Issuu

Annual Report

A Year of Service & Community: Our South Florida Story

2025-2026

Conferences

Patients Clinics

Health Fairs

Table of Contents 2025-2026 DOCS Annual Report

A MESSAGE FROM OUR LEADERS

WHO WE ARE

Our Story ............................................................... 5 Our Mission ......................................................... 6 Our Impact .......................................................... 7

OUR CLINICS

Center for Haitian Studies ...................... 9 San Juan Bosco ............................................... 11 Miami Rescue Mission ............................... 13 IDEA Exchange Clinic ................................ 15 RAPID Clinic ...................................................... 17 Chapman Conference ............................... 19

OUR HEALTH FAIRS

Fort Lauderdale Health Fair .................... 21 Liberty City Health Fair .............................. 22 Little Haiti Health Fair ................................. 23

OUR COMMUNITY

Community Health Leadership Conference ............................................................ 32 Care Tales ............................................................... 33 Emergency Response Program ............ 35 Patient Navigation .......................................... 36 Logistics .................................................................. 37 Research & Quality Improvement ...... 38

OUR VOLUNTEERS

Student Spotlights ......................................... 40 Resident Spotlight .......................................... 41 Physician Spotlight ....................................... 42 Executive Board ............................................... 43

ENDOWMENT

The Gaffney Family Endowment ......... 44

Florida Keys Health Fair ............................ 24 West Kendall Health Fair ......................... 25 Allapattah Health Fair ................................ 26 South Dade Health Fair ............................. 27 Miami Beach Health Fair .......................... 28 Our New Stations ........................................... 29 Station Improvements ............................... 30

A Message From Our Leaders

A Note From Our Executive Directors Dear Friends and Supporters of The Mitchell Wolfson Sr. DOCS, On behalf of the Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service (DOCS), we are proud to share another year of growth, innovation, and meaningful impact in the communities we serve. What continues to distinguish DOCS is not only the scale of our work but the intention behind it – meeting patients where they are and continually adapting to better address the evolving needs of South Florida. This year, DOCS expanded both the breadth and depth of our clinical services. We introduced two new screening stations at our health fairs: ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and a combined lung cancer screening and tobacco cessation initiative. These additions reflect our commitment to preventive care and early detection, particularly for conditions that disproportionately affect underserved populations. We also deepened our investment in longitudinal and specialty care. Our Pediatrics Education station now includes developmental screening and pediatric physical therapy, allowing us to more holistically support children and their families. Additionally, our Brain Health station has expanded to include a dedicated neurology component, with targeted screening and education surrounding migraines, sleep apnea, and stroke awareness. These efforts represent our continued focus on delivering thoughtful, patient-centered care that extends beyond onetime encounters. Geographically, DOCS continues to grow. This year, we were excited to establish a new health fair site in Miami Beach, an area with clear and unmet healthcare needs. This expansion represented an important step toward increasing access to care across diverse communities in Miami-Dade County. Our work this year has also been strengthened through collaboration and innovation. With support from a grant from Guardant for their Shield test, we launched blood-based colorectal cancer screening initiatives throughout the month of March, which is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. We were also proud to host another successful Community Health Leadership Conference (CHLC), welcoming students from across the country to share ideas, build partnerships, and elevate the impact of student-run clinics nationwide.

DOCS is more than a system of health fairs and clinics; it is a community built on service, compassion, and a shared belief in health equity.

Behind each of these initiatives are the people who make DOCS possible. We are deeply grateful to our faculty advisor, Dr. Amar Deshpande, administrative team, Tanyika Stephenson and Ashley Johnson, volunteer physicians, community partners, and student leaders who dedicate countless hours to this mission. We are especially thankful to our donors, whose generosity enables us to expand our services and reach more patients each year. Your support is directly reflected in every patient encounter, every new initiative, and every life touched through DOCS. At its core, DOCS is more than a system of health fairs and clinics; it is a community built on service, compassion, and a shared belief in health equity. On a personal level, DOCS has truly been the highlight of our medical school experience. The lessons we’ve learned have prepared us to lead systems and think critically about patients’ medical and social needs. DOCS has left a profound impact on our professional identities. While our ultimate goal is a future in which programs like DOCS are no longer necessary, we remain committed to bridging gaps in care and advocating for those who need it most. Thank you for being part of this work and for continuing to support our mission. Sincerely, Claire Alcus, Cecilia Amaro, & Caitlin Dowell-Esquivel 2025–2026 Executive Directors Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service (DOCS)

Who We Are

Our Story Five decades of service to South Florida’s communities

1971 The First Health Fair University of Miami medical students held the very first health fair in Big Pine Key, establishing a tradition of community service that would define the organization for decades to come.

2006 The Wolfson Endowment A generous donation endowed the organization as the Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service, cementing its place within the Miller School of Medicine.

Now

2000-2001 DOCS Is Born Health fairs formalized into DOCS – a student-run, non-profit organization endorsed by the UM Miller School of Medicine under the direction of Dr. Mark T. O'Connell.

2025-2026 DOCS Today DOCS continues to grow, operating 5 free student-run clinics and 10 annual health fairs across Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Broward counties, serving thousands of patients each year.

Who We Are

Our Mission Leading, Training, Educating

Wolfson DOCS, enlisting the participation of students and physicians of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is dedicated to providing quality healthcare to underserved populations in South Florida through:

Leading

Training

Educating

Fostering students’ leadership abilities among peers, patients, and the community

Providing formal training and practical experience for students to demonstrate proficiency in clinical skills

Realizing the importance of not only educating ourselves but also our patients and the communities in which we live

Who We Are

Our Impact Measuring a year across South Florida

Fort Lauderdale Health Fair

Center for Haitian Studies

West Kendall Health Fair

Little Haiti Health Fair South Dade Health Fair Liberty City Health Fair

Allapattah Health Fair

San Juan Bosco Clinic Miami Beach Health Fair Miami Rescue Mission

RAPID Clinic Marathon Health Fair

IDEA Exchange

Big Pine Key Health Fair Key West Health Fair

Health Fairs

Clinics

1,165

440

Patients Served at Health Fairs

Patients Served at Clinics

9,148

3,068

300

Student Volunteer Hours

Physician Volunteer Hours

Patients Navigated

Our Clinics Each of our five student-run clinics serves a distinct and underserved population across Miami-Dade County, united by a shared commitment to accessible, community-centered care.

Center for Haitian Studies

San Juan Bosco Clinic

IDEA Exchange Clinic

Primary and specialty care for mainly Haitian and immigrant groups in Little Haiti every Monday.

