gaps across the country, and Louisville has been no exception. The GLOH and HOPE Clinics, for instance, have offered invaluable experiences for medical students while delivering much-needed care to the community. However, a critical limitation persists – limited patient volume restricts the number of students who can gain hands-on clinical exposure, and patients often face difficulty accessing consistent, reliable services. The answer to this? Our belief in taking care directly to those in need – driving patient volume through outreach – stands at the core of the Cardinal Direction mission.
The Cardinal Direction Clinic is designed to address these challenges head-on. Offering weekly, consistent basic care, the clinic aims to become a trusted resource for underserved populations while expanding opportunities for ULSOM students to develop essential clinical and cultural competencies early in their training. By doing so, the initiative aims to cultivate physicians who are not only clinically skilled, but also deeply attuned to the social determinants of health that shape patient outcomes.
A Thoughtful Structure: Dual Mission of Service and Education
The Cardinal Direction Clinic operates under a student-led model, with essential oversight from licensed UofL physicians and faculty. This model strikes a careful balance: students are empowered to take active roles in patient care, while appropriate mentorship ensures proper patient care and effective learning. Working with GLOH, HOPE and ULSOM administration, the clinic has taken steps to minimize provider burden, using a waiver system to extend protections to all licensed physicians willing to volunteer. In the same respect, record management, clinic flow and other facets of the administrative side will serve as a student opportunity for growth and initiative, as opposed to another responsibility on the plates of those willing to offer their time.
A key pillar of the clinic’ s approach is interprofessional collaboration. Medical students work alongside nursing students, public health professionals and social work students from UofL’ s esteemed programs, fostering a comprehensive understanding of patient care that transcends disciplinary boundaries. This team-based care model enriches learning and ensures that patients receive holistic services that address their full spectrum of needs— medical, social and psychological.
A Strategic Location: Accessibility and Trust
Location is critical in health care delivery, particularly for underserved populations. The Cardinal Direction Clinic will be stationed at Holy
Name Catholic Church, located at 2914 S 3rd Street— a medically underserved area of Louisville. Holy Name’ s longstanding community programs, including the Father Jack Jones( FJJ) Food Pantry, have already cultivated strong community trust, creating a foundation on which the clinic can build.
Holy Name’ s generous offer of its facilities provides a spacious, adaptable area that can be configured into exam rooms and triage areas, ensuring efficient patient flow and privacy. Importantly, the UofL Police Department will provide safety supervision during clinic hours, ensuring a secure environment for volunteers and patients alike.
Clinic Operations: Maximizing Access and Engagement
To maximize accessibility, we plan to operate the Cardinal Direction Clinic every Tuesday evening, from 4 to 8 p. m. This evening schedule accommodates working patients and optimizes volunteer availability. Service is planned to begin in Fall 2025.
Each shift will begin at 3 p. m. with setup and a pre-shift briefing, followed by clinical operations from 4 to 8 p. m., and conclude with cleanup and debriefing. Demonstrating a commitment to wraparound care and outreach, student leaders are coordinating with the FJJ Food
Pantry to operate an evening shift that aligns with clinic hours, allowing patients to access both medical care and food assistance in one visit. This intentional coordination reflects the clinic’ s broader philosophy: health care must address the full range of patient needs, extending beyond immediate medical concerns.
A Collaborative Staffing Model: Education in Action
The staffing model at the Cardinal Direction Clinic is thoughtfully crafted to ensure high-quality care, robust education and operational efficiency.
· Undergraduate students will assist with intake and administrative tasks, providing essential support while gaining valuable exposure to the health care environment.
· Medical students will progressively build their skills: first-year students focusing on vital signs and basic exams; second-year students and above taking histories, assessing chief complaints
( continued on page 12) June 2025 11