Shade Tree Clinic’s move adds much-needed space (03/1/12)
3/16/12 10:17 AM
Are You a Patient?
SEARCH THE REPORTER
Click here to visit www.VanderbiltHealth.com
59°
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
HOME
ARCHIVES
ABOUT
CONTACT
Light Rain
Nashville, TN
RSS FEED
HEADLINES
Shade Tree Clinic’s
move adds muchneeded space
Skull Base Center
Acute Care Nurse
helps coordinate
Practitioner
expertise, care
Intensivist Fellowship
VUSM moves up in
national ranking
Wilkins named to
direct MeharryVanderbilt Alliance
BY: CAROLE BARTOO
Immune system’s role
in prematurity
3/01/2012 - The Shade Tree Clinic’s
complication studied
success has been a study in the
force of will of Vanderbilt
University School of Medicine
students.
Aliquots — research
highlights from
VUMC laboratories
ROUNDS: A message
from the Vice
But recently, it was the force of
their muscles that moved the clinic
— which provides free care to
Robert Miller, M.D., left, co-medical director of the Shade Tree Clinic, shows fourth-year School of Medicine
student Adam Wegner where supplies go during the clinic’s recent move. (photo by Joe Howell)
uninsured people living in East
Nashville — to a new, larger facility located at 1223 Dickerson Road.
Chancellor
Safety Store celebrates
third birthday with
new offerings
Radiothon rings up
funds for Children’s
Hospital
VU Spring Faculty
Assembly to feature
awards, teaching
honors
Conference to explore
HIV/AIDS cure search
World Health Week
Mouse phenotyping
events set
center lands grant
Health disparities
renewal
lecture set
Lecturer explores cell
Photo: VKC Science
shape changes in
Day
development
“It’s bigger and clean and will be what our patients deserve in terms of
the quality of the space we are using to provide them care,” said Allison
Ferreira, a second-year School of Medicine student and co-director of
the student-run clinic.
created
Photo: Celebrating
VUMC’s supply chain
Seuss
management
achievements lauded
Bigger is an understatement, as the new facility, one of United
Neighborhood Health Services (UNHS) family clinics, gives the
students access to up to 12 exam rooms in three separate wings as well
as a break room, meeting room, spacious lobby and medication storage
facility.
Shade Tree moves on up... the street
Leaving behind six years of fond memories,
medical students from the Vanderbilt
University School of Medicine move the
Shade Tree Clinic to a bigger, newer home.
The former facility, a double-wide trailer at 222 Grace Street, featured just three exam
rooms and hallways and spaces so narrow that students and faculty had nowhere to
sit or stand.
“We could get 25 volunteers a night seeing 30 patients and we would be right on top
of each other,” said Paula Marincola, a second-year medical student and co-director of
the clinic. “Being in the trailer was a reminder this is a grass roots effort. This building
kind of feels like a palace to us. It definitely changes
things.”
EVENTS AND NOTICES
PRINT
Match Day
Friday, March 16, 11 a.m., 208 Light Hall
E-MAIL
RSS
SHARE
When the UNHS clinic closes its doors after regular
business hours, Shade Tree takes the space over on
Tuesday nights and Saturdays.
The hours and arrangement with UNHS remain the
same as they were for the previous six years at the old
facility.
Second-year School of Medicine student Paula Marincola helps move the
“Six years ago Mary Bufwack, CEO of UNHS, invited
Shade Tree Clinic into its new, larger facility in East Nashville. (photo by Joe
Howell)
Vanderbilt medical students to start Shade Tree
operations in the Grace Street facility and has now allowed Shade Tree to move into a larger and updated
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/index.html?ID=12269
Page 1 of 3
Shade Tree Clinic’s move adds much-needed space (03/1/12)
3/16/12 10:17 AM
facility,” said Robert Miller, M.D., associate professor of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and
co-medical director of the clinic.
“UNHS has never charged Shade Tree for the use of their
facilities. Mary is committed to training providers who want to
practice in underserved areas.”
The students emphasize that other neighborhood relationships
will remain intact, including supporting a local football team,
the partnership with the Salvation Army and maintaining a
neighborhood vegetable garden, among others.
The move to the Dickerson Road facility was enhanced by a
$100,000 grant from the Cal Turner Foundation, which has
supported the clinic’s operations in the past. The grant will be used to purchase pharmaceutical dispensing
equipment, equipment for specialty examination including ophthalmology and diagnostic ultrasound and
electrocardiogram studies.
Michael Fowler, M.D., assistant professor of Medicine in
the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism,
is co-medical director along with Miller. He has helped
students learn to guide the care of diabetes patients,
especially those who are Spanish-speaking.
“This clinic space will help our expanding Preventive
Health Education (PHE) programs to serve patients
Space was tight in the Shade Tree Clinic’s former home in a double-wide
trailer on Grace Street in East Nashville (top photo). In the new space (bottom
photo), medical students will have an actual waiting room as well as access to
up to 12 exam rooms. (photos by Joe Howell)
better. Students are learning that not only are patients
much more receptive to active involvement in improving their health, but the relationship with physicians
improves with more trust.
The individualized attention has motivated many of our patients to take control of their health,” Fowler said.
The concept for the clinic began with two first-year students six years ago.
Today, nearly all first- and second-year medical students volunteer at the clinic. Volunteers from Vanderbilt
University School of Nursing and neighboring pharmacy schools have joined in and students have secured
funding for a paid social worker to staff all clinics.
Through it all, VUSM students have done the lion’s share of fundraising to support the clinic’s services. Their
single largest fundraising event is the annual Shade Tree Trot, and registration for this year’s event is now
open.
The trot is a 5K run and walk open to the public, and takes place along the beautiful pathways in the heart of
the Vanderbilt campus.
This year’s trot is on Saturday, April 21, at 9 a.m. There is a $20 fee for students and $25 for non-students to
register in advance. Registration is $25 for students and $30 for non-students on the day of the race.
Register online at shadetreeclinic.org/trot/ until Thursday, April 19.
For more information, contact: [email protected].
​
Comment (1)
Sort by: Date Rating Last Activity
Sonya · 1 week ago
0
This sounds good. Vanderbilt need to put more clinics around Nashville, this will keep alot of traffic in and out of the ER when a
clinic can help faster.
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/index.html?ID=12269
Page 2 of 3