Specialty care for uninsured, mainly Spanishspeaking residents of Allapattah every Tuesday night.

Miami Rescue Mission Clinic

RAPID Access Wellness Clinic

Monday

Student-run Clinics

Semi monthly specialty nights for unhoused men residing at the Miami Rescue Mission Shelter.

Tuesday

Wednesday

440+ Patients Served

Harmreduction focused care for people who inject drugs within Florida's first legal syringe program.

15+

Specialties

Thursday

Identityinformed psychiatric care for the LGBTQ+ community of MiamiDade County.

Planned Opening Fall 2026

280+

Student and Physician Volunteers

Center for Haitian Studies (CHS)

Patient Visits

About the Clinic The Center for Haitian Studies was established in 1988 to provide accessible healthcare to the underserved populations of Little Haiti, Little River, and North Miami. As the organization is located in the heart of Little Haiti, the primary patient population consists of HaitianAmericans and recent immigrants from Haiti. The DOCS Center for Haitian Studies clinic (CHS) is one of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s five student-run DOCS clinics, serving uninsured residents of Little Haiti and surrounding neighborhoods. CHS operates every Monday night, rotating among different primary care and speciality services each week.

Services

145+

Clinic Nights

Clinic Hours

330

Student Volunteers

Physician Volunteers

CHS provides free primary care, cardiology, and women’s health services each week on a rotational basis. During clinic nights, we offer various laboratory tests and procedures for screening and diagnostic purposes, including blood, urine, and stool testing, ECGs, echocardiograms, Pap smears, and endometrial biopsies. We also partnered with the University of Miami to screen and treat patients for H. pylori. CHS dispenses medications to patients from the office’s supply. Patients requiring advanced diagnostic services, procedures, and surgical interventions, including colonoscopies, are referred to the Jackson Health System and assisted in obtaining a Jackson Prime financial assistance card via the DOCS patient navigation program.

New Initiatives The Center for Haitian Studies day clinic and DOCS clinic have recently re-established a partnership with Direct Relief’s ReplenishRx to provide our uninsured patients with free medication support via an in-clinic pharmacy. Additionally, CHS has developed a culturallytailored diet graphic to help show our patients how to modify their diet to meet guidelines for diabetes health maintenance while preserving aspects of their Haitian culture and cuisine. This year, we have also integrated several internal measures to ensure that our patients are receiving adequate follow-up and intimate partner violence (IPV) screening.

Community Impact The Haitian population in Miami-Dade County has historically had low health insurance coverage, making access to healthcare difficult. Limited availability of Creole-speaking translators in healthcare settings and the fear of risking immigration issues further deters these patients from seeking medical care. CHS DOCS seeks to mitigate these issues by providing free healthcare to uninsured patients, regardless of immigration status. We also provide patients with Creole translation via in-person and virtual translators. Additionally, our evening hours allow patients to access healthcare during the week without conflicting with their occupation or daytime responsibilities. Through this work, CHS serves as many of our patients’ sole primary care providers. Our patients have noted that CHS has given them a bridge to accessing healthcare while they were unemployed and uninsured.

Acknowledgements CHS DOCS Clinic runs in collaboration with the Center for Haitian Studies, Health, and Human Services, Inc., with the help of Sonide Cherisier. We also thank our patients, volunteers, doctors, translators, and the DOCS organizational leadership.

Services Offered Primary Care Nights Blood, urine & stool testing H. pylori screening & treatment In-clinic medication dispensing Jackson Card enrollment Cardiology Nights ECGs & echocardiograms Women's Health Nights Pap smears & endometrial biopsies IPV screening & patient follow-up

In Their Words

I love the CHS Clinic because it gives patients the time, care, and education they deserve, and it gives students the chance to really show up for [their patients]. Vanessa Addison, MS3 Student Volunteer, CHS

San Juan Bosco (SJB)

153

Patient Visits

About the Clinic The San Juan Bosco (SJB) Clinic first opened in 1992, originally in Little Havana. In 2007, the clinic moved to its current location on the campus of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Allapattah, FL. Supported by SSJ Health Foundation and the Florida Department of Health, UM DOCS collaborates with SJB to meet specialty care needs for the surrounding community. Medical students and physicians volunteer every Tuesday, rotating through nine specialties. The patient population consists primarily of uninsured, underserved patients living at or below 300% of the federal poverty line, most of whom are Spanish-speaking.

Services

Clinic Nights

240

Student Volunteers

Physician Volunteers

Through the DOCS partnership, patients are referred to Tuesday specialty nights covering nine disciplines: Urology, Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, Neurology, Musculoskeletal, Psychiatry, Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Otolaryngology. At each clinic night, patients also receive Jackson Card enrollment assistance for advanced diagnostics and Jackson Health follow-ups, Baptist Health referrals for labs and imaging, and medications through the office supply cabinet, Prescription Assistance Program, or GoodRx. Additionally, through our partnership with the UM Physical Therapy Department, patients can access pelvic floor, cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, and orthopedic PT services at no cost.

New Initiatives This year, SJB expanded use of advanced equipment including ultrasound machines across musculoskeletal and cardiology nights. Plans are underway to add ophthalmology specialty nights to the schedule. Additional goals include increasing PT availability during specialty nights, expanding no-cost colonoscopy and endoscopy procedures through Baptist Health, and scaling CPR training to a weekly cadence in partnership with other DOCS programs.

Community Impact Each week, the SJB clinic opens its doors to the underserved residents of Miami-Dade County, individuals and families living at or below 300% of the federal poverty line who would otherwise have little to no access to medical care. Our patient population is predominantly Hispanic and Spanish-speaking, reflecting the rich culture of the Allapattah community we serve. Patients first establish care through the SJB primary care day clinic, where they receive ongoing longitudinal care and can be identified for additional specialty needs. From there, they are referred to DOCS specialty nights every Tuesday. This continuum of care, from primary to specialty, is at the heart of what makes our partnership with SJB so meaningful.

Acknowledgements This year, an average of 10.5 medical students volunteered at each clinic night, contributing to a total of 240 student volunteers across the academic year. Additionally, 15 resident physicians and 25 attending physicians generously gave their time to support our mission. Their dedication and expertise are the foundation of everything we do at SJB, and our services would not be possible without them. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Luz Gallardo and the entire SJB day clinic staff, whose consistent and unwavering support allows us to show up for this vulnerable population week after week. We look forward to everything still to come.

