BUIES CREEK, North Carolina – The Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine Global Health Club staffed the North Carolina Baptist Men’s Medical Bus at the Veteran’s Day Celebration Saturday in Benson, North Carolina.
Twenty-five Campbell medical students and four faculty members staffed the medical bus to provide screenings for diabetes, cholesterol, depression, and heart disease and offered osteopathic manipulative treatment. As part of the North Carolina Baptist Men’s Mobile Fleet, the mission of the bus is to provide a facility for volunteers to meet the basic healthcare needs of patients targeted through this ministry including people without insurance, the financially challenged, Hispanic and other ethnic groups, migrant workers, fair workers, the homeless, the elderly, and more. The North Carolina Osteopathic Medical Association (NCOMA) was proud to co-sponsor the event.
“NCOMA is always proud to partner with and support Campbell University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine, and its medical students as they strive to provide quality healthcare and service to the community,” said Dr. Erin Griffin, president of NCOMA.
Dr. Tiffany Lowe-Payne, an Adjunct Professor at CUSOM and member of the executive board of NCOMA, was among the faculty volunteers supervising the medical students at this valuable outreach event.
“I was honored to be able to team up with the students of CUSOM’s global health club as we provided quality health screenings and education to the great people of Benson” said Dr. Lowe-Payne. “As a practicing physician, I truly understand the value of teaching by example. Having the opportunity to come together with the students and faculty to spend time giving back to this community, not only helped to meet a great need, but also allowed the students to see the continued commitment that I have to the addressing the needs of the underserved as we strive to bridge the gap of health disparities.”
“Being part of the Veterans’ Day celebration by providing healthcare services was very valuable experience because we had the opportunity to work alongside our professors to apply what we are learning in the classroom in the real world,” said first year medical student and Campbell University graduate, Cora Scruggs. “It makes all the hours studying worth it! Our end goal is to be able to see patients and help them achieve their best health. It is really rewarding to be able to do this and give back to a community just down the road from Campbell.”
“I chose to participate in this day of service to gain a better understanding of the healthcare needs of the people in our community,” said first year medical student Andrew Astin. “I worked along with our faculty in the counseling and referral station of the medical bus. I screened patients for depression, assessed their risk of heart disease through their test results, and counseled them in healthy lifestyles, both physical and mental. Through serving on the medical bus, I not only enhanced my training and relationships through one-on-one time with faculty and staff who are each a well of experience, but also enjoyed the reward of providing care and need referrals to the Campbell community.”
Campbell’s medical school is committed to training the next generation of physicians for rural and underserved communities and will continue to partner with the North Carolina Baptist Men, NCOMA, and other organizations to host outreach events. The Global Health Club looks forward to partnering with the Little River Baptist Association for their next medical bus event on January 30, 2016.