THANK YOU
From the 2023-2024 Executive Directors
On behalf of the Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service (DOCS), we extend our utmost appreciation for each volunteer, collaborator, and donor who contributed to our mission throughout this year. We are deeply united in our commitment to the vital mission of enhancing access to quality healthcare for underserved patients in South Florida.
We’re thrilled to announce that, for the first time, we’ve returned to pre-pandemic levels of service, offering hope for the future of healthcare. This achievement is especially significant as we commemorate the 24th anniversary of the founding of the DOCS program, which has unified health initiatives under one umbrella for over two decades.
As we prepare to transition leadership to the new executive directors, we reflect on the profound impact of the DOCS program. Serving in DOCS has been the highlight of our medical school experience, enriching our lives and making us proud Miller alumni. Leading a team of passionate and talented students has instilled in us values we’ll carry into residency and beyond.
We would like to first thank Dr. Amar Deshpande. This year has given us a sneak peek
into the endless hours, unwavering commitment, and support that he puts into every facet of DOCS.
We are honored to have such an incredible faculty advisor to guide us in our personal and professional journeys. We also want to thank our donors and community partners, especially Dr. Doblecki, Dr. Beauchamps, and the team, for their collaboration in opening our fifth clinic this year, the Rapid Access Wellness (RAW) Clinic.
The final thanks and heartfelt “goodbye” would be to Raysa Christodoulou, our DOCS MOM-ager who retired this year after pouring her heart and soul into this mission for nearly 20 years. Raysa’s dedication has been the cornerstone of our success, and we will forever cherish her contributions to the DOCS family. As we wish her the best as she travels the world and enjoys her well-deserved retirement, we look forward to the continued prosperity of DOCS under new leadership!
While our ultimate aspiration is to create a future where programs like DOCS are no longer necessary due to universal access to quality healthcare, we recognize that our journey towards this goal is ongoing. Your unwavering support has been invaluable in driving us closer to this vision. Together, we will continue to work tirelessly towards building a healthier, more equitable community for all.
Sincerely,
Breanna Boggan, Esmeralda Segura, & Gemma St. Louis 2023-2024 Executive Directors
DEAN FORD A Message From
“The DOCS program is a testament to the Miller School’s commitment to community service, a core element of our mission. Through this initiative, our students and faculty extend medical assistance to underserved neighborhoods, where access to care is often quite limited. The appreciation and optimism expressed by our patients serve as a profound source of motivation for all involved. I am privileged to lead a medical school whose students are deeply committed to serving every member of our community.”
Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA Dean and Chief Academic Officer
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
WHERE WE COME FROM
OUR HISTORY
The first University of Miami Health Fair was held in Big Pine Key in 1971.
In academic year 2000-2001, the health fairs formalized into DOCS, a student-run, non-profit organization endorsed by the medical school under the direction of Dr. Mark T. O’Connell.
As DOCS gained recognition, a generous donation was received in 2006, endowing the service organization as the Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service.
Today, DOCS continues to serve the South Florida community through its 5 free clinics and 9 free health fairs.
FROM
OUR MISSION
DOCS, enlisting the participation of students and physicians of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is dedicated to providing quality healthcare to the underserved populations in South Florida through:
1. LEADING
Fostering students’ leadership abilities among peers, colleagues and patients .
2. TRAINING
Through practical experience, each participating student will demonstrate proficiency in the clinical skills to be performed.
3. EDUCATING
Realizing the importance of not only educating ourselves but also our patients and the communities in which they live.
OUR IMPACT
2624 hours volunteered by physicians
297 pediatric mobile clinic visits
1317 patients served at health fairs
291 patients navigated to longitudinal care
717 patients served in clinic
OUR CLINICS
Mon Tues
Center for Haitian Studies San Juan Bosco
Center for Haitian Studies Clinic (CHS)
The Center for Haitan Studies (CHS) DOCS Night Clinic is held every Monday night and offers comprehensive primary care services to uninsured individuals at no cost, thereby providing a stable health hub in the Little Haiti community. This care includes diagnostic services, such as ECGs and laboratory evaluations. Multiple students on the CHS staff are phlebotomy trained to draw such labs. The 8 students on the CHS DOCS staff ensure that patients are contacted and scheduled for follow up appointments so that we can establish longitudinal care.
In addition, “Women’s Health Nights” are held every six weeks. Staffed by gynecologists, these nights aim to address the dynamic gynecological, reproductive, and sexual health needs of patients. We provide STI testing, Pap smears, endometrial biopsies, transvaginal ultrasounds, and colposcopies. IUD insertion and removal is also offered in partnership with Reproductive Health Advocates.
