After a few years of hard work behind the scenes, the collaboration between the Dumke College of Health Professions and the Seager Memorial Clinic, a free clinic serving low-income and uninsured individuals mostly in Ogden, Utah, began this September. Through this collaboration, some of our students will step out of the classroom and directly onto the frontlines of compassionate care, bringing holistic, high-quality support to those who need it most.
This collaboration helps our students across different departments to come together. On the first Thursday evening of each month, faculty preceptors from our Doctor of Nursing Practice and Physician Assistant programs guide students in providing direct medical care. Nursing students handle rooming and vital signs, and radiology honors students who are licensed provide on-site X-ray imaging.
Our new Occupational Therapy Assistant program visits Seager Memorial Clinic on Mondays. They focus on whole-person rehabilitation, guiding patients through chronic pain management using low-cost tools, helping manage complex medication routines with simple pill organizers, and distributing basic hygiene kits and healthy snacks.
Many of the individuals who walk through the clinic doors face profound challenges, from housing instability and transportation hurdles to making difficult choices between groceries and medication. By meeting patients where they are, our students gain a deep, firsthand understanding of empathetic, patient-centered care. They learn that being a healthcare leader means resourcefully adapting to meet real human needs with dignity and grace.
As this collaboration continues, we will update you on the positive impacts this will have on our students and our community.