The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped health care throughout the region, including at student-run clinics. Some are temporarily closed or providing only essential services while a few, like 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图鈥 are using telehealth to maintain, and even expand, access to care.
鈥淚ronically, the move to telehealth visits has allowed us to offer care seven days a week rather than just once a week for in-person visits,鈥 said clinic director and physician Brenden Tu.
Cl铆nica, typically open Saturdays in midtown Sacramento, primarily serves Latino communities. The care team is known for their unity, which helped them quickly transition to electronic-based care.
鈥淐losing down entirely simply wasn鈥檛 an option,鈥 said Cl铆nica鈥檚 chairman and medical student Dagoberto Pi帽a. 鈥淲e have regular patients who rely on us.鈥
Given the broad effects of the stay-at-home order on lives and livelihoods, the students also inquire about patients鈥 needs beyond health. If necessary, patients are connected with available social services. Cl铆nica also provides the opportunity for financial assistance in the form of gift cards funded by their own savings, grants and donations.
The team may continue to offer telehealth visits after the clinic reopens, perhaps for follow-up or when in-person appointments are not possible. Pi帽a, however, is looking forward to seeing patients again in clinic.
鈥淭here are exceptional benefits to e-consults,鈥 Pi帽a said, 鈥渂ut they can鈥檛 replace the value of an in-person exam to building trust and making an accurate diagnosis.鈥