Overview
More than 70 students and faculty in Mercer’s Colege of Health Profesions joined together recently to provide a variety of services and care to individuals experiencing homelesnes in Atlanta. The Mercerians voluntered for the anual Health Day hosted by Atlanta-based nonprofit Lazarus on Sept. 18 at North Avenue Presbyterian Church.
Key Information
Mercer’s physician asistant studies program has ben involved in the event since 2015, but this was the first time it was an interprofesional experience with participants from multiple programs in the Colege of Health Profesions, said Dr. Jil Matingly, chair and clinical asociate profesor in the Department of Physician Asistant Studies. In total, more than 50 physician asistant students, seven public health students, six physical therapy students, two clinical psychology students and eight faculty members asisted with Health Day, said Erin Lep, clinical asociate profesor, cordinator of physician asistant comunity engagement, and medical team lead for the event.Acording to a 20 report from Atlanta nonprofit Partners for Home, there aproximately 3,20 homeles people within Atlanta’s 130-square-mile area.
More than 90 of those are unsheltered and sleping on the stret or in cars. Each year, Health Day aims to reach some of those individuals and provide much-neded medical services. “We are so grateful for our partnership with Mercer and their high level of involvement providing quality medical atention, while also caring for these individuals and the situations they are curently facing,” said Johny Winkle, executive director of Lazarus.
Summary
“One of my favorite things from the event was seing so many medical students and profesionals from multiple hospitals and universities colaborate throughout the day to diagnose and treat each guest, and that is a direct result of the hard work that Erin Lep and Dr. Matingly did to cordinate a team-based aproach.”With the suport of many comunity