Specialty Nights Urology

Gastroenterology

Rheumatology

Neurology

Musculoskeletal

Psychiatry

Cardiology

ENT

Pulmonology

In Their Words

SJB has been a major part of my medical school journey. I have volunteered there 30–40 times, and it has been one of the richest learning experiences I’ve had. It has also shaped my career goals. As a future physician, I hope to be in an institution where teaching is a priority, as my seniors have done for me, and as I strive to do for junior students. Being from this community, I am aware of how important this work is. I would be honored to return one day as faculty.

Nelson Guevara, MS3 Senior Advisor, SJB

Miami Rescue Mission (MRM)

Patient Visits

About the Clinic MRM DOCS Clinic is a student-run specialty clinic operated every other Wednesday which serves unhoused men residing at the Miami Rescue Mission Shelter. Founded in 1922, the shelter provides comprehensive residential programs emphasizing stable housing and personal development for up to 249 men, with an additional 390 emergency beds. In 2021, DOCS partnered with the MRM Clinic, an in-house primary care provider established in 2009, to launch semi-weekly specialty nights for shelter residents. The clinic primarily serves men experiencing homelessness, many of whom face compounded barriers to care including lack of insurance, stigma, and limited access to specialty services.

59 MIN

Faster Discharge Time

117

Student Volunteers

Physician Volunteers

Services The MRM Clinic offers specialty care services tailored to the complex health needs of its patient population, including GI, Urology, Dermatology, Nephrology, Psychiatry, Cardiology, and Pulmonology. Each clinic night features one specialty, ensuring focused care for each patient seen. Patients are referred to specialty nights by the MRM Day Clinic, which conducts primary care visits and individualized health assessments to identify residents with the greatest need. This close collaboration ensures the most medically complex residents are prioritized for specialty care. Care teams consist of volunteer medical students at multiple training levels working alongside attending physicians, with a capacity of three patients seen simultaneously per session.

New Initiatives This year, the MRM Clinic introduced a structured patient care workflow to improve efficiency without compromising care quality. Seven key time points were defined across each visit, from intake through discharge, with explicit role divisions between upperclassmen and lowerclassmen volunteers to optimize patient flow. A target door-to-discharge time of 90 minutes was established, and a Quality Improvement Coordinator was designated to track adherence. Looking ahead, the team is working toward implementing a musculoskeletal night with a PM&R physician.

Community Impact The MRM Clinic expands access to specialty healthcare for unhoused men in Miami-Dade County, a population disproportionately affected by chronic and complex medical conditions yet facing significant barriers including lack of insurance, social stigma, and logistical obstacles that make consistent healthcare engagement incredibly difficult. By embedding specialty services directly within the Miami Rescue Mission Shelter, the clinic meets patients where they are. Leveraging a student-run, low-resource model, the MRM Clinic delivers meaningful, high-quality specialty care to one of Miami's most vulnerable communities.

Specialty Nights Urology

Gastroenterology

Dermatology

Nephrology

Musculoskeletal Cardiology

Psychiatry

Pulmonology

PM&R (Coming Soon)

In Their Words

Acknowledgements We would like to thank the MRMC providers, staff, and community partners for their continued collaboration and dedication to our patients, with special shout out to Dr. Pete Gutierrez and our day clinic coordinator Mario Alvarez. We are deeply grateful to our physician volunteers and to the DOCS Executive Board for their guidance and support. Lastly, we would like to thank our patients for entrusting us with their care.

Working at MRMC this year has been an incredible experience. Being able to help patients, learn from dedicated providers, and be part of this community has taught me a lot about what medicine actually looks like. Annabella Bozo-Carbrera Medical Assistant, MRM

136 IDEA Clinic

Patient Visits

About the Clinic The UM DOCS IDEA Needle Exchange Clinic is a student-run clinic providing harm-reduction– focused healthcare for people who inject drugs in Miami-Dade County. The clinic operates within the IDEA Exchange, Florida's first legal syringe services program, authorized under the 2016 Infectious Disease Elimination Act. Medical students from the UM Miller School of Medicine volunteer alongside physicians and community health workers to deliver patientcentered care in a low-barrier setting. The clinic primarily serves individuals experiencing substance use disorders, many of whom face housing instability, lack of insurance, or stigma within traditional healthcare systems.

FL #1

First Needle Exchange Program in Florida

63 New Patients

132

Volunteers Hours

Services The IDEA Clinic provides a wide range of harmreduction and medical services tailored to the needs of people who inject drugs. Core services include consultations and medication refills for medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including buprenorphine treatment. Volunteers and clinicians also provide wound care, traumainformed psychological support, and screening for HIV and hepatitis C. Additional services include sexual health care such as PrEP, STI testing, and contraception counseling. Patients can also receive referrals for additional medical care and social services when needed, ensuring continuity of care beyond the clinic setting.

New Initiatives This year, the clinic introduced xylazine testing as part of urine drug screening in response to rising prevalence of xylazine-associated wounds among patients. Educational initiatives were also expanded to inform patients about safer injection practices and wound care related to xylazine exposure. Additionally, the clinic is developing a rapid food insecurity screening tool during patient intake to better address social determinants of health. Patients who screen positive will be connected to community food resources and support services.

Community Impact The IDEA Clinic improves access to healthcare for a highly marginalized population that often experiences stigma and barriers within traditional healthcare systems. By offering lowbarrier, harm-reduction–oriented services, the program promotes trust, improves engagement in care, and addresses critical health needs among people who inject drugs in Miami-Dade County. Over the past year, 63 of the 136 patients served were new to the clinic, highlighting the continued and growing need for accessible services in this community. The introduction of xylazine testing and food insecurity screening this year further reflects the clinic's commitment to meeting patients where they are, addressing not just medical needs but the broader social determinants that shape their health. Through this work, the IDEA Clinic stands as a model for compassionate, stigma-free care in South Florida.

Acknowledgements We would like to thank Dr. Hansel Tookes III, the physician volunteers, peer support workers, and the Community Engagement Team for their leadership and dedication to the clinic. We are also grateful to the DOCS Executive Board and student volunteers whose efforts make these services possible. Most importantly, we thank the patients who trust the clinic with their care.

Did You Know The IDEA Exchange is Florida's first and only legal syringe services program, authorized under the 2016 Infectious Disease Elimination Act. Syringe services programs have been shown to reduce HIV transmission by up to 50% among people who inject drugs, according to the CDC. Harm reduction is an evidence-based public health approach that meets people where they are, reducing the negative consequences of drug use without requiring abstinence.