We also recently began Cardiology Nights every 4 weeks to aid in addressing the burden of cardiovascular disease in the community. Our offerings are currently medical management and ECGs, with a hope of expanding to provide cardiac echocardiograms.
Through routine clinic operations, we are not only able to provide patients with high-quality care, but we also provide valuable health education and personally navigate patients through the process of obtaining a Jackson Card, which allows them to access free or low-cost specialty care at Jackson Health System. The CHS staff works together with patients to ensure their health goals are met.
The partnership between CHS and DOCS has led to increased access to care for those in the Little Haiti community and the larger Haitian diaspora. We currently serve as the sole primary care providers for a panel of over 100 patients.
We are very grateful for our patients who allow us to serve them and would like to thank the phy-
sicians who donate their time to oversee weekly clinic operations as well as CHS staff (namely Dr. Pierre, Dr. Metellus, Gina, and Sonide) for their support in making this clinic a reality. We are also very thankful for the help and support from those on the DOCS Executive board and DOCS staff.
A New Clinic Night at CHS: CARDIOLOGY
Dr. Rimsky Denis is a passionate advocate for equitable healthcare access, particularly for underserved Haitian communities in South Florida. His dedication to addressing healthcare disparities led him to initiate CHS Cardiology Clinic Night, driven by his vision to extend quality care to insured and underinsured individuals.
With over 15 years of commitment to community service, Dr. Denis’s journey with DOCS began long before medical school. From his early days as a research coordinator in Ob/Gyn to leading Project PREVENT, securing grant funding for essential services like pap smears and HPV vaccines, he has consistently champoned accessible healthcare for all. As a medical student at UM, he helped lead the Little Haiti Health Fair and ultimately served as the Executive Director of DOCS.
Recognizing the gap in cardiovascular care within DOCS clinics, Dr. Denis saw an opportunity to expand services to include vital cardiac screenings and interventions. His vision for CHS Cardiology Clinic Night extends beyond diagnostics, aiming to establish a comprehensive hub for cardiovascular care and screening services for uninsured individuals across South Florida.
For Dr. Denis, community service is more than a professional duty—it’s a fundamental aspect of public health and patient care. With a focus on interventional structural cardiology, he approaches each patient encounter through the lens of public health, ensuring holistic care that transcends language and cultural barriers.
Through CHS Clinic Night, Dr. Denis’s commitment to healthcare equity shines, embodying his unwavering dedication to serving those in need and fostering a healthier, more inclusive community.
San Juan Bosco Clinic (SJB)
The DOCS San Juan Bosco (SJB) Clinic is a student-run, free clinic that serves the uninsured population of Miami-Dade County who are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. The San Juan Bosco Clinic was founded in 1992 and has been in operation for over 30 years. Located at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Allapattah, our patients are mostly Hispanic and Spanish-speaking.
The SJB Day Clinic provides patients with primary and gynecologic care, while UM DOCS operates every Tuesday night and rotates through eight different medical specialties: Cardiology, Psychiatry, Neurology, Pulmonology,
Rheumatology, Musculoskeletal Medicine, Gastroenterology, and Urology. We offer diagnostic imaging and laboratory testing at no cost to patients through Baptist Health System, provide Jackson Card enrollment assistance for access to services at Jackson Health System, and prescribe medications.
All prescriptions are coupled with GoodRx coupons and instructions on how to obtain the greatest discount. Some routine medications are available in-office and dispensed from our supply cabinet. For more expensive medications, patients are enrolled in the Prescription Assistance Programs. Our patients oftentimes need referrals to a variety of services including colonoscopies and endoscopies, sleep studies, and physical therapy.
In response to the closure of UM’s LAGO Physical Therapy Clinic, we recognized the ongoing need for patients to access physical therapy services. Consequently, we initiated a partnership with the Physical Therapy Department at the Miller School of Medicine. Through this collaboration, patients can now receive
care directly through our clinic. Our comprehensive PT services cover a range of specialties including pelvic floor therapy, cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy, neurology, and orthopedics. Implementation of PT nights commenced last August, ensuring convenient access for our patients.
In addition, we collaborate with the UM DOCS Emergency Preparedness team to offer a CPR training session to patients while they wait to see the doctor on clinic nights. This initiative gives patients the opportunity to learn how to perform CPR in hopes to improve the rates of bystander CPR initiation and increase the chances of survival in our community.
San Juan Bosco has also partnered with one of the local GI attendings, Dr. Alfredo Hernandez, who volunteers to provide a limited number of GI endoscopie at no cost to our patients. This collaboration enables us to offer essential
procedures to those in need, furthering our mission of promoting comprehensive healthcare for our patients.
