VCOM 2023 Annual Report

VCOM has never hesitated to step up in the face of disasters—natural or man-made—and members of our community regularly provide care and support to our home communities. VCOM-Carolinas’ MMU continues to provide many types of care to the community. In 2021, VCOM-Louisiana came to the aid and support of its Monroe, Louisiana, community after Hurricane Ida ravaged south Louisiana and Mississippi, displacing thousands of people. Early Clinical Experiences (ECEs) are a key part of the academic program during a student’s first two years at VCOM. ECEs give students hands-on learning experiences under the careful guidance of our faculty, while providing care to patients in areas where access to care is limited. The College supports dozens of community health clinics across the southeast each year, and many of them are examples of ECEs. The outreach work of the College doesn’t stop with providing health care. Just as a healthy person is one who has their physical, mental and spiritual needs met, a healthy community is one where people are fed,

housed, educated and more. VCOM supports community efforts that enhance the whole health of communities. Students, faculty and staff have raised money for causes from toy and book drives to Christmas gifts and COVID-19 relief. They collect food to help address community food insecurity. They walk for cancer awareness and run to raise money for community clinics. They participate in science camps, host “Mini Med School” events at local schools and support the Summer Enrichment Experience (SEE) programs hosted by VCOM, all of which help prepare high school students who are interested in medical careers. They teach physicians and others to speak Spanish to assist in effective communication with patients whose primary language isn’t English. They raise donations of school supplies for local children. And those are just a few of the activities we do that support our communities. Collectively, these programs and clinics provide preventative services and health and wellness programs to hundreds of patients in areas where access to care is limited.

OUTREACH 115