In Their Words

The IDEA Clinic has taught me to truly meet patients where they are, shaping how I listen, connect, and show up as a future physician Pranavi Garlapati Project Manager, IDEA

Coming Soon

Projected Opening Date

RAPID Clinic

Fall 2026

About the Clinic The LGBTQ+ community faces mental health challenges at widely disproportionate rates compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Rates of mental illness within the LGBTQ+ population have reached 61% for depression, 45% for PTSD, and 36% for anxiety disorders. Despite this, only 60% of mental health facilities nationwide provide LGBTQ+ specific care, which utilizes methods that specifically cater to the needs of the population. Additionally, nationwide surveys indicate 80.6% of endocrinologists and 82.5% of emergency medicine physicians have never received LGBTQ+ specific care training.

Current Gaps

61%

of LGBTQ+ individuals affected by depression

36% experience anxiety disorders

45%

experience PTSD

40% of pilot patients lacked social resources

Planned Services The focus of the clinic is two-fold: we aim to provide the LGBTQ+ community with accessible psychiatric care through in-depth assessments, patient interviews, and standardized screening tools, and to foster the development of culturally sensitive healthcare professionals through student volunteer activity in the clinic. We aim to accomplish this by establishing a Rapid Access Wellness Psychiatry Clinic. To ensure sufficient medication funds, the clinic has partnered with the Helping Hands Grant Program to provide crucial grant funding to support mental health and substance use disorder projects within underserved minority communities. These collaborations enable the clinic to create continuity of care to a wide breadth of members of the LGBTQ+ population. Grant funding will cover two 90-day prescriptions per patient at no cost.

What We’re Building The RAPID Clinic will operate bi-weekly with 5 core medical student staff members, a rotation of 4–8 medical student volunteers, and 2 physician volunteers per session — seeing 2–5 patients per week. We anticipate approximately 150 medical students and 20 physicians will receive training in LGBTQ+-affirming psychiatric care through the clinic each year. Grant funding through the Helping Hands Grant Program will cover two 90-day prescriptions per patient at no cost, ensuring that financial barriers do not stand between patients and the care they need. In a pilot survey of 13 patients, 40% screened positive for lacking social resources. Of those, half received mental health resources alongside their standard care regimen, underscoring the critical importance of whole-person, identityinformed treatment.

Community Impact The LGBTQ+ community faces a significantly greater risk of trauma, discrimination, and social isolation than their heterosexual and cisgender peers — burdens that translate directly into disproportionate rates of depression, PTSD, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Despite this urgent need, access to identity-affirming mental health care remains deeply inadequate, with most facilities lacking LGBTQ+-specific programming and most physicians never receiving relevant training. The RAPID Clinic directly answers this gap by offering free, low-barrier, identity-informed psychiatric care to LGBTQ+ individuals in MiamiDade County — building trust, promoting dignity, and providing many patients with their first experience of truly affirming healthcare.

Acknowledgements We would like to thank Dr. Doblecki, Dr. Beauchamps, the day team at the RAPID clinic, Dr. Deshpande, and everyone in the Psych department at UHealth Psychiatry and Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital who have been helping us in starting this endeavor.

Pillars of Care

01 Access Removing financial and logistical barriers to psychiatric care for LGBTQ+ individuals through a free, low-barrier, rapid-access model.

02 Identity-Informed Care Delivering psychiatric services that affirm and center the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ patients through culturally sensitive, trauma-informed practice.

03 Training Cultivating the next generation of compassionate, LGBTQ+-affirming physicians through clinical experience alongside attending psychiatrists.

UCF Chapman Regional Conference 2026 Orlando, Florida - February 2026 Poster Presentations SJB

Mitigating Health Disparities in the Uninsured Hispanic Population with the San Juan Bosco DOCS Clinic

CHS

Improving Hypertension Management in Miami’s Haitian Population: A StudentRun Clinic Initiative

MRM

Implementing Structured Workflow to Enhance Care Efficiency: A HighThroughput, Low-Resource Model for Student-Run Clinics

IDEA

A Patient-Centered Syringe Services Program for People Who Inject Drugs: The University of Miami DOCS IDEA Clinic

About the Conference In February 2026, DOCS traveled to Orlando for the UCF Chapman Regional Conference, an annual gathering of student-run clinics across Florida focused on improving care for underserved populations. All five DOCS clinics were represented, led by Co-Directors Jenny Keenan and Hunter Kessous, making it one of the largest delegations DOCS has sent. Our DOCS Clinic Executive Co-Directors joined UCF, UF, FSU, FAU, and FIU on the Florida Clinics panel, moderated by Dr. Cato Varlack, where clinics shared innovations and insights about the populations they serve. Dr. Robert Schwartz of UM's Osher Center for Integrated Health delivered the opening keynote. The day concluded with small-group discussions on mental health in medicine, cultural humility, and spirituality in patient care.

Beyond the Conference Before the sessions began, the DOCS team explored a local art festival near the hotel with live music, food stalls, and good company. A reminder that the bonds we build as a team matter just as much as the work done.

Addressing LGBTQ+ Mental Health

RAPID Disparities Through a Student-Run Psychiatric Clinic

Conference Highlights Keynote Address Dr. Robert Schwartz, UM Osher Center for Integrated Health Florida Clinics Panel UM represented alongside UCF, UF, FSU, FAU & FIU, moderated by Dr. Cato Varlack Small-Group Sessions Mental health in medicine, cultural humility & spirituality in patient care Cross-Clinic Collaboration Brainstorming new ways Florida student-run clinics can partner and strengthen care

Our Health Fairs Each of our health fairs brings free screenings, education, and care directly into the communities we serve across South Florida, from Fort Lauderdale to the Florida Keys.

Fort Lauderdale Health Fair

Liberty City Health Fair

Little Haiti Health Fair

Florida Keys Health Fair

September

October

August

January

West Kendall Health Fair

Allapattah Health Fair

South Dade Health Fair

Miami Beach Health Fair

April

May

February

Health Fairs This Year

March

1165+ Patients Served

18+ Screening Stations

Fort Lauderdale Health Fair August 16th, 2025

About the Fair The Fort Lauderdale Health Fair is held at the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serving residents of the historic Sistrunk community and surrounding Broward County areas. The event focuses on providing free health services to underserved populations, including individuals living below the federal poverty line and households facing financial insecurity. The event aims to reduce healthcare disparities and improve access to preventive care within the community.

113+ Patients Served

Special Thanks The Fort Lauderdale Health Fair partnered with the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center as the primary host location. Additional community partnerships included organizations such as the National Kidney Foundation. These collaborations were essential in expanding services and promoting the event within the community.