Additionally, the clinic recently received a grant from Uber Health, facilitating free transportation services for patients to and from our clinic. Since the inception of this initiative, we have observed a notable improvement in appointment attendance, ensuring that our patients can access the care they require with ease.
As SJB continues to grow and improve, our service to our patients remains at the center of our work. We are very grateful for all who walk through SJB’s doors and place their trust in our care. We would like to thank SJB Executive Director Luz Gallardo, the clinic’s administrative assistants, our volunteer physicians and students, and the DOCS team who give their time and energy towards fulfilling SJB’s mission of providing quality service to others.
Rapid WellnessAccess(RAW) Clinic
The DOCS Rapid Access Wellness (RAW) Clinic is the newest student-run free clinic at the University of Miami, committed to serving the community by offering accessible infectious disease prevention and treatment options. These include services such as STI/HIV testing, PrEP, nPEP, rapid entry HIV care, and gender-affirming care (GAC). Beyond direct patient care, the RAW Clinic is dedicated to fostering the development of culturally sensitive healthcare professionals. We aim to enhance the comfort and knowledge of medical students in treating LGBTQ+ patients, contributing to a healthcare environment that is supportive, respectful, and inclusive for all.
Since the inception of DOCS RAW clinic in January, we have spear-
15 patient visits
headed 6 successful clinic nights. Our efforts have resulted in care for 15 patients, of whom 9 received PrEP, 11 received gender-affirming care, and 6 received resources for social needs and mental health services. Two-thirds of all DOCS RAW patients are brand-new to the clinic, expanding the number of patients RAW is able to treat. We have provided learning opportunities for 26 students and 9 physician volunteers in HIV and GAC care. DOCS’ collaboration with the RAW clinic will ensure specialty care and provider education on LGTBQ+ health for years to come. Going forward, we hope to expand our clinic to additional essential services for patients, such as psychiatric care. We are so grateful for the hard work of the RAW clinic day staff, Dr. Doblecki-Lewis and Dr. Beauchamps.
Miami Rescue Mission Clinic (MRM)
DOCS’ collaboration with the MRM Clinic began in 2021, when they functioned as a primary care clinic during the day for an all-men’s homeless shelter in Wynwood and Overtown. The specialty care that we provide to the shelter residents eliminates transportation and logistical barriers associated with seeking specialty treatment at Jackson. On Wednesdays, the MRM Clinic holds rotating specialty nights biweekly which we expanded to include Dermatology and Urology this year. To address the challenges of providing care to this population, we have moved towards centralizing services which include performing labs and dispensing medication on site. If certain medications were difficult to acquire, we coordinated with our volunteer physicians to look for efficacious substitutions that we had at the MRM clinic pharmacy.
Now that we have completed two years of fully operational service, we plan to increase the frequency of our clinic nights and the range of specialties we offer. We currently provide specialty nights in Urology, Dermatology, Pulmonology, Cardiology, Endocrinology, GI, and Nephrology. Thanks to our partnership with the Miami Rescue Mission Day Clinic, homeless shelter residents can receive quality specialty care. In the years to come, we look forward to expanding our clinic, and we appreciate the MRM day clinic staff’s help, especially Gigi Bretones and Dr. Gutierrez, in establishing and maintaining our smooth clinic operation.
IDEA Exchange Clinic
The DOCS IDEA Clinic stemmed from a partnership with the IDEA Needle Exchange Program, the first legal syringe exchange program in Florida. The goals of the DOCS IDEA clinic include addressing patient healthcare needs in a timely and comprehensive manner, working with patients to increase their trust in the healthcare system, and providing important educational opportunities for med- ical students regarding harm reduction.
In addition to offering general primary care services and free point-of-care HIV and Hepatitis C testing, student volunteers at our clinic work with dermatology, internal medicine, infectious disease, and emergency medicine physicians to treat skin infections and abscesses that often occur secondary to chronic use of injectable drugs, as well as provide medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) to assist patients in their recovery. Our physician volunteers educate both students and patients not only in the principles of harm reduction and methods to encourage historically marginalized patient populations to access healthcare, but also in the execution of necessary procedures such as abscess care and prevention. In addition, we offer telehealth appointments to increase healthcare accessibility to our patients.
