It was early in the blustery March afternoon, and already theShade Tree Clinic'scramped waiting room was filled almost to capacity.
The East Nashville free clinic, which is open for appointments and walk-ins on Tuesdays and Saturdays, was founded in 2005 by Vanderbilt University medical students and is still largely run by them.
"Vanderbilt provides more free care than anyone else in this city," said Co-Director and second-year medical student Meredith Albin. "It's hard for non-profits to survive in this economy, so we are looking at big institutions like Vanderbilt to really make a contribution."
The small trailer on Grace Street is just minutes from Titans Coliseum, in an area dotted with low-income housing, pawnshops and shelters. Among its many free services, the clinic provides medications, testing, counseling, diabetes education and social services.
On April 11, the clinic will be holding its first annualShade Tree Trot, a fundraising 5K race around campus. The event will begin at 10 a.m. on Peabody campus, with a small entrance fee. Donations will also be accepted.
Albin began working for the clinic in her first year as a diabetes educator and Spanish interpreter and soon developed a passion for it.
"I always knew that I wanted to be involved," Albin said. "I do a lot of the talking to the patients, I don't do a lot of the clinical stuff. It wasn't the learning skills that brought me here. I always did a lot work with the community. I want to work in community health, It's the population that I enjoy working with."
Regular patient Eva Pulant sat in the waiting room by the reception window, where another patient was being instructed, in Spanish, how often she should take her medication.
"I've been coming here for four years," Pulant said. "I am diabetic, I have high blood pressure, I've had two heart attacks in the last four years, and I've just had my foot operated on and it needs to be operated on again because it's broken."
Pulant was just awarded disability benefits after many years of petitioning with the help of the social services division of the clinic. She has just been advised today that she should buy a handicap tag for her car, but it's going to cost her $10.
"Most of the doctors here are nice," she said. "(Dr. Robert Miller, the medical director) prescribes me all my medications, and I have an appointment every two months with him."
Like Pulant, many of the patients have diabetes and much of the budget goes to their care.
"We have about 60 diabetic patients that we follow right now," Albin said. "The majority of our budget, or nearly 40 percent, goes to medicine and supplies for these patients. A large majority also has hypertension."
"We are raising money to build a (larger) health clinic," said first-year medical student Adam Wegner.
Wegner has been working at the clinic for three and half years. Before enrolling in Vanderbilt University Medical School, he was a graduate student specializing in neuroscience.
"I started working here basically when I decided to go to medical school and I wanted to have experience with patients in a low-pressure environment," Wegner said.
First-year medical student Akshitkumar Mistry said he started working at the clinic for clinical experience as well but hinted at a more personal incentive.
"My family is uninsured. I've been to free clinics and I know what it's like," Mistry said. "I know what it's like to be out there waiting for medications."
Mistry was born in India and raised in Africa, and he moved to the United States eight years ago. Next year, he will be director of the pharmacy.
"I come here as much as I can," he said. "The moment you say yes (to the patients) for more medications, it's like awesome. You really get to see them change because I have their medical records and I see their progress."
Still, it seems to many of the students and volunteers that the clinic has been called to serve a role for which it is not entirely prepared. Many of the students said they see this as a serious flaw of the American health care system.
"This is a consequence of a system without universal health care," Wegner said.
"I view health care as a right, at least basic health care," Albin said. "And I don't think that's the attitude that everyone has necessarily. If everyone does a little to benefit the community, then a lot gets done. It's not a huge burden on anyone, and it helps a lot of people."