Liberty City Health Fair September 20th, 2025 About the Fair Liberty City was developed in the 1930s as one of the first public housing communities for Black residents in Miami, created under Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal initiatives during the Great Depression. The construction of highways like I-95 and the legacy of segregation and redlining shaped the neighborhood’s economic challenges and physical landscape over time. Despite these barriers, Liberty City has remained a vital cultural and historical center, known for its strong community identity, influential Black leaders, and lasting impact on Miami’s social and cultural history.

Special Thanks The success of the Liberty City Health Fair would not be possible without the myriad community partnerships. We are especially grateful to Ms. Regina, Dr. Watkins, and the entire D.A. Dorsey staff for their tireless support of this event. Additionally, Blue Cross Blue Shield was able to help sponsor over 100 gift cards for patients who attended the health fair. Community Smiles aided in dental screenings and gifted patients with small dental hygiene kits. MUA’s Foundation donated clothes, books, shoes, and plenty more for patients to grab after visiting the health fair.

The Liberty City Health Fair takes place at the DA Dorsey Technical College and Liberty City Elementary School and provides care to the diverse, underserved community of Liberty City. The health fair improves access to care by providing free or low-cost screenings and services to individuals who may lack health insurance or face financial barriers.

222+ Patients Served

Little Haiti Health Fair

October 18th, 2025

About the Fair The Little Haiti Health Fair is held in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Florida, serving a predominantly Haitian Creole-speaking population with limited access to healthcare. The fair is organized through DOCS in collaboration with the Center for Haitian Studies (CHS), local churches, and community leaders. The mission of CHS is as follows: “to improve the health and social conditions of the disenfranchised immigrant populations, especially the Haitians of South Florida.” In keeping with their mission, this event has become a longstanding, communitycentered initiative focused on building trust and improving access to care. Strong outreach efforts, including church engagement and local media partnerships such as Radio Mega, help drive attendance and awareness each year.

118+ Patients Served

Special Thanks The success of the health fair relies heavily on partnerships with the Center for Haitian Studies (CHS), local Haitian churches, and student organizations, including the Haitian Creole Club at the University of Miami and collaborators from FIU. These partnerships support outreach, translation services, and event logistics. In particular, a key partnership involved direct engagement with the local community at Notre Dame d’Haiti Catholic Church. A special thanks to Dr. Rimsky Denis, an interventional cardiologist (and former DOCS Executive Director!), who is integral to making this event what it is. With his help, the fair integrated a Cardiology Station, providing patients access to ECG and echocardiogram screening services to which patients typically lack access. Another special shout-out to all the Haitian Creole translators who made it this year.

Florida Keys Health Fairs

January 24th, 2026

About the Fair This year marked the 53rd Annual Florida Keys Health Fairs, where we ran three health fairs on the same day in Marathon, Big Pine Key, and Key West! With three fairs, we successfully served over 270 patients. Each fair also had community vendors to educate and provide resources for the patients. The Florida Keys Health Fairs play a critical role in addressing healthcare access disparities for residents living in the rural and island communities of the Florida Keys, where geographic isolation can limit access to routine and preventive care. By providing free screenings, patient education, and specialist consultations in a communitycentered setting, the fairs empower residents to take an active role in managing their health. With over 270 patients served across three locations in a single day, the 53rd Annual Florida Keys Health Fairs demonstrated the sustained impact and reach of this longstanding community service initiative.

Special Thanks The Florida Keys Health Fair would not be possible without the partnership of the Florida Keys Area Health Education Center (AHEC). AHEC consistently helps assist with community outreach, advertising, and on-site coordination across all three locations. Special thanks to Key West High School, Big Pine Key Methodist Church, and Marathon Middle High School for graciously volunteering their spaces to host these fairs.

270+ Patients Served

West Kendall Health Fair February 21st, 2026

About the Fair West Kendall Health Fair provides accessible healthcare screening services to residents in the West Kendall neighborhood of Miami. The fair primarily serves Hispanic immigrant families and other community members who often face barriers to consistent primary and specialty care, including lack of insurance or ineligibility for Medicare/Medicaid. The event focuses on preventive care, medical education, and linkage to long-term healthcare resources. By bringing services directly into the community, WKHF helps reduce common barriers such as cost, transportation, and limited healthcare access. The fair continues DOCS’ mission of serving vulnerable South Florida communities through student-led outreach.

Special Thanks

90+ Patients Served

The West Kendall Health Fair is made possible through collaboration between DOCS and the Capilla Del Rey Church, led by Pastor Gustavo Diaz. Some key organizations that helped host the event included the vendors like Community Smiles Dental, Healthier Together, CTSI, Calder, Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation, iCare Behavior and Wellness, Agency for Healthcare Administration, Humana, Center for Independent Living of South Florida, Florida Department of Transportation, and Pediatric Mobile Clinic. These partnerships were essential for outreach, medical education, resource availability, and culturally responsive engagement, ensuring patients were aware of these available services.

Allapattah Health Fair

March 14th, 2026

About the Fair The Allapattah Health Fair was held at the Allapattah YMCA, serving residents of Allapattah and surrounding communities. Now in its fifth year, the event continues to expand its impact by providing multidisciplinary health screenings and resources to an underserved urban population. The Allapattah Health Fair also debuted our new partnership with the Baptist Health MammoVan that provides mobile mammography services to qualified patients. Additionally, through a grant from Guardant Health, we were able to provide blood-based colorectal cancer screening tests (“Shield”) to over 30 patients.

Special Thanks The Allapattah Health Fair was hosted at the Allapattah YMCA, which served as a central and trusted community hub for the event. The YMCA played a key role in outreach, coordination, and providing an accessible space for community members to engage with health services.

211+ Patients Served

South Dade Health Fair April 18th, 2026

About the Fair The South Dade Health Fair has served the South Dade Community since 2010. Held at Branches Florida City, a nonprofit organization that provides education and financial assets to the community, the fair supports residents of the Homestead and Florida City area, a community that has a large plurality of Hispanic immigrants and agricultural workers. The community includes many uninsured and low-income residents who face barriers to accessing regular healthcare. Each year, more than 100 patients who speak English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole attend.