Through these efforts, we have been able to reach a variety of patients with primary care and wound care needs across South Florida. In June 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the 2019 IDEA Act to expand the Miami-Dade pilot needle exchange program statewide. In collaboration with the DOCS National Health Leadership Consortium, the DOCS IDEA Clinic staff is now providing ongoing support to students at other Florida medical schools looking to expand our clinic model. Through a recent grant, we have been able to provide patients with access to buprenorphine free of charge to aid in their recovery from severe opioid use disorder. We would like to thank Dr. Hansel Tookes, Dr. David Forrest, Dr. David Serota, Dr. Teresa Chueng, Dr. Katrina Ciraldo, and the entire IDEA Exchange Staff for their support and guidance.
330 patient visits
OUR HEALTH FAIRS
Fort Lauderdale Health Fair (FLHF)
As the only DOCS fair in Broward County, the Fort Lauderdale Health Fair (FLHF) provides community engagement and health navigation resources not only to the Fort Lauderdale population, but for patients throughout the county. Many of these patients have been coming to the fair year after year. We were so fortunate to continue holding the fair at the beautiful new L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center with our community partner, the YMCA of South Florida. Nestled in Historic Sistrunk, the L.A. Lee Center stands on the same grounds that Provident Hospital, Broward County’s first African-American hospital, once did, making this a very meaningful location to hold the fair. Our diverse patient population spanned from locals in the Fort Lauderdale area to underserved community groups in Pompano Beach, and we were ecstatic to serve almost 200 patients at the Fort Lauderdale Health Fair!
Little Haiti Health Fair (LHHF)
The Little Haiti Health Fair (LHHF) is hosted annually at the Center for Haitian Studies, a non-profit organization that works with local members of the large Haitian community living in Miami. The ability to partner with and serve the Haitian community makes this fair unique and provides an exciting experience for DOCS students and physicians. The Little Haiti Health Fair is one of the longest standing partnerships of DOCS within the greater Miami community. This year, we were able to serve over 130 patients thanks to our community partners and wonderful medical student volunteers. The LHHF team would like to especially thank Dr. Georges Metellus and the Lively Stone Church of Miami for their help along with every other community partner that contributed to the successes of the 2023-2024 Little Haiti Health Fair.
Liberty City Health Fair (LCHF)
Liberty City is a community that truly represents the culture and history of Miami. Though just a few miles away from the Miller medical campus, Liberty City and its community face significant healthcare challenges, including lack of access to primary and specialty care. The DOCS Liberty City Health Fair (LCHF) helps to bridge this gap by bringing high quality medical screening services to folks in Liberty City and beyond in one of our biggest health fairs of the year. For the past three years, the Liberty City Health Fair has provided no-cost medical, dental, and physical therapy care as well as free groceries, books, toys, emergency preparedness training and more to hundreds of patients, regardless of insurance or immigration status. We would not be able to accomplish this without the help of D.A. Dorsey Technical College, a pillar of higher education in Liberty City, and our community liaison Ms. Regina Davis, whose impact and influence in her community knows no bounds. We are so thankful to work in collaboration with such motivated and involved community partners to make this fair a success year after year.
South Dade Health Fair (SDHF)
The South Dade Health Fair (SDHF) aims to provide medical care to uninsured, low-income, and migrant worker families in the Florida City and Homestead areas. This year, we were able to increase our community outreach through local organizations to engage those populations who may otherwise lack access to routine health screenings. With these outreach efforts, we were able to provide care to about 110 patients, which is the highest number of patients we have served at the South Dade Health Fair since the pandemic.
Allapattah Health Fair
Allapattah is one of the most historic neighborhoods in Miami and is just miles away from our medical campus. We’re incredibly proud to have hosted our third Allapattah Health Fair (AHF) where we served a significant number of patients in a community where health disparities are great. We more than tripled the number of patients that attended the fair compared to our inaugural fair two years prior. This year, we hosted 160 patients, 42 of whom were pediatric. We would like to thank the YMCA for their partnership and for opening their food pantry to our patients. We were able to provide lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to our health care services. We look forward to growing the fair next year and further assisting the Allapattah community for years to come!
West Kendall Health Fair
The West Kendall Health Fair (WKHF) provides healthcare screening services to a community that primarily consists of Hispanic immigrants. This was our fifth year partnering with Capilla Del Rey, a church that is located in the heart of West Kendall. WKHF had a full-capacity health fair, serving 168 patients. This year, our partnership with Feeding South Florida allowed us to provide every patient with high quality fresh produce free of cost. We hosted a successful health fair and we were able to further strengthen our relationship with the church and the local community.
