Longitudinal Placements
Each member of the GHC is assigned to a longitudinal placement at a local clinic or community agency. These organizations serve marginalized populations in Calgary, and each has been selected with the GHC's objectives and focus areas in mind. Each GHC member is assigned, based on their interests, to a clinical placement with one of the organizations below.
Objectives
The formal objectives for striving to maintain these placements as a core of GHC participation are to:
The formal objectives for striving to maintain these placements as a core of GHC participation are to:
- Increase awareness of local GH issues and develop skills to interact with marginalized populations, for example, language services and use of Language Line, culturally appropriate terminology, etc
- Increase awareness of the financial coverage options offered by the provincial and federal government for those without health insurance
- Gain insight into the prevalent medical conditions that are present in each of the particular populations of the GHC local placements
- Gain a better understanding of how physicians advocate for their patients on a local, provincial, and national level
Placements
Student Run Clinic
The SRC aims to minimize barriers and provide better access to healthcare for underserved populations. Clinicians provide respectful, attentive and comprehensive medical care for underserved populations, while advocating for excellent, accessible healthcare on behalf of the population they serve. They also have the opportunity to create local, sustainable, physician-mentored projects and engage in program evaluation and research. Check out their website.
Alex Seniors
Part of a group of services offered by The Alex, the Seniors’ Health Centre provides multidisciplinary healthcare to low-income adults over the age of 55. The clinic strives to increase the well-being and quality of life of seniors by making healthcare and other social services more accessible. Physiotherapists, massage therapists, social workers, and other health specialists work in the clinic and there is also an on-site lab. A GHC placement at this location provides students with the opportunity to work one-on-one with a variety of healthcare professionals, interact with patients both in the clinic and during home visits, and learn more about the many services available to the older adult population in Calgary.
CUPS
"CUPS Primary Care Clinic provides holistic, collaborative and non-judgemental physical and mental health care to struggling low-income, high-risk Calgarians. Many of its patients are homeless and struggling to overcome complex and neglected health issues; mental health and addiction issues; and low education and health literacy rates.” Through the GHC local placement, students have the opportunity to shadow the fantastic dedicated physicians at the CUPS primary care clinic. Under the guidance of the CUPS physicians students practice clinical skills, such as history taking and physical exam. This placement gives students exposure to a holistic approach to patient wellness. Students also have the opportunity to shadow at CUPS outreach clinics including The Mustard Seed, the Group Diabetes program, and Alpha House.
Mosaic Refugee Health Clinic
The Mosaic Refugee Health Clinic provides new refugees (within their first two years in Canada) comprehensive primary care services in a multi-disciplinary setting. Some of the services that the clinic provides include management of chronic diseases, diagnosis and management of tropical diseases, annual health exams, mental health services, preventive care, health education, help accessing social services, amongst many others. The clinic has access to LanguageLine, which is a professional interpretive service that helps clinicians communicate with their patients; an invaluable service. Overall, the Refugee Clinic offers an amazing experience for medical students interested in learning more about global health, and particularly how global health issues have no boundaries, and the many barriers and challenges that new refugees face. For more information, please refer to the clinic’s website.
Elbow River Healing Lodge
The Elbow River Healing Lodge (ERHL) is a primary care clinic at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre. The clinic provides physical, mental, emotional and spiritual care in a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal people. The holistic approach to health helps to connect individuals in the population with appropriate and respectful health services and resources. The services offered include triage and assessment, health examination, preventative activities, complex care management, coaching for self-care and access to specialized services such as paediatrics, rheumatology and nutrition. Service providers include Aboriginal clinic liaisons, registered nurses (RNs), physicians, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), street outreach workers and a traditional wellness counsellor. The GHC student at ERHL is integrated into the medical team, allowing for the opportunity to practice clinical and communication skills under the supervision of a physician, while witnessing the impacts of various social determinants of health on the health status and outcomes of individual patients and families. The ERHL demonstrates how health disparities can be altered through tailoring access and provision of health services and is an example of well-integrated traditional and medical care. For more information, please see the Alberta Health Services website.
Student Run Clinic
The SRC aims to minimize barriers and provide better access to healthcare for underserved populations. Clinicians provide respectful, attentive and comprehensive medical care for underserved populations, while advocating for excellent, accessible healthcare on behalf of the population they serve. They also have the opportunity to create local, sustainable, physician-mentored projects and engage in program evaluation and research. Check out their website.
Alex Seniors
Part of a group of services offered by The Alex, the Seniors’ Health Centre provides multidisciplinary healthcare to low-income adults over the age of 55. The clinic strives to increase the well-being and quality of life of seniors by making healthcare and other social services more accessible. Physiotherapists, massage therapists, social workers, and other health specialists work in the clinic and there is also an on-site lab. A GHC placement at this location provides students with the opportunity to work one-on-one with a variety of healthcare professionals, interact with patients both in the clinic and during home visits, and learn more about the many services available to the older adult population in Calgary.
CUPS
"CUPS Primary Care Clinic provides holistic, collaborative and non-judgemental physical and mental health care to struggling low-income, high-risk Calgarians. Many of its patients are homeless and struggling to overcome complex and neglected health issues; mental health and addiction issues; and low education and health literacy rates.” Through the GHC local placement, students have the opportunity to shadow the fantastic dedicated physicians at the CUPS primary care clinic. Under the guidance of the CUPS physicians students practice clinical skills, such as history taking and physical exam. This placement gives students exposure to a holistic approach to patient wellness. Students also have the opportunity to shadow at CUPS outreach clinics including The Mustard Seed, the Group Diabetes program, and Alpha House.
Mosaic Refugee Health Clinic
The Mosaic Refugee Health Clinic provides new refugees (within their first two years in Canada) comprehensive primary care services in a multi-disciplinary setting. Some of the services that the clinic provides include management of chronic diseases, diagnosis and management of tropical diseases, annual health exams, mental health services, preventive care, health education, help accessing social services, amongst many others. The clinic has access to LanguageLine, which is a professional interpretive service that helps clinicians communicate with their patients; an invaluable service. Overall, the Refugee Clinic offers an amazing experience for medical students interested in learning more about global health, and particularly how global health issues have no boundaries, and the many barriers and challenges that new refugees face. For more information, please refer to the clinic’s website.
Elbow River Healing Lodge
The Elbow River Healing Lodge (ERHL) is a primary care clinic at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre. The clinic provides physical, mental, emotional and spiritual care in a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal people. The holistic approach to health helps to connect individuals in the population with appropriate and respectful health services and resources. The services offered include triage and assessment, health examination, preventative activities, complex care management, coaching for self-care and access to specialized services such as paediatrics, rheumatology and nutrition. Service providers include Aboriginal clinic liaisons, registered nurses (RNs), physicians, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), street outreach workers and a traditional wellness counsellor. The GHC student at ERHL is integrated into the medical team, allowing for the opportunity to practice clinical and communication skills under the supervision of a physician, while witnessing the impacts of various social determinants of health on the health status and outcomes of individual patients and families. The ERHL demonstrates how health disparities can be altered through tailoring access and provision of health services and is an example of well-integrated traditional and medical care. For more information, please see the Alberta Health Services website.