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<p>The Indiana University Student Outreach Clinic will celebrate its third year of providing free health care to Indianapolis residents without insurance with an open house Saturday, Sept. 10.</p>

Student-run Outreach Clinic Celebrates Third Year on Near Eastside

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The IU-SOC, located in the Neighborhood Fellowship Church, 3102 E. 10th Street, sees patients on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The open house reception will begin at 1 p.m.; a brief program is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. followed by tours.

The IU-SOC is a student-run, volunteer clinic which has been serving Indianapolis’ Near Eastside since 2008. Organized by IU School of Medicine students, the clinic has grown to include partnerships with the Butler University College of Pharmacy and the IU schools of dentistry, social work and law. Student volunteers from the schools work under the supervision of faculty members.

The clinic was the brainchild of a group of third-year medical students supported by Javier Sevilla-Martir, M.D., associate professor and director of International Medicine and Hispanic Health in the Department of Family Medicine, who recognized the need for medical care for Indianapolis’ underserved and uninsured population. The IU-SOC opened in a community in which more than 50 percent of the residents live at or below the poverty level.

The medical students soon partnered with students from the Butler University School of Pharmacy to establish an onsite pharmacy providing medications free of charge.

The IU School of Law, Indianapolis, joined the student-run team to provide free legal aid and, in February 2011, opened a parallel clinic with similar hours at the Neighborhood Fellowship Church.

More recently partnerships have formed with the IU School of Dentistry and the IU School of Social Work to serve the diverse needs of the community.

On a typical Saturday, the medical student volunteers treat an average of 25-30 patients. The clinic often has days where special services are offered, such as skin and eye screening, including a recent sports physical day when 22 young athletes were provided mandatory physicals. More than 200 medical students have volunteered one or more of their Saturdays at the IU-SOC, making it the largest student organization within the IU School of Medicine.

In a recent three-month period, the students treated or referred to other medical practices 79 new patients and 161 repeat patients, representing all age groups.

Information on how to support the IU-SOC through donations or time or money can be found at https://medicine.iu.edu/indianapolis/service-learning/outreach-clinic.