HOPE Clinic
Link: https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/health-sciences/dpt/hope-clinic/
Mission Statement:
"To improve the health and well-being of the under-served populations in Alamance County, NC and surrounding regions by providing quality physical therapy treatment and fostering student community service and clinical expertise." (H.O.P.E. Bylaws).
The Health Outreach Program of Elon (H.O.P.E. Clinic) offers physical therapy services free of charge to those who are uninsured or under-insured in Alamance County and surrounding areas. The clinic has run on a weekly basis since November of 2013 and was the first student-managed pro bono clinic in North Carolina. In H.O.P.E. Clinic’s first year of operation, over 50 patients were treated, saving the community an estimated $50,000 in medical costs. Over 25 different licensed physical therapists and over 100 Elon DPT students have volunteered at the clinic. H.O.P.E. Clinic offers a chance for Elon DPT students to improve their clinical skills outside of their scheduled clinical rotations and acts as an outlet for licensed physical therapists to mentor students and provide pro bono service, as well as an opportunity to provide high quality, free health care to residents of our local community.
The rights, safety, dignity, and privacy of the Clinic’s clients and patients are supported through the following:
1. Client advocate committee position that serves to provide patients with continued access within the healthcare systems of the area
2. Requirements of volunteering licensed clinicians that include:
a. Providing a copy of the current license to the clinician coordinator
b. Signing a HIPAA form prior to service in the Clinic
c. Having their own liability insurance prior to volunteering
3. Procedures within the operation of the Clinic that mimic for-payment facilities including but are not limited to:
a. The patient reading and signing an informed consent to treat
b. All participants reading and signing the HIPAA form mentioned above
c. Student volunteers being supervised by licensed physical therapists
d. Clinician and students responsible for creating and maintaining documentation of visits, progress, and discharge
The H.O.P.E. clinic is overseen by a primary Faculty Advisor and designated Senior Clinician(s). The main purpose of the Faculty Advisor and Senior Clinician(s) is to oversee the structure and function of the clinic and work with the Student Executive Board to carry out their duties in managing the clinic.
Faculty Advisor: The Faculty Advisor supervises student clinicians and provides direct patient care in the H.O.P.E. Clinic. The Advisor serves as a consultant for the Student Board during weekly meetings and special events and in preparation for dissemination of research pertaining to the clinic. The Faculty Advisor also serves as a liaison for the overall curriculum and program goals, linking specific course goals and objectives to the H.O.P.E. Clinic.
Senior Clinician: The Senior Clinician assists the Faculty Advisor in supervising student clinicians and providing direct patient care in the H.O.P.E. Clinic. The Senior Clinician serves as a consultant for the Student Board during weekly meetings and special events. This individual also serves as a liaison between volunteering clinicians, students, and the Faculty Advisor.
The H.O.P.E. Clinic is made up of an executive board and committees. The overall purpose of the Executive Board is to oversee the structure and function of the clinic and to work with the Faculty Advisor, Senior Clinician(s), and committee members to carry out their respective duties. The Executive Board consists of 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd -year students.
Titles and Duties of Executive Board Positions:
Clinic Administrators:(one 1st-year, one 2nd-year, one 3rd-year) The clinic administrator attends all weekly board meetings and oversees nightly operations on clinic nights. This individual serves as the liaison for EMR troubleshooting and assists the student coordinator with EMR training for students and clinicians. The clinic administrator is responsible for student chart audits, 5K event planning, quarterly board reports, and managing the H.O.P.E. Clinic website. The clinic administrator also oversees the treasury committee.
Clinic Coordinators: (one 1st-year, one 2nd-year, one 3rd-year) The clinic coordinator presides at all weekly board meetings, appoints necessary committees, oversees clinic function on clinic nights, and acts as the chief liaison between the board and the Faculty Advisor. The clinic coordinator oversees the marketing committee.
Student Coordinators: (one 1st-year, one 2nd-year, one 3rd-year) The student coordinator attends all weekly board meetings and assigned clinic nights. The student coordinator oversees student involvement in the clinic, including recruiting, scheduling and organizing student treatment teams. This individual is responsible for orientation and training of students volunteering in the clinic. The student coordinator is responsible for the Physical Therapy Pro Bono National Honor Society documentation of student hours and requirements. The student coordinator oversees the outcome committee.
Clinician Coordinators: (one 1st-year, one 2nd-year, one 3rd-year) The clinician coordinator attends all weekly board meetings and weekly clinic nights. The clinician coordinator is responsible for recruiting, scheduling and coordinating volunteer clinician coverage for the clinic. This individual is responsible for assigning volunteer clinicians to student treatment teams and provides training and orientation for clinicians participating in the clinic. The clinician coordinator is responsible for facilitating communication between student treatment groups and volunteer clinicians. The clinician coordinator oversees the office manager committee.
Committees:
The committees consist of DPT students from all three classes. More than one member of each class may serve in a committee position. The board decides the appropriate number of members for each group.
Office Manager Committee: This committee operates and manages the front desk on clinic nights for the H.O.P.E. Clinic. Duties of the committee include, but are not limited to, receiving patients at the front desk upon arrival, H.O.P.E. Clinic clerical duties, scheduling patients, managing patient conflict with supervision from the Clinician Coordinator, and providing scheduling reminder phone calls and emails to patients.
Marketing Committee: This committee promotes the H.O.P.E. Clinic within the community. Duties of the committee include, but are not limited to, managing social media pages, providing the H.O.P.E. Clinic information and marketing supplies to health care professionals, and helping to facilitate H.O.P.E. Clinic public events.
Outcomes Committee: This committee manages outcome measures and clinic data accumulated by the H.O.P.E. Clinic. This data may include, but is not limited to, clinical outcome measure forms, patient demographic information, PT and SPT volunteer hours and information, and patient satisfaction surveys.
Treasury Committee: This committee manages and oversees all funds used by the H.O.P.E. Clinic as well as overseeing incoming donations and money obtained by the H.O.P.E. Clinic. Duties may include, but are not limited to, managing and keeping an up-to-date budget, approving and facilitating requests for funding for H.O.P.E. Clinic uses, collecting donations, fundraising for the clinic, and seeking out grants to provide additional funding for the H.O.P.E. Clinic.