Florida Keys Health Fairs
This year marked the 53rd Annual Florida Keys Health Fairs, where we were able to run three health fairs on the same day in Marathon Key, Big Pine Key, and Key West! With three fairs, we successfully served over 270 patients. Each fair also had community vendors to edcuate and provide for the patients. The Florida Keys Area Health Education Center (AHEC) remains one of our longest partnerships. This year, they were instrumental in assisting with advertising the fairs and providing healthcare to the community. We look forward to hosting the three fairs again next year.
WHERE WE ARE GOING
With the hard work of our student leaders, a variety of sub-committees work hard to ensure that DOCS continues to innovate and maximize our impact on our local community.
Community Health Leadership Conference
The Community Health Leadership Conference (CHLC) is an annual meeting held by DOCS to create a platform for medical students around the country to share their efforts in addressing community health. Each year we have a keynote speaker to discuss their expertise and experiences in working with underserved populations, followed by oral and poster presentations from medical school attendees.
This year our keynote speaker was Dr. Susanne Doblecki-Lewis, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Miami who founded and directs the University of Miami Mobile PrEP Program and the UM Rapid Access Wellness Clinic. We had attendees from 15 different institutions, including the University of Miami, with many coming from out-of-state, including California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Ohio, Alabama, Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania. Thank you to those who attended for taking the time to be a part of this educational community. For the first time in many years, we held two workshops for participants. One workshop was run by UM Miami Street Medicine and was focused on clinical care for patients experiencing homelessness. The other workshop was run by UM DOCS Emergency Preparedness and at completion of the workshop participants were certified in ‘Stop the Bleed.’ Following our five oral presentations, we had a poster session with 45 different presentations. We were so appreciative of all the work and participation of so many medical students and are excited for this conference to continue to grow in the coming years.
Research & Quality Improvement
The unique framework of DOCS services, combined with our expansive student network, empowers us to impact thousands of underserved individuals within South Florida communities each year. Through meticulously organized annual health fairs, weekly clinics, and robust community partnerships, we extend our impact far and wide. This academic year alone, the value of services delivered at our nine health fairs was nearly 1 million dollars, excluding the invaluable vaccinations administered to children through our collaboration with the University of Miami Pediatric Mobile Clinic. Research and Quality Improvement (RQI) projects play an integral role in the sustainability and continued growth of DOCS. These initiatives enable us to continuously assess existing processes and spearhead novel initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality of care we deliver. Moreover, RQI provides a platform for DOCS to disseminate its model to other medical institutions that are similarly engaged in community health initiatives, notably through our annual Community Health Leadership Conference. We are dedicated to continuously improving the services DOCS provides to South Florida community members and to training medical students to become leaders in advancing care within community settings.
Patient Navigation
DOCS trains students to serve as patient navigators each year to provide longitudinal follow-up for patients after each fair. Patient navigators follow patients who are risk -stratified according to criteria met through screening at the nine health fairs. Navigators assist patients in achieving health goals, such as acquiring health insurance and appointments with physicians at either Jackson Health System or local free or low-cost clinics throughout South Florida. The goal of this project is to ensure that patients who attend our fairs are accessing the healthcare system throughout the year, so they can receive the long-term medical care they need. This year, we continued to include patient navigation as part of the MS1 medical school curriculum to provide all students with this experience at the start of their medical education.
In total, our patient navigators helped 291 patients after the health fairs. This year, we also implemented on-site navigation and helped numerous other patients. Next year, we hope to focus on quality improvement to assist in obtaining the patient appointments. Specifically, we plan on reaching out to the Jackson Patient Navigation Director to make Jackson Card appointments at the health fairs for our patients. We hope that this will minimize the number of patients unable to obtain a Jackson card and get the appropriate care needed.
Med IT
Since 2016, DOCS has used REDCap, a secure online system, to manage patient records at their community health fairs. REDCap is typically used for research, but DOCS adapted it to function like an electronic medical record (EMR) system that meets HIPAA privacy standards. The custom branching logic of our REDCap EMR is based on screening guidelines from the US Preventive Services Task Force and other specialty-specific organizations, ensuring an efficient and standardized screening flow at our community health fairs. The system is user-friendly and allows DOCS to assign unique ID numbers to patients to assist in tracking their health information over time. During each health fair, the medical informatics team (Med IT) helps with real time data collection and maintains the system’s design. This year, Med IT focused on improving internet access at health fairs and further optimizing the REDCap system. We collaborated with the clinics team on creating a centralized EMR through REDCap for all five clinics. We presented research about developing our clinics’ EMR on REDCap and our experience implementing it, highlighting its affordability and effectiveness for organizations like DOCS.
