital system to improve the external referral process and meet patient needs. This process has created a streamlined system that better serves the clinic population and can be easily passed on to future student leadership.
Authors:
- Julia Rothschild, Medical Student, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
- Mattie Boehler-Tatman, Medical Student, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
