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Abstract. .Background: Uninsured Patients With Diabetes

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ABSTRACT Background: Uninsured patients with diabetes are at increased risk for poor outcomes and often have limited access to health and prescription services necessary to manage diabetes. The Cooper Rowan Clinic is a medical student-run, attending-supervised free clinic that offers primary care to the uninsured individuals in the Camden New Jersey area. Student-run clinics are emerging safety-net practices for the uninsured; but despite the growing number of clinics that currently operate across the United States little data exist on the quality of care being delivered at these sites. Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of health care provided for uninsured diabetic patients at the Cooper Rowan Clinic Methods: Quantitative analysis …show more content…

Although the ACA drastically expanded coverage it failed to provide adequate health insurance for millions including millions of undocumented immigrants who reside in the US; forcing these individuals to seek alternative treatment options. Student Run Free Clinics (SRFC) serve as a viable healthcare option for many of those seeking primary care when they otherwise wouldn’t be eligible for healthcare coverage. A reasonable assumption could be that otherwise medically underserved patients would gain clinical benefits from receiving care at SRFCs, few published reports support this notion. Although some studies have demonstrated that SRFCs can meet national care guidelines for chronic medical illnesses, surprisingly few have assessed longitudinal improvement in clinical outcomes. The goal of this study is to add to the existing literature surrounding SRFCs by investigating diabetes outcomes. The Cooper Rowan Clinic (CRC) is a SRFC that aims to serve the city’s underserved population and reduce healthcare disparities in Camden, NJ. Since 2012 the clinic has been providing access to quality care for uninsured, underinsured, and undocumented patients over the age of 14. Medical students from Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and pharmacy students from University of the Sciences in Philadelphia work together in teams to provide care to patients at the CRC, under close supervision of at least one licensed faculty physician and

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