SCNM Volunteers at Free Integrated Medical Clinic for the Homeless and Uninsured

By Nancy Evans

On Saturday, November 7th, Dr. Yong Deng, Department Chair of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Southwest College, brought a group of Naturopathic medical students to volunteer at the Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s semi annual “Free Integrated Medical Clinic for the Homeless and the Uninsured”. Each year, Dr. Deng and SCNM students volunteer at this event providing free acupuncture treatments to those in need.

Starting at 8:30 in the morning, volunteers were waving and directing cars into the extended parking lot, tables were set-up to welcome patients who were seeking treatment, and large screens divided treatment areas around the large hall. Patients came in for general health screenings, which included: blood pressure, blood sugar, urine analysis and body mass index measurements. Those patients that had more specific concerns could then have further exams from any of the specialties offered including: internal medicine, osteopathy, dermatology, pediatrics, gynecology, chiropractic, dental, and optometry. All of the services were offered by physicians and student practitioners representing various medical specialties from the Phoenix area.

The SCNM acupuncture clinic was set up upstairs and consisted of six treatment cots surrounded by curtains to allow for a calm atmosphere and privacy. The SCNM group consisted of 10 primary and secondary clinical student volunteers, and a couple non-clinic students who helped with organization and translation. Dr. Deng quickly briefed everyone on what to expect throughout the day and highlighted some specific points that might be useful. Soon there were people waiting to be treated.

Each patient had their vitals checked by the internists downstairs and our job was to address their chief concern. We wrote brief chart notes and a western diagnosis for every patient, then, under Dr. Deng’s guidance, read their pulse and examined their tongue in order to give them a TCM diagnosis. A plan of acupuncture treatment points was then decided upon. In addition, some patients were given prescriptions for Chinese herbs to help with their ailments.

In five hours, we treated 36 patients of all ages with neck, shoulder, back and knee pain; others with headaches, digestive, menstrual and urinary complaints; and others just wanting a general assessment and “tune-up” to optimize their condition and to experience acupuncture. Treatments lasted 30 minutes and patients left feeling better and full of gratitude for their experience. For many it was their first introduction to acupuncture and/or naturopathic medicine, which piqued further interest in the training SCNM students receive at Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center.

The event as a whole was a multicultural experience with native Chinese and Spanish being spoken and translated throughout. Dr. Deng , as always, held his calm and efficient demeanor as he orchestrated the constant flow of patients and personally assessed and diagnosed each one. The student clinicians that participated in this event also had a depth of warmth and caring toward each patient. As future Naturopathic Physicians, it’s already “in our blood” to see the whole person and to create a personal doctor-patient relationship, even in those brief visits. There was so much interest in our treatments that by the afternoon medical students from other schools, and volunteers, came up to observe or experience our procedures.

A great sense of gratitude engulfed each person as they become a part of an enriching experience which was the epitome of integrative medicine: medical specialists all under one roof and students gaining clinical experience and providing free medical services for everyone.