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this space for medical students to translate their lectures into clinical practice, interact with patients early in their medical careers and center their understanding of medicine within community-based care.
The Cardinal Direction Clinic plans on including students from second through fourth years of medical training. Our model is designed to follow students longitudinally through their medical education. By encouraging such continued involvement during clerkship years, students are able to revisit the skills they learned and apply them in complex contexts to grow into more confident and competent physicians. In this way, the clinic truly becomes not just a place to serve patients, but a classroom continuum that supports growth from foundational skills to professional readiness.
Understanding our Community Needs
The educational goals of the Cardinal Direction Clinic are inseparable from the care we hope to provide our patients. Before starting this journey, we recognized the importance of understanding the needs of the community. Therefore, we conducted surveys among individuals in the surrounding community as well as at the Father Jack Jones Food Pantry to better understand local health care needs and potential obstacles to care. Our findings highlighted several common barriers to health care access. Specifically, 16 % of respondents reported lacking any form of health insurance, 30 % identified language barriers and 33 % cited transportation challenges as primary obstacles to accessing care.
In terms of services sought, participants most frequently expressed interest in vaccine access, diabetes management support, sexual health resources( including contraceptives), routine health screenings and assistance in securing long-term health care or insurance coverage. Learning more about the needs of the community has allowed our team to set focused goals for the Cardinal Direction Clinic. We are determined to provide solutions to these barriers by pointing individuals in the direction that best addresses their needs.
Clinic Services and Collaborations
Starting this November, our clinic will begin with a core set of services tailored to Louisville’ s imminent needs. While our scope may evolve, our focus areas currently include acute care and health care screenings, health literacy and integration into the larger health care system of Louisville. To deliver such holistic care, we will be collaborating with the University of Louisville School of Public Health, School of Nursing and the Kent School of Social Work. These partnerships ensure that our patients are not only receiving high quality medical treatment, but that we are addressing the social, behavioral and public health factors that shape long-term health. Furthermore, this collaborative effort encourages interdisciplinary learning, broadening the perspective of all those involved.
In addition, we are honored to be working alongside community partners who share and support our vision. SOS International has provided us with critical medical supplies and resources to help us maximize our reach and ensure patients have access to the tools they need for safe and effective care. The Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, with expertise in environmental health and the social background of our city, strengthens our ability to understand and respond to the broader factors influencing our community’ s health. Finally, working with the Greater Louisville Medical Society has equipped us with the tools and network to sustain and propel the clinic work into the future and beyond.
Each day at the clinic embodies this collaboration in action. From the moment our doors open, students from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health and Social Work will come together to prepare for the day ahead. Medical students will take vitals, gather and review patient histories with supervising physicians and APRN students, and then coordinate next steps for the patient. Social work students will coordinate resources for patients in need, provide referrals for chronic or specialized issues and aid in scheduling appointments. Public health students will collect and analyze community health data to guide interventions and provide education on a range of topics, such as smoking cessation, sexual health practices and even overall wellness. Together, this interprofessional team ensures that each patient receives comprehensive and compassionate care with the additional resources needed to support their journey to better health.
Next Steps
The Cardinal Direction Clinic is tentatively planned to begin this November and will run on a biweekly basis as clinic operations begin. The Clinic will be located at Holy Name Catholic Church at 2914 South 3rd Street. We are deeply grateful for the generous space they have provided, allowing us to serve patients where it is needed most. On top of this, collaboration with the onsite Father Jack Jones Food Pantry will allow us to readily engage with community members and offer a multilayered approach to care.
We invite you to join us on this journey to care for our city. Whether you are a pre-medical student eager for service experience, a faculty mentor looking to guide future health care providers or a community partner seeking collaboration, your involvement is essential. We are currently seeking community physician volunteers to join our mission. Physicians from all specialties are welcome to provide supervision, mentorship and clinical guidance to our student teams. Your expertise will not only directly benefit the patients we serve, but also support the growth of future health care professionals.
All physicians are welcome and encouraged to volunteer, whether you are a UofL faculty member or practicing elsewhere in the community. If you are not currently affiliated with the university, we will connect you with Dr. Jamaal Richie, who can provide guidance and ensure you are fully integrated and covered through the clinic team. Additionally, all physician volunteers will be covered under KMRRG malpractice protection, providing a peace of mind while you mentor
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