Phillips Neighborhood Clinic in the heart of South Minneapolis is home to patient care that goes beyond regular standards. A student volunteer-based clinic, Philips Neighborhood Clinic provides care to the nearby community free of charge. Brian Sick, MD has been the medical director of Phillips Neighborhood Clinic since 2007, and he has seen growth in the clinic's ability to serve patients over the years. Not only is the clinic open two nights rather than one night a week, but there are now more patient services to and professions involved.
The clinic is run by a board of University of Minnesota Medical School and health sciences students under the guidance of University of Minnesota Physicians (M Physicians) doctors like Dr. Sick. “There's a student board that oversees the operations of the clinic, and that changes every year. Part of my goal was initially to ensure that it was an interprofessional education site so that all the different students from different professions could learn about the other professions by taking care of patients together,” he explains.
The importance of working for the community is something that Dr. Sick makes clear to his student volunteers. “When they're there, we expect them to work together on teams. We expect them to be competent in cultural sensitivity and cultural humility. We role model with our preceptors and expect of our students and preceptors that they're kind, they're welcoming and they're thankful for the community.”
Phillips Neighborhood Clinic serves a diverse community, and it supports a wide range of care. “We buy the medications and dispense them for free. We buy laboratory services, but the patients get those for free. Those, plus team-based health care, are the primary things that we offer along with all the specialties like physical therapy, nutrition and mental health counseling,” Dr. Sick says.
The clinic is also expanding its services too. Dr. Sick explains that Phillips Neighborhood Clinic has added dermatology on a regular basis with both University of Minnesota dermatology residents and faculty physicians. The clinic also now has audiology, dentistry, neurology, orthopedics, ophthalmology, pediatrics, and women's health as well.
Chloe Hietpas is a third year pharmacy student at the University of Minnesota who has been able to help patients at the clinic.
“Our healthcare system is complex and especially confusing for those whose primary language is not English, the system is not set up to support everyone equally,” she explains. “I saw Phillips Neighborhood Clinic as an opportunity to help reduce these healthcare gaps and offer care to those who are at a disadvantage. This clinic is a resource for the community.”
As community service, the clinic relies on fundraising for important tools and technology – like X-Rays and MRIs – and partnerships with other clinics where they can refer patients to get additional care they may need.
With strong roots in its community, though, Phillips Neighborhood Clinic continues to help the community and will continue to do so into the future.
“Many of our patients return regularly, and those relationships create continuity of care that extends beyond a single visit,” Heitpas says. “We support the community through consistency, acting as a resource and building trust in the healthcare system.”