VCOM - Virginia 2016 Yearbook

HCMO Hispanic Community Medical Outreach

John D. Sanderson, President; Juliana B. Sullivan, Vice President; David L. Arnold, Secretary; Hannah C. Salapeh, Treasurer

T he Hispanic Community Medical Outreach (HCMO) organization is dedicated to promoting health to the Hispanic community through education and increasing access to care. HCMO’s medical outreach initiatives involve health screenings and osteopathic treatment for Hispanic populations. In addition to community outreach activities, HCMO also works to promote cultural awareness by organizing fun social events. Finally, 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 VCOM’s future physicians. ■ ■ HCMO held the "How to Work with a Medical Interpreter" workshop on March 15, 2016, with MMSA for an interactive presentation about how to communicate with patients when there is a language barrier. Topics discussed included the importance of accurate interpretation, the role of a medical interpreter, and the challenges patients with limited proficiency in English face when seeking medical care in the United States. ■ ■ HCMO held a health fair at Holy Spirit Catholic Church on April 30, 2016, in collaboration with

SAAO and ACOP to organize in Christiansburg, Virginia for members of the local Spanish- speaking community. The students took vital signs, measured blood glucose levels, educated people about nutrition, interpreted for SAAO members doing OMM and had an outdoor Zumba class. ■ ■ HCMO hosts numerous events throughout the year relating to Hispanic culture and Spanish language practice/instruction. This includes local health fairs for the Hispanic community, Latin dancing socials, pre-trip medical Spanish classes for VCOM mission trips, twice monthly Spanish lunches and Hispanic movie nights.

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