Special Thanks

120+ Patients Served

Our key community partner is Branches, a trusted local nonprofit organization that helps connect families with resources, education, and support services. Through this partnership, the South Dade Health Fair continues to provide free screenings, preventive care, health education, and referrals to those who need them most. Their United Way Center for Financial Stability (UWCFS) site also plays an important role in sharing resources and distributing information to patients. Additional community partners, including the Mexican American Council, COFFO, MUJER, and Le Jardin Day Care, helped promote the event by distributing flyers and spreading awareness throughout the community. Their collaboration was essential in reaching local families and encouraging attendance at the health fair.

Miami Beach Health Fair (NEW) May 16th, 2026 About the Fair The Miami Beach Health Fair (MBHF) was held at Miami Beach Senior High School in Miami Beach, Florida, with the goal of increasing access to preventive healthcare services for underserved members of the local community. As one of DOCS' newest outreach initiatives, the Miami Beach Health Fair was created to address barriers to preventive care while strengthening partnerships between the medical school and the local community.

Special Thanks

70+ Patients Served

The Miami Beach Health Fair was made possible through the partnership between the University of Miami DOCS program and Miami Beach Senior High School, which generously provided the event space and helped connect local families with the health fair. Additional support from volunteer physicians, healthcare professionals, and student organizations ensured the successful delivery of comprehensive preventive services to the community.

Our New Stations Tobacco Cessation and Lung Cancer Screening About the Station Volunteers assess community members who smoke or previously smoked to determine eligibility for lung cancer screening. Using motivational interviewing, volunteers discuss smoking cessation with smokers and refer eligible patients to Tobacco Free Florida and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Why It Matters

110 Patients Served

Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the US, largely attributable to smoking. Low-dose CT screening can reduce mortality by 20%, yet many Americans are never screened, leading to delayed diagnoses and deaths.

12 Patients referred for screening at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Patient Stories A patient at the Little Haiti Health Fair with a history of smoking was referred for screening. Though asymptomatic at the fair, she later reported a new cough and hemoptysis and the team connected her with a Federally Qualified Health Center appointment for further workup.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening About the Station The AAA station provides point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) services to screen patients at risk for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Patients identified with AAAs are connected to Jackson Memorial Vascular Surgery through patient navigation services.

Why It Matters AAA screening is rarely offered at community health events. This station educates patients on the risks of undiagnosed AAAs while connecting them with care.

88 Patients Screened 1 connected for further evaluation

Patient Stories A patient screened was found to have a suspected descending aortic dissection. The team connected this patient with a CT scan with contrast for further workup and evaluation.

Station Improvements Pediatric Station About the Station The Pediatrics Station provides developmental and preventive health services at all health fairs. Families receive developmental screening using The Survey of Well-being of Young Children, vision, hearing, scoliosis, and growth assessments, teen dating violence screening, and vaccinations in collaboration with the Pediatric Mobile Clinic. Families are connected with follow-up for any area in which they screen positive.

Why it Matters

47 Patients Enrolled in our patient navigation program

Many children lack consistent access to developmental and preventive pediatric care due to geographic, financial, and insurance barriers. Through our patient navigation program, developed in collaboration with the Mailman Center for Child Development, we individually connect families to resources that account for their specific insurance and financial circumstances.

Services Offered

Patient Stories A 4-year-old with autism spectrum disorder lost access to services when his family found themselves without insurance coverage. We connected them with Parent to Parent of Miami, guided them through the Medicaid application process, and helped facilitate an Individualized Education Program evaluation. He is now receiving the school-based services he needs.

SWYC Developmental Screening Vision Testing

Hearing Tests

Scoliosis Testing

Vaccinations

Growth Assesments

Patient Navigation

Teen Dating Violence

Key Partners Mailman Center Pediatric Mobile Clinic

Parent to Parent of Miami Developmental Pediatrician Volunteers

Our Community Beyond our clinics and health fairs, DOCS student leaders drive innovation through a growing set of subcommittees and initiatives, each expanding our reach and deepening our impact across South Florida. 01

Community Health and Leadership Conference

CareTales

Emergency Response Program

Annual conference uniting student leaders, faculty, and community partners from across the country to advance health equity.

A new digital health app providing patient education and navigation through interactive modules and an AI-powered chatbot.

Bringing CPR and Stop the Bleed training to underserved communities with a partnership with Brownsville Middle School.

Patient Navigation

Logistics

Research and Quality Improvement

Connecting underserved patients to follow-up care, insurance resources, and community services after every fair and clinic.

Coordinating supplies, scheduling, volunteer management, and operations across all DOCS clinics and health fairs.

Measuring outcomes and driving evidencebased improvements across DOCS program operations.

Growing our reach, deepening our roots, and building a healthier South Florida, one initiative at a time.

Our Community

Community Health and Leadership Conference The Community Health Leadership Conference (CHLC) is an annual gathering for research and learning hosted by DOCS at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Since its founding in 2010, CHLC has grown into a national forum where medical students share real community health work, strengthen cross-institutional connections, and carry forward a tradition of service that has defined DOCS for decades.

Visiting Institutions

Attendees

Poster Presentations

Oral Presentations

2026 Keynote Speaker

Dr. James Shultz

Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences, disaster medicine, hurricanes, large-scale emergencies, COVID-19, and recent geopolitical crises

Conference Highlights This year marked several milestones for CHLC, including a first-time invitation extended to pre-med undergraduates from UM, who toured the IDEA Clinic and engaged with the keynote speaker.

Looking Ahead We are grateful for the participation of so many dedicated medical students. As CHLC continues to grow, we look forward to deepening crossinstitutional relationships and expanding the conference's reach in the years to come.

Workshops Offered Trauma-Informed Care Dr. Julie Valenzuela, Trauma Surgeon Dr. Christina Georgeades, Fellow Stop the Bleed Luis Rodriguez, Medical Student

Our Community

Care Tales Care Tales was founded by University of Miami medical students who saw the same problem repeat itself across every clinical setting: patients leaving encounters without truly understanding their diagnoses, medications, or next steps. Together, they built Care Tales from an idea into a company with a working platform. This work that earned the team the USTAAR Award, a $100,000 investment that validated both the mission and team behind it.

The Mission The mission of Care Tales is simple: close the health literacy gap that drives preventable readmissions, missed appointments, and avoidable suffering. Too often, patients leave clinical encounters without a clear understanding of their diagnosis, their medications, or what to do next, and the consequences of that gap fall hardest on communities already facing barriers to care. Care Tales addresses this directly through an AI-augmented, closed-loop retrieval system built on physician-validated content and delivered in Duolingo-style microlearning modules. Every module is written and reviewed by clinicians, then adapted across literacy tiers, so that a patient reading at a fifth-grade level and one reading at a college level both receive accurate, actionable information without confusion, and in the language they speak at home.

