Volunteering in a student-run free clinic (SRFC) is a common way for health science graduate students to engage with the community where their institution is located. Serving in this environment acts as an introductory, supportive learning environment for students to practice community health work and develop their understanding of patient-care centered care. SRFC often face a unique challenge and opportunity in that student volunteers arrive with various backgrounds and experiences, and with differing knowledge, theories, and types of experiences with ethical community engagement. With these…

Student-Run Free Clinics (SRFC) are uniquely positioned to deliver accessible care while simultaneously developing future healthcare practitioners focused on community health. With over 100 such clinics across the United States, SRFCs present a novel opportunity to amplify community awareness and use of harm reduction interventions through collaboration with local stakeholders. Harm reduction tools such as naloxone and fentanyl test strips have become increasingly available to the public to combat the rapid rise of opioid related drug overdoses. Community organizations have complemented the…

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted childhood immunization rates and primary care utilization in addition to fracturing community trust in the healthcare system. Most recent data from the Minnesota Department of Health shows that about 60% of Minnesota children between 24-35 months received all vaccinations in the childhood immunization series, while the Healthy People 2030 goal is a 90% coverage rate. In Minnesota’s most populous county, Hennepin County, vaccinations have yet to fully rebound to pre-pandemic levels; the disparities are particularly stark for certain racial and…