Emergency Preparedness
The Emergency Preparedness Response Team organizes hands-on training for medical students and the community in preparation for a variety of emergency situations, coordinates student volunteers for university disaster response, and provides community outreach in emergency and disaster preparedness. This year’s activities included:
1. Stop the Bleed: This year we had 1 student body training, 1 conference workshop at the Community Health Leadership Conference, and 1 community training event with the Miami-Dade Boys and Girls Club.
2. Medical student educational Naloxone and intubation/airway workshops.
3. Establishment of CPR education at DOCS SJB clinic with dedicated equipment and piloting of a similar CPR education program at IDEA clinic.
4. The Emergency Preparedness (EP) team continued its mission of patient education at DOCS health fairs through the EP Station. At this station, patients learned about CPR, received information about firearm safety and safe gun ownership, education on the Heimlich (abdominal thrust) maneuver, and toxicology, and worked with student volunteers to develop individualized hurricane preparedness plans.
5. EP designed fliers on Hurricane Preparedness for Medical Students in collaboration with the Emergency Manager of the medical campus.
6. Establishment of a relationship with the CLEO Institute and the Miami-Dade County Office of Resilience to begin implementing extreme heat trainings.
Miami Med-Reentry Care Coordination
Returning to the community after incarceration is a process filled with many challenges – accessing transportation, obtaining a job, finding a place to live. For many formerly incarcerated individuals, these challenges are often compounded by chronic health issues. Our model is to partner with local organizations working with individuals recently released from prison to identify a cohort of participants interested in receiving patient navigation services. We match participants with a medical student trained as a patient navigator. Medical school students and participants initially meet to establish goals and assess participants’ health literacy. Subsequent meetings occur biweekly for 6 months and focus on achieving health goals and navigating the health system. Student navigators provide support such as identifying insurance options, locating clinics, scheduling appointments, and offering social encouragement.
In addition to our patient navigation services, our program has also been hosting women’s reproductive and sexual health seminars for incarcerated women at the Homestead Correctional Institute for the past four years. We are excited that this year, we doubled our class sizes and have educated 71 women so far this year. We are planning an expansion into a women’s jail as well. Additionally, we formed a new educational partnership with the Federal Bureau of Prisons Miami, where we hosted our inaugural men’s wellness seminar and will expand to host additional educational workshops.
Our clinic serves as a valuable learning environment for medical students, fostering an understanding of healthcare issues among the formerly incarcerated and training in motivational interviewing techniques. We’ve also introduced a new executive role, the Advocacy and Education Director, focused on educating the Miller student body about the unique challenges faced by this population. The DOCS Miami Med Reentry Care Clinic supports the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s mission by empowering future physicians to address healthcare disparities and promote community well-being.
ASPIRE Award 2023
The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has long been dedicated to social accountability and community outreach, and now its efforts have been recognized on an international stage. This year, the school was honored with the prestigious ASPIRE-to-Excellence Award by the AMEE (the International Association for Health Professions Education) for its outstanding commitment to providing essential care in underserved communities.
For years, the Miller School has been at the forefront of addressing healthcare disparities by promoting access to quality care, preventative services, and health education. The breadth and depth of the school’s social accountability initiatives were praised by the association, including programs like the student-led Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service (DOCS) and the IDEA Exchange, both of which play crucial roles in improving healthcare access and outcomes in South Florida communities.
WHO WE ARE
RESIDENT FEATURE
Sirisha Gadapatti MD
Internal Medicine PGY 2 & Former Executive Director
Tell us about how you originally got involved in DOCS and your involvement over time.
“I originally was introduced to DOCS through my sister (Neelima Gaddipati, fellow DOCS and UM alum!), as she was the logistics coordinator for the Jack and Jill Health Fair (now Fort Lauderdale Health Fair). It blew my mind how over the course of a few hours they were able to transform the daycare into a makeshift health fair, and I got hooked by the passion of the volunteers, the enthusiasm of the community partners, and of course getting to see and work with these patients who have come to see DOCS medical students and physicians as their providers. I have such strong memories of how excited med students were to volunteer their Saturdays and I just loved the collective energy that being at a health fair brought and still brings. The Fort Lauderdale Health Fair will always hold a special place in my heart as I was both the assistant and Project Manager for the fair; I joined the Executive Board as RQI Director before teaming up with my excellent colleagues and some of my best DOCS friends, Billy Scola and Rick Lin, to become an Executive Director in my 4th year. Each year carried with it new excitement, new challenges and, best of all, I got to spend my Saturdays doing what I love the most—working with other passionate med students and helping patients in South Florida. It’s what keeps me coming back now as a resident as well. Being able to pay it forward, like the residents who came before me and taught me so much, makes me excited to come back and teach.”
