(371) Re-Engaging the Community After the COVID-19 Pandemic at an Interprofessional Student-Run Clinic

Objective : The University of Cincinnati Open School (UCOS), an interprofessional student-run clinic, has operated since 2010. The pandemic halted operations for 18 months, significantly affecting community engagement. We outline UCOS's efforts to re-engage the community and present initial data.

Methods: UCOS operates each Saturday, offering blood pressure (BP) and blood glucose (BS) checks, as well as dental hygiene screenings bi-monthly. Additional services include counseling on lifestyle, medication adherence, and linking individuals with healthcare resources. Data was analyzed from weekly narrative clinic updates from 2/18/23 through 2/24/24. Data collected included volunteer counts, neighbor attendance and health concerns addressed during each encounter.

Results: One-hundred-sixty-nine students from six professions (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, nutrition, and dental hygiene) participated. Of 232 total volunteers, medicine, dental hygiene, and pharmacy contributed the most with 82 (35.3%), 50 (21.6%), and 44 (19.0%) volunteers, respectively. On average, 2.6 (SD 1.1) professions were present each Saturday with an average of 3.4 volunteers (SD 1.8). In total, 136 neighbors were seen, an average of 2 neighbors per clinic (SD 1.2, Range 8-0). The most common interventions out of 129 were BP checks and hypertension counseling (n=30, 23.3%), diet and exercise counseling (n=28, 21.7%), BS checks and diabetes counseling (n=18, 14%), and adherence counseling (n=16, 12.4%). Attendance improved during spring and summer months, while it dropped during winter and early spring, though there were outliers in all seasons. Seven neighbors returned to the clinic, with 2 returning more than once.

Conclusions: The re-engagement efforts of UCOS following the pandemic have demonstrated significant community participation and impactful interventions. Despite challenges, UCOS has maintained a consistent presence, offering valuable health services and fostering interprofessional collaboration among students.