Core Program Components and Activities
Each volunteer who is part of UCHL will have 3 core component activities in which they will partake.
a. Volunteers will get direct clinical experience working with patients at their assigned site and community.
a. Each volunteer will spend their time at a health center actively working with patients in clinic. Their activities will include patient education, patient navigation and general clinic support. Learn more about our current projects!
a. Volunteers will get educational training on the social determinants of health, ways they can help address them, and will experience working with a health profession team. All volunteers who successfully complete the program are eligible for a letter of support to their health professions adviser for their pre-health application. Learn more about our how we accomplish this at our weekly meetings!
Learning Objectives for Volunteers
By the end of their training, UCHL volunteers will be able to:
- Define and provide specific examples of the social determinants of health.
- Define vulnerable populations and health care disparities, with a focus on site-specific examples of each.
- Define the components of what contributes to health care outcomes (e.g. health behaviors, physical environment, social/economical factors and clinical factors) and how a pre-health student can assist in reducing gaps in care.
- Understand insurance, including the different plans that exist and how to obtain access for the community.
- Define motivational interviewing and recall the components to be successful at promoting behavioral change.
- Define and describe the roles different health care providers have in taking care of patients and how these members help enhance care.
- By completion of this program, 100% of trainees will appreciate what social determinants are and ways they can help bridge gaps in care.
- By completion of this program, 100% of trainees will agree that addressing social determinants of health is important and will feel adequately prepared to do that in the next steps of their training.
Applications, Skills and Behaviors:
- Conduct motivational interviewing for modifiable lifestyle choices such as smoking cessation, substance abuse, nutrition, sexual activity and diabetes education.
- Review and discuss a patient’s medication list to help them find cheaper ways to pay for their medications, improve adherence and ease of administration.
- Employ skill sets learned through this program to give patient access to resources to help enhance their care or improve their social situation.
- Identify and assist in arranging preventative health care measures that improve long term care.