What impactful moments have you experienced through DOCS?
“My favorite moment as a medical student are probably tied for 1) as Project Manager for FLHF, when we were overwhelmed by the volume of patients that showed up for the record breaking attendance. In classic DOCS fashion, volunteers extended their shifts, doctors stayed late to assist with evaluations, even other patients
began volunteering as translators. It was one of the proudest moments of my life and brought me closer to my team who I am still so close to today. This is tied with 2) my final fair working with Billy and Rick as it signaled the end of an era as a student with DOCS and the incredible friendships and lessons we learned along the way. And as a resident, I love seeing my fellow co-residents, especially Jorge Fleites and Jose Noy, show up bright and early on a Saturday, always excited to help and teach. These guys remind me of why I fell in love with DOCS in the first place.”
“Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention my favorite part of DOCS, our MOMager Raysa, who always kept my head on straight and gave me a pep talk and a smile.”
Why do you think residents should participate in DOCS?
“Residents should participate in DOCS because for just 4-8 hours of your time, the impact on patients, students, and fellow residents in immeasurable. My fellow residents who volunteer don’t go for one fair—they keep coming back! I chose to do my residency here for the same reason I love DOCS, and it was to serve the community of south Florida. For my fellow residents who chose UM/Jackson for the same reasons, coming to health fairs will remind them of the reason they went into medicine in the first place—to learn, to teach, to support each other, and to help people in need.”
ATTENDING FEATURE
Alfredo J. Hernande z MD
Gastroenterology
In the words of one of the students:
“Dr. Alfredo Hernandez is a passionate and enthusiastic physician who excels in patient care and medical education during clinic nights. He consistently goes above and beyond to ensure patients receive the best treatment and resources available. His exceptional patience, empathy, and knowledge create a supportive environment that maximizes learning for students and enhances the overall patient experience.”
“Dr. Hernandez’s ability to connect with students on both a professional and personal level makes him a true role model, providing invaluable life advice and mentorship. Additionally, he helped set up a partnership with GastroHealth to provide a limited number of colonoscopy and endoscopy procedures at no cost to our patients. He and his partner personally perform these GI endoscopies pro bono, demonstrating his genuine commitment to the mission of the UM DOCS SJB Clinic. Dr. Hernandez’s presence at the clinic aligns perfectly with the clinic’s mission, and his contributions truly reflect his dedication to serving for the right reasons.”
STAFF FEATURE
Raysa Christodoulou
Raysa Christodoulou has been synonymous with DOCS for nearly 20 years because of her diligent work as the manager of our program. Her daily support and assistance to our students cannot be overstated. This year marks her retirement, and it is impossible to imagine DOCS without her. The program and students will dearly miss her, and her mark on this community is indelible! Thank you Raysa!
STUDENT FEATURES
The following students were nominated by their peers for their excellent work in DOCS this year:
Cecilia Amaro (CO 2026), our outstanding project manager at the SJB Clinic, has shown an unwavering dedication to underserved communities. In addition to leading the clinic through 8 successful clinic nights during the summer, she worked with the rest of the SJB team to introduce dermatology and physical therapy services at our SJB Clinic. Keep up the great work, Ceci!
Meg Laurendeau (CO 2026) is an exceptional student and leader. She is not only responsible and organized, but she knows how to make everyone laugh and is a fun person to work with. While being the Fort Lauderdale Health Fair Manager, she successfully organized and executed one of our largest health fairs of the year with the help of Shriya Patel and Aren Saini. The Fort Lauderdale Health Fair was able to serve 185 patients this year! Meg and her team showed great dedication and passion.
Quinn Ehlen (CO 2026) has once again gone above and beyond for DOCS. This year, Quinn served as the BPK Project Manager but also decided to lend a giant helping hand to the Little Haiti Health Fair. Successfully executing a health fair takes a village and some special skills. Quinn was eager to volunteer his time and pro U-Haul driving skills to help out the Little Haiti Fair! Along with Devin Kennedy, Sonia Singh, and Sarah Dozil, the entire Little Haiti team led an exceptional fair serving over 120 patients! Thank you Quinn for your leadership and kindness!
At a couple of health fairs, you could find Felipe Echeverri (CO 2026) literally facilitating community access to health care by going back and forth in the rain with our patients. Felipe Echeverri brings a positive mindset and an eagerness to learn and help patients to every clinic night at SJB. His inquisitive approach and strong patient interactions reflect his commitment to providing exceptional care. Felipe’s willingness to assist volunteers and staff, as well as his positive energy, have had a significant impact on the clinic this year. His consistent dedication and enthusiasm make him an outstanding medical student volunteer. He has volunteered at 9 clinic nights since starting at Miller, demonstrating his sustained commitment to the clinic and its mission. While he continuously signs up for multiple nights, he is always willing and able to step in for volunteers when they cannot attend the clinic night, showcasing his flexibility and dedication to supporting the clinic and its patients.
