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Rachel Thomsen, a second-year medical student, lines up a putt during the 7th Annual SHARING the Green Golf Tournament on Sept 28. Photo by Hana Gomes, also a second-year medical student. |
The 7th Annual SHARING the Green Golf Tournament on Sept. 28 at Pacific Springs Golf Course raised more than $25,000 with nearly 100 people golfing. The Nebraska Medical Center served as the title sponsor of the tournament.
The proceeds will help cover some of the operating expenses for the three student-run SHARING Clinics in Omaha.
The clinics include: the weekly SHARING Clinic (Student Health Alliance Reaching Indigent Needy Groups); the weekly RESPECT Clinic (Responsible Early STD Prevention, Education & Community Testing); and the monthly GOODLIFE Clinic (Greater Omaha Outreach for Diabetes Lifestyles Impacting Fitness and Education).
The SHARING Clinics are among the few interdisciplinary clinics in the country, involving all the clinical programs of a typical academic health science center.
The clinics are staffed by medical, physician assistant, pharmacy, nurse practitioner, clinical laboratory science, physical therapy, nutrition, and medical family therapy students under the supervision of UNMC and community health care professionals.
“The event is a great opportunity for our sponsors to have a good time while raising money to allow us to keep our doors open, so that we can provide an essential service to a needy population base,” said Jeremy Gallant, a second-year medical student who serves as fund-raising co-chair for the SHARING Clinics.
At this year’s tournament, the students introduced the UNMC SHARING Clinics PIN (Patients in Need) Honor Club. Under the program, individuals can make contributions at several different levels ranging from $80 to $50,000. The contribution levels are based on the cost of providing care to one underserved patient for one year. The program is being administered through the University of Nebraska Foundation. For more information, call 502-0300.
Through the PIN Honor Club, the SHARING board hopes to increase the involvement of private donors more directly with clinic operations, said Hana Gomes, secretary and public relations chairperson for the SHARING board. “The program got off to an exciting start at this year’s tournament when an anonymous donor made a $5,000 matching donation to the club,” Gomes said.
Founded in 1997, the three SHARING Clinics see more than 1,400 patients annually. The clinics provide continuity of care at no or minimal cost to patients and encourage preventative care and wellness through patient education.
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Back nine winners at the 7th Annual SHARING the Green Golf Tournament on Sept. 28 included this foursome of second-year medical students: Chris March (front) and (left-right, back row) Jeremy Albin, Dave Newton and Tim Yates. Photo by Hana Gomes. |
The SHARING Clinics have received recognition or awards five times since 2000.
In 2006, the clinics received the Nebraska Pharmacists Association’s Public Relations Award. Other awards include the Minority Health Conference Award for Outstanding Minority Health Community-Based Service (2004), the AAMC Community Service Award (2003) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Award for Innovations in Health Interdisciplinary Category (2000).
In addition, Gomes said an entry for the SHARING Clinics is a finalist for a national grant, and the students hope to find out next month if they will be awarded the grant.