Pitt County Care Clinic offers community care led by ECU medical students

On a blustery, sunny Sunday afternoon in January, physicians and medical students hurried into the Pitt County Health Department’s Earl Trevathan Jr., M.D. Public Health Center and disappeared into a clinic toward the back of the building.

They weren’t there for a weekend training session or meeting — they and their team of providers, office staff, translators and volunteers are part of the Pitt County Care Clinic, which provides care to uninsured patients in the community on most Sunday afternoons between noon and 4 p.m.

The clinic is the culmination of efforts between physicians in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Vidant Health, Pitt County Health Department and other organizations committed to community and public health.

Bridget Gallagher, right, co-director of the Pitt County Care Clinic and current Brody School of Medicine student, works with clinic staff to provide care on Sunday afternoons to uninsured patients in the community. (Photo by Rhett Butler)

On-site evaluations include blood pressure screenings, vital signs, history, physical examinations, blood glucose, cholesterol and urinalysis. A limited amount of medication is available for supplementing the patient’s previously prescribed regimens.

What makes this clinic additionally special is that it is led in part by two second-year Brody students, co-Executive Directors Bridget Gallagher and Emily Parks.

“In medical school, you don’t exactly have an abundance of time to get to know people outside of the Brody bubble,” Gallagher said. “I knew that the Pitt County Care Clinic would be a way to sustainably serve members of our community under the guidance of mentors who have a better understanding of the area’s history and needs.”

One of those mentors is Dr. Tom Irons, who has served as president of the PCCC for 23 years and credits those who make the clinic a success each week.

“I still marvel at the generosity of the good people who show up Sunday after Sunday,” he said. “It’s a wonderful demonstration of how much can be accomplished when people set aside institutional differences and come together in service. It’s a great partnership among Vidant, ECU and Pitt County Public Health.”

The clinic staff provides care for about 13 patients on average during any given Sunday afternoon, presenting with a range of needs from primary care to acute illness care.

The clinic offers not only health care for patients, but also valuable experience and exposure to health care settings for medical students.

“Students who volunteer in our free clinics learn just how closely the health status of people is linked to their economic and social circumstances,” Irons said. “They see the face of rural health in an intimately personal way, and most importantly, learn that that there are things that they can do to help. Seeing what life is really like for our least fortunate brothers and sisters is a humbling experience that can have a lifelong impact. I want these wonderful young people to build stronger servant’s hearts. It warms my heart to watch them grow.”

Point of growth

Gallagher echoed Irons’ sentiment, adding that the PCCC allows her to follow her passion and further confirm that her journey toward becoming a physician is the right path for her. The decision to lead the clinic as a student was a point of growth for Gallagher.

“There’s definitely a bit of imposter syndrome being a first-year medical student and leading your own classmates and a team of qualified health care professionals,” she said. “Being able to share the role of executive director with my classmate, Emily Parks, has greatly added to the experience. We both approach leadership very differently and coordinating clinic together has helped us to balance our strengths and learn from one another in areas where we can still improve.”

Parks said leading the clinic has given her a unique perspective on the needs of the community.

“I feel like I have gained a better understanding of the specific challenges that uninsured or underinsured patients face in the Greenville community,” she said. “And not only that, I have a better understanding of what resources exist for them and how to connect them with the right people and places.”

Parks led the application process for a $25,000 grant from the N.C. Community Foundation Healing Communities Fund, which the PCCC was awarded in July 2021 to offset the increased demand and need because of the pandemic.

“This was really the first time that I could see the impact of my own efforts on this scale, on the community level,” she said. “This funding was essential to making the transition to the electronic system, and we’re continuing to improve the resources available to our patients.”

Understanding the needs and helping secure resources for the clinic as well as learning about case studies in class prepared students for volunteering — but interaction with patients had a greater impact on Parks than she knew possible.

“When we’re at the clinic, interacting with real people and hearing their stories, we remember that the clinical vignettes we’re so used to reading will one day have faces,” she said.  “I often come home after spending six-plus hours at clinic and I might be a little tired and hungry, but I feel recharged. I’m more motivated to get back to studying because of the interactions I had that day. That’s how I know I’m on the right path.”

The clinic has also taught the students about community resources and connecting patients with others who may be able to provide further assistance. Those resources include social worker Jessica Barbee.

“Working with Access East and Health Assist, Jessica connects our patients with programs and treatments that are affordable and accessible given their unique situation,” Gallagher said. “This experience has proved that providing resources and supporting patients outside the clinic walls is just as important, if not more so, than any care we could provide within them.”

Volunteers are also vital to clinic operations.

One volunteer who worked in January paused to share her reasons for volunteering, although she wanted to do so anonymously.

“It’s just something I can do to help the community,” she said, adding that she is interested in being a medical translator. “This is a great resource for those in the community who need it.”

Those who maintain the clinic are committed to its success through patient care and community support, as well as crucial experience for medical students.

I’m proudest of the ways we have developed to give quality care to people who have almost no financial resources and no insurance,” Irons said. “I love the work. I sometimes go home tired, but I’m always uplifted.”