Willimantic Pop-Up Healthcare Clinic Resource Hallway

Fall 2024 UConn Co-op Legacy Fellowship – Change Grant Project

Project Mentor: Dr. Jaci Van Heest, Educational Psychology; Public Health LC Faculty Director

Project Summary

Although the Medical Clinic Club and Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinic in March 2024 proved successful, there were still gaps to be addressed for the March 2025 clinic. The goal of providing free medical, dental, and vision care to people in Willimantic and surrounding areas has always remained paramount to the mission of our organization. The Medical Clinic Club, founded in 2023, was one of the first of its kind at the University of Connecticut. The student-led initiative formed with a small team of four, but has now expanded to nine. The opportunity to volunteer with the club combines not only tangle impact, but also meaningful service reflection, thus allowing students to not only participate in the clinic, but learn from it. In having direct contact with patients, we value the unique ability for volunteers to speak to patients, learning their stories and comforting them while at the clinic.

Unfortunately, gaps in healthcare are not the only inequity that local residents are facing. As one of the counties in Connecticut with the highest food insecurity rates for both adults and children, this project intended to advance our mission beyond what patients experienced in 2024. The resource hallway, equipped with healthy/non-perishable food options, general hygiene items, menstrual products, baby food/diapers, emergency kits, and educational resources; all intended to allow patients the opportunity to continue improving upon healthy habits.

Impact

At this year’s clinic, we were able to provide $142,069 to 196 patients across the two-day clinic with the help of our 368 total volunteers. Since resource hallways are not standard for Remote Area Medical clinics, this was a unique addition. On March 7th, with the help of UConn and RAM CORE volunteers, Windham Middle School was transformed into the clinic. The vision clinic stretched across three classrooms: one for initial imaging, the second for optometrist-guided visual exams, and the final classroom allowed patients to select glasses from for on-site made lenses if indicated. Medical exams were performed in a large classroom with privacy tents seeing five patients at a time. The dental clinic, located in the school’s gymnasium, contained twenty tents connected by an intricate air filtration system for sterility. After patients were triaged, they could get imaging, tooth extractions, fillings, and general cleanings.

As patients left the clinic, they would walk through the resource hallway. Along the hall were volunteers who would personally guide patients through the resource hallway, encouraging them to take whatever they needed for themselves or for their families. All excess resource hallway items and volunteer meals were donated to local food pantries, homeless shelters, and fire/police stations.

What’s Next

With two successful clinics under our belt, we’re excited to continue being an invaluable resource for patients in Willimantic and surrounding communities. Our team works tirelessly throughout the year planning volunteer accommodations, raising thousands of dollars in grants/donations, as well as finalizing all the clinic logistics. We’re looking forwards to incorporating ourselves as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization so that we’re able to manage our own funds. We’re looking forward to planning next year’s clinic with the help of RAM, our partners, and all our wonderful, and driven, UConn volunteers. For those interested in volunteering with the clinic, please search for us on UConntact or reach out to Cameron personally.

About Cameron

Cameron is a junior majoring in Physiology and Neurobiology with minors in English and Neuroscience. On campus, he’s currently involved with Huskies for Health, STEMTalk Magazine, the Learning Community Executive Council, independent research with Jaci VanHeest, and is a part of the Jung Lab in the School of Pharmacy. Off-campus, Cameron enjoys spending time with his family and friends, listening to music, and going on hikes.