VCOM - Carolinas 2017 Yearbook

HCMO Hispanic Community Medical Outreach

Yezabel Colon Maria Gomez, President; Jessica Hass, Vice President; Ashley Czaplicki, Treasurer; Cara Borelli, Secretary; Vanessa Costa, Chair

T he Hispanic Community Medical Outreach (HCMO) organization is dedicated to improving wellness amongst Spartanburg’s Hispanic community through educational programs and healthcare accessibility. The organization’s medical outreach initiatives involve health screenings and osteopathic treatment for the Hispanic population of Spartanburg and surrounding areas. In addition to community outreach activities, HCMO also promotes cultural awareness by organizing informative social events, including salsa dance classes and health education. HCMO is dedicated to improving the Spanish language skills of the VCOM student population, as well as encouraging involvement and preparation for medical mission trips to Spanish-speaking countries to increase the capabilities of future physicians.

In 2016, HCMO hosted Spanish classes for anyone interested in

Spanish-speaking patients. HCMO participated in VCOM’s annual Pediatric Wellness Fair, helping with the event and offering Spanish translation when necessary. This year, the organization teamed up with IMA and SNMA for cultural awareness events to teach the Classes of 2019 and 2020 about diversity in medicine and how important it is to be culturally competent in order to diminish healthcare disparities. HCMO hosted events in the fall of 2016 and during National Osteopathic Medicine Week. HCMO is excited to continue to improve cultural literacy and wellness para todos.

learning medical Spanish. The lessons were geared to teach introductory- level Spanish based on the organ system blocks and Standardized Patient Interviews, in addition to improving conversational fluency. Several Class of 2019 students mentioned this truly helped them prepare for medical outreach trips. Additionally, in helping prepare for outreach trips, HCMO teamed up with SGA and ACOP to collect donations for the children and patients at VCOM’s international medical sites. Throughout each school year, HCMO helps translate for non-English speaking patients in a variety of health settings, including St. Matthew’s Clinic, hosted by SOIMA. HCMO members also attended ReGenesis Health Center events to help perform physical exams and translate for

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