Clínica Comunitaria Esperanza: Strategy for Health Promotion and Engagement With Hispanic Communities

Abstract

A 2009 community needs assessment highlighted the health care gap facing Hispanic residents in Hampton, Virginia, one of the major cities served by Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS). Survey respondents indicated the following as health care barriers: language, lack of knowledge, and lack of a community health center. EVMS students worked to bridge the health care gap between existing needs and services by establishing and maintaining the Clínica Comunitaria Esperanza, a culturally and linguistically competent student-run free clinic serving uninsured Hispanics in the Hampton Roads area. This article provides a model for engaging effectively with a priority population through partnerships that facilitate understanding of the community concerns, values, culture, and existing local resources that serve as determinants of health. This article further illustrates how the integration of two preexisting EVMS programs, the HOPES (Health Outreach Partnership of EVMS Students) Clinic and the Medical Spanish program, has supported the development and sustainability of Clínica Comunitaria Esperanza. The HOPES Clinic is a student-run free clinic that provides both general and specialty care to uninsured patients. EVMS' Medical Spanish program is a longitudinal service learning initiative composed of medical students, faculty, and staff dedicated to providing inclusive health care to meet the needs of the local Spanish-speaking community.

Student-Run Free Clinics Stand at a Critical Junction Between Undergraduate Medical Education, Clinical Care, and Advocacy

“…7,51 This observation suggests that SRFCs breed future leaders in the medical community with a focus on providing medical care for traditionally underserved communities, 8 although measures like specialty selection are not reported to be significantly influenced by SRFC experience. 52–54…”

Clínica Comunitaria Esperanza Pediátrica: The Development and Early Outcomes of a Bilingual Medical Home for Uninsured Hispanic Children

“…Meaningful channels of community engagement were established, including monthly health fairs advertised via word of mouth and through regional Spanish-language radio. 9 Patients were recruited through three primary channels: a) families scheduling appointments directly during health fairs, b) adult CCE patients scheduling appointments for their children following their own visit, or c) interested parties calling the CCE-P phone number to schedule appointments independently. Case Management specialists at CHKD and staff at local pediatric clinics shared flyers with interested patients, helping CCE-P to reach mixed citizenship households.…”