Platform Features Microlearning Modules Clinician-Reviewed

Dhananjay Narayanan, MD/MBA Candidate 2027 Elise Katsnelson, MD/MBA Candidate 2027 Michael Boutros, MD/MBA Candidate 2027 Arjun Ghodasara, MD Candidate 2027 Alexandra Debure, MD/MBA Candidate 2028

Closed-Loop AI

Multiple Languages + Reading Levels

Meet the Team

Pavel Stepanov, MS in AI Candidate 2026

AI Chatbot

DOCS Partnership The collaboration with DOCS grew out of a shared conviction that community health outreach deserves the same quality of education that patients receive inside academic medical centers. What began as a conversation became a full integration across the DOCS health fair footprint, with Care Tales deployed at four health fairs across South Florida, reaching patients where they are.

How it Works At each health fair, volunteers offered patients QR codes giving instant access to the Care Tales platform. From their phones, patients could explore condition-specific education modules covering chronic disease management, preventive care, and healthcare system navigation, all adapted to multiple reading levels and languages. The integrated AI chatbot allowed patients to ask follow-up questions in their own words and their own language, receiving answers drawn exclusively from vetted organizational knowledge, including resource navigation, insurance coverage, and follow-up services. Rather than leaving the fair with a pamphlet they may never read, patients left with a tool to which they could return on their own time, as many times as they needed.

Florida Keys: By the Numbers

270

Patients Reached

39.3% Engagement Rate

4.9/5

Average Patient Satisfaction Score

For volunteers, the platform changed the texture of conversations at the fair, shifting interactions from rushed explanations toward genuine teaching moments, without adding burden to their workflow or disrupting the pace of screenings.

Patients described feeling heard, respected, and for many, educated about their own conditions for the first time in a way that actually made sense to them. Volunteers reported that the platform changed the texture of their interactions, shifting conversations from rushed explanations to genuine teaching moments, without disrupting their workflow. DOCS x Care Tales Partnership The DOCS – Care Tales partnership has become a model for what community health education can look like when technology, clinical rigor, and ground-level outreach move in the same direction. The work underway across Miami-Dade and the Keys is only the beginning.

Our Community

Emergency Response Program The Emergency Response Program (ERP) is a student-led organization within DOCS dedicated to bringing life-saving skills education to South Florida communities. This year, ERP expanded its reach through two major training events, equipping students across Miami-Dade with the confidence and knowledge to respond in emergencies.

FALL 2025

25 Scouts

Smart Sitter Sisters Workshop Girl Scouts Camp Grounds The Emergency Response Program partnered with Girl Scouts of Florida to train 25 middle school scouts in basic first aid, CPR, and Stop the Bleed, helping them earn their first aid badge through hands-on instruction from UM medical students. The event had been in planning since early 2025 and was celebrated as a major success by Girl Scouts leadership.

SPRING 2026

125 Students

Middle School CPR & Stop the Bleed Training Brownsville Middle School In partnership with Miami Jackson Senior High School nursing students, the Emergency Response Program delivered CPR and Stop the Bleed training to 125 eighth graders at Brownsville Middle School, a Title I school serving medically underserved communities in Miami. The cross-school collaboration made emergency skills education both peer-led and deeply rooted in the community.

They really enjoyed having us, it was a huge success overall. Working alongside high school nursing students to educate younger kids made it something really special. Jordan Milano, Emergency Preparedness Project Manager

Our Community

Patient Navigation Bridging Screenings and Long-Term Care

240

Navigators

300+

Patients Connected

About the Program The DOCS Patient Navigation program pairs medical students with patients following health fairs and clinics, providing the kind of personalized, longitudinal follow-up that community screenings alone cannot offer. Patients are assigned a risk category, general or high risk, based on screening criteria, and navigators tailor their support accordingly.

MD/MPH Teams

Navigator Skills Patient Advocacy

Jackson Cards

Specialty Referrals

Insurance

Community Partnerships Resource Coordination

Connecting Patients Navigators help patients access the Jackson Financial Assistance Program, schedule appointments at weekly DOCS clinics, obtain specialty referrals, and connect with free or low-cost community services, meeting each patient where they are financially and geographically.

This Year’s Initiatives Expansion of patient navigators to include all first-year MD/MPH students On-site resource sheets at health fairs Jackson Population Health partnership Navigation after Shield blood tests

Looking Ahead Next year, we aim to deepen our relationship with Jackson Population Health, strengthen navigator training, and improve follow-up systems to better serve patients with complex care needs, ensuring meaningful longitudinal care beyond our health fairs and weekly clinics.

Our Community

Logistics Team Strengthening Operations, Expanding Capacity

About Logistics Over the past year, our logistics initiatives focused on strengthening operational infrastructure and expanding clinical capacity across DOCS clinics and health fairs. From securing supply donations to restructuring storage systems, every effort was aimed at reducing barriers to care and ensuring sustainable operations.

Community Partnerships We built and sustained partnerships with community donors, including collaboration with the IDEA clinic, to secure consistent supply donations. We also engaged medical supply companies for donated and discounted resources, improving reliability while reducing operational costs across clinics and health fairs.

Storage and Inventory We restructured DOCS storage areas and conducted thorough inventory audits and supply clean-outs, removing expired materials and reducing waste, optimizing our ability to execute both weekly clinics and large-scale health fairs.

Expanded Screening Modalities We expanded access to preventive care by integrating a broader range of screening tests, enabling earlier detection and more streamlined linkage to care within the DOCS ecosystem. A1C

Point-of-Care-Lipids

HIV

Fecal Immunochemical Testing

Operational Impact

By optimizing supply workflows and internal organization, our logistics work directly supported the execution of weekly clinics and large-scale health fairs, reinforcing DOCS' capacity to deliver high-quality care to underserved communities across South Florida.

Our Community

Research and Quality Improvement 4

Clinics with Projects

Conferences

Projects Approved

Leadership & Structure The Research & Quality Improvement (RQI) board was restructured to include two directors, three coordinators, and one assistant, creating a direct link between executive management and clinical operations. Every one of the five studentrun clinics now has a dedicated board member responsible for navigating the specific nuances of its projects.

Setting the Standard At this year’s new staff orientation, the RQI team challenged each clinic to develop at least one QI project focused on improving the quality and efficiency of care. Staff were also trained in essential improvement methods, including root cause analysis to identify the heart of clinical issues.

