By: Rachel Hawkins, NDG Staff Writer
For many, continuing traditions, keeping memories alive and giving back are considered important factors in their lives. While others struggle to find ways to help, Alison Volk discovered the perfect way to honor her mother’s memory, life, and values.
Alison Volk, the president of VOLK PR, has collaborated with the UT Southwestern (UTSW) Office of Development, in memory of her mother Nancy Volk, establishing an educational fund for the school’s medical students to help manage free clinics. The fund assists in covering the cost of attending The Society of Student-Run Free Clinics annual conference for the UT students.
Nancy Volk founded both the free medical clinic and the student-run free clinic, known as The Monday Clinic at North Dallas Shared Ministries. This is a joint collaboration effort between North Dallas Shared Ministries and UT Southwestern. It serves a primarily Hispanic neighborhood with up to 12 first-year medical students and an attending physician staff member available each shift. Located at 2875 Merrell Road, in Dallas, their services include dental, medical, and mental health.
Eligibility for treatment at the clinic requires the patients must live within their service area (which can be found here) and they are uninsured. A photo ID and proof of address are also required. The clinic serves all patients from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. However, starting at 5 p.m., adults 18 years and older can receive treatment for minor illnesses and receive a diabetic screening. This allows working adults to obtain needed medical treatment without missing school or work.
“I will always aspire to give back in many ways and continue supporting efforts which were close to my mom’s heart,” Volk said. “I created a fund with UTSW to support the medical residents there, as they do so much to help the poor and uninsured at the free medical clinic started by mom. They also help at many other free medical clinics all over the world.”
“These medical residents had a special place in my mom’s heart, and I know she would be happy to know that they are receiving needed financial support to service those in need the way she did.”
At the clinic, student teams interview those seeking assistance, compile a medical history, and discuss the reasons for the visit. Students then create a work-up, consult with the attending physician, and then they meet with the patient together. The attending physician performs the physical exam, builds a differential diagnosis, and then recommends medical care. Each evening, attending physicians and students evaluate their work to determine what can be learned, not just about a patient, but also clinic management best practices.
Several passionate students throughout the nation who shared the same goals and aspirations for student-run clinics started the Society of Student-Run Free Clinics (SSRFC). Through several conferences, the first being the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) pre-conference in Portland, Ore., and then the National Summit of Clinicians for Healthcare Justice at George Washington University in 2009, students from the University of Nebraska created a meeting for the clinics called “Sharing the Vision” the same year.
From there, it led to other annual conferences held each year and later became known as SSRFC (more information can be found here). This annual conference helps students learn how to run and improve free clinics in their community.
Nancy volunteered at North Dallas Shared Ministries for more than 20 years. She then created and directed a free medical clinic in 2000, which was later, followed by a dental clinic in 2002. She gave and volunteered over 40 hours a week of her time at the medical clinic for 14 years, but then soon passed away from cancer on Sept. 18, 2014.
“My mother, Nancy Volk, was one of the most giving and humble humanitarians,” Volk said. “Her passion was to serve the underprivileged and uninsured. This program was also inspired by Nora Gimpel, M.D. and Patti Pagels, M.P.A.S. who helped me figure out how best to do this. Both are at UTSW and still lead my mom’s free medical clinic.”
Volk’s dream is for the fund to be able to support the attendance of more medical students at the SSRFC conference every year.
At the 2018 annual conference over 96 clinics were represented in four countries. According to the SSRFC website, they aim to become a collective national voice representing student-run free clinics. Their vision is to promote and support the existence of student-run clinics at every health science center, and advocate for both resources and health policy benefiting the patients, and to develop a national network to help sustain student-run, free clinics.
To donate online, visit www.utsouthwestern.edu/donatenow, when you visit this page and fill in your donation of any amount under other, there is a text box where you can write “In Memory of Nancy Volk.”