A big shout-out to Hunter Kessous, our outstanding Project Manager for the DOCS RAW clinic which launched in January of this year. Her remarkable leadership and tireless efforts have been instrumental in bringing the team together and ensuring the clinic’s successful and timely establishment. Thank you Hunter for your unwavering commitment and remarkable contributions!
The DOCS Physician Liaison team is such a hardworking group! These ladies worked diligently for the weeks leading up to each fair in order to recruit all the physicians that volunteer at stations like Derm, Mental Health, FDE, and more. Physician recruitment is crucial and without them, our DOCS patients would not receive the level of care that we are so lucky to be able to provide. Thank you Hallie, Nicolette, Grace, and Stephanie!
If you are working with DOCS, you have definitely gotten to see the amazing work of Breanna Boggan, Gemma St. Louis, and Esmeralda Segura. This dream team of student leaders are our 23-24 Directors and have worked tirelessly in their fourth year to make all of the clinics and health fairs a positive experience for students, faculty, and patients alike. Even through interview season and applying for residency, they have devoted countless hours of compassionate leadership to the DOCS organization. Keep up the good work, Breanna, Gemma, and Esmeralda!
Huge props to Mitchell Moore, the Clinic Co-Director of this year’s Exec Board, for his innovative thinking and dedication! At the West Kendall Health Fair, amidst an overflow of patients and 20 tons of fresh produce from Feeding South Florida, Mitchell showcased his incredible sign spinning skills to ensure none of the donated food went to waste. Thank you, Mitchell, for your proactive approach and commitment to making a difference!
A massive round of applause goes out to Julia Bernal and her remarkable team for orchestrating an absolutely phenomenal CHLC! Their tireless dedication brought together students from across the country to explore innovative approaches to community initiatives. With engaging poster presentations, dynamic workshops, and an abundance of delicious food, they truly went above and beyond to make this event a resounding success. Well done, Julia and team your hard work and commitment are truly commendable!
STUDENT FEATURES CONTINUED...
Despite being with us on some of our busier nights, Olivia Perez always offers to go above and beyond to assist clinic flow with a flexible attitude and a smile on her face while also building a warm and engaging environment to prioritize teaching the first years she is paired with. We know she will do amazing things, and we all are grateful to have had her assist us at CHS this year! From starting out as Project Manager of CHS her 1st year of medical school to being an amazing and dedicated volunteer and translator her last year of medical school, it has truly come full circle for Krisna Maddy and while we will miss her dearly, we are so excited to send her off to begin her neurosurgery residency at Georgetown where she will be the first Black woman in the program’s history!
Julia Ossi, an exceptional MS4, has made a substantial contribution to the SJB clinic through her frequent volunteering. Her readiness to serve patients and teach underclassmen is admirable. Julia’s familiarity with the clinic’s operations and her eagerness to support others enhance the overall experience for both patients and students. She often comes to clinics when we have students cancel at the last minute and does so with a happy attitude. As a fourth-year student, she facilitates the visit for first-year medical students prior to presenting the case to the doctor. Students have praised Julia, describing her as a great teacher who truly helps them learn how to make patients feel comfortable. She has volunteered at over 10 clinic nights this year, showcasing her sustained commitment to the clinic and its mission.
Sam McLaughlin, on one occasion, answered our call for help and dropped what she was doing, drove to CHS during rush hour, and served last-minute as an upperclassman volunteer when we had an unexpected increase in patient visits. Thank you, Sam!
Philippe Jean-Pierre has been a regular volunteer at the CHS clinic and really went above and beyond to help serve the community, both with translating and conducting patient visits!
DOCS Executive Board
Executive Co-Directors ` Gemma St. Louis, Breanna Boggan, Esmeralda Segura
Health Fair Co-Directors Olivia Perez, Emily Eachus
Clinic Co-Directors
Brandon Apagüeño, Mitchell Moore
Interprofessional Education Director Sabrina Ginsburg
Logistics Director JP Costello
Longitudinal Access Director
Medical Informatics Director
Chloe Shields
Sofie Janette
Public Relations Director Gabriela Lee
Research and Quality Improvement Directors
Kelley Benck, Rebecca Landau
Training Co-Directors Lauren Bystrom, Eric Albuquerque