Research Stewardship The RQI team oversees every project proposal that uses patient or volunteer data, ensuring all research aligns with DOCS' mission of service. This year, ten new projects were approved and provided with guidance on resource management and ethical data handling.

Health Literacy Project The RQI team launched a Health Literacy initiative to establish a baseline measurement of health literacy among DOCS patients and evaluate whether organizational interventions improve outcomes over time, directly addressing gaps in care for underserved populations. English

Creole

Spanish

Our Volunteers Meet the students, faculty, and community members whose dedication makes every clinic, health fair, and initiative possible.

Our Volunteers

Student Spotlights As Pediatrics Station Manager, Julia implemented a new Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Screening program across all DOCS Health Fairs. Through collaboration with specialists at the Mailman Center for Child Development, every child is now screened using a validated tool, and families with concerns can meet on-site with a developmental pediatrician and family navigator. She also created a patient navigation program where trained medical students follow up with families to connect them with federal, state, and community resources, drawing on her prior experience as a Registered Behavior Technician working with children with autism.

Julia Finster, MS2 Pediatrics Station Manager Pediatrics

Screenings

Patient Navigation

Marina Torras, MS2 Clinic Physician Manager Recruitment

Innovation

Clinic Operations

Memorable Moments At the Liberty City Health Fair, Julia and her team helped uninsured families from a nearby shelter, assisting on-site with Medicaid applications and early intervention paperwork for children with developmental needs and ensuring connection with much-needed resources.

As the first-ever Clinic Physician Manager, Marina created a centralized physician sign-up system enabling doctors to register for multiple clinics by specialty, boosting engagement, reducing cancellations, and streamlining onboarding through digital contract signing. She expanded recruitment through department meetings, health fairs, and networks beyond UM/Jackson and has taken on creating a physician recruitment video highlighting what providers value about volunteering. Marina values the interdisciplinary nature of her role, working across clinic staff, physicians, administrators, and PR/media. For Marina, DOCS is deeply personal, teaching her that patients’ needs should guide both care delivery and the systems designed to support them. Memorable Moments At the FDE station, a patient became emotional sharing that she hadn't heard from her son in Cuba, a reminder that patients carry burdens beyond what brings them to the clinic and providers must hold space for their experiences.

Our Volunteers

Resident Spotlight Brandon has remained a dedicated member of DOCS for years, continuing his involvement as a resident after first serving as a medical student at UMMSM. He participates in multiple health fairs each year, staffs the Final Doctor Evaluation station, and serves as his intern class’s community service representative, actively recruiting fellow residents to volunteer at the Health Fairs and mentoring those interested in getting involved.

Brandon Apagüeño, MD PGY-1 Internal Medicine Resident

At the Final Doctor Evaluation station, Brandon works closely with medical students as they present each patient, creating meaningful opportunities to guide and support learners at every stage of their training. Staying connected to DOCS has been deeply meaningful to him, as it continues to ground him in the communities he serves just as it did during his formative years in medical school while he navigates the demands of residency.

What He Loves About DOCS

Impact on Training

Brandon most values the dual role he plays, mentoring students as they present patients at the Final Doctor Evaluation station while also serving as the physician those patients see at the end of their health fair experience. He finds deep meaning in synthesizing their findings, offering clear recommendations, and reinforcing preventive care. Beyond the clinical work, it’s the sense of purpose and community that keeps him coming back. Stepping outside the hospital and reconnecting with the very populations medicine exists to serve, he says, is both grounding and deeply meaningful.

DOCS has shaped how Brandon approaches care beyond hospital walls. Through health fairs, he has gained insight into broader challenges, barriers to access, gaps in health education, and the realities patients face after discharge. These experiences have strengthened his ability to practice holistic, patientcentered medicine every day.

A Memorable Moment A patient presented with significantly elevated blood pressure after years without medical care due to access barriers. What stood out wasn’t just the clinical concern but his hesitation to engage with the healthcare system. Brandon took time to explore his concerns and past experiences. By the end of the conversation, the patient agreed to follow up at a DOCS clinic, a simple interaction that underscored the importance of meeting patients where they are, both physically and emotionally.

Being part of DOCS has always reminded me why I chose medicine, especially during the more difficult parts of training. Resident involvement is essential to growing our capacity and reinforcing a culture of service.

Our Volunteers

Attending Spotlight Dr. Walton's path to DOCS began with curiosity. At a Student National Medical Association poster presentation, she spotted a project about DOCS and the Center for Haitian Studies. It did not take first place, but it caught her attention. She tracked down the attending listed as an author, asked questions, and kept asking until she had a full picture of what DOCS was doing across South Florida. She then connected with the student leadership team, who expressed interest in incorporating developmental and behavioral screening into the pediatrics presence at health fairs. A Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician with nearly 14 years in practice, Dr. Walton joined UM as Section Head for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, previously completing a Jennifer Walton, MD, MPH developmental and behavioral pediatrics fellowship, a Master of Development & Public Health degree, and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities training. She Behavioral Pediatrics attended roughly six health fairs in person to understand the process, meet students, and ensure a physician was present when Pediatrics Screenings it mattered most. For her, a screening without a plan for what comes next is incomplete. “If you're going to screen, what happens Mentorship Community when you have a positive result?”

Mentoring Medical Students Mentorship has been central to Dr. Walton's career since residency, as a resident rotation director, past SNMA national officer, and now as a section head investing in the next generation. She believes mentoring extends well beyond clinical knowledge: students need to understand advocacy, the business of medicine, and life skills alongside their coursework. Her advice is direct; "Your job is first to be a student - study, do your job, and graduate." Work hard first, then play hard. The foundation you build now, she says, determines everything that follows.

Philosophy on Child Health At the core of Dr. Walton's practice is a principle to which she returns again and again: behavior reflects development. Before determining a diagnosis, she asks the family more about the child's development, family background, and family's perspective. A child presenting with attention difficulties might not have ADHD; they may be carrying the weight of trauma. "Unless you take the time to understand that, you'll miss it." She also believes child health reminds us all that we cannot work in silos. Housing, family stability, and access to resources all determine outcomes far more than any clinic visit alone.

Behavior reflects development and I think a lot of us forget that. What's your foundation? That helps in understanding the child and family— really that helps all of us understand ourselves and each other.

2025-2026

DOCS Executive Board Executive Director Executive Director Executive Director Health Fair Co-Director Health Fair Co-Director Clinic Co-Director Clinic Co-Director Interprofessional Education Director Logistics Director Longitudinal Access Director Medical Informatics Director Public Relations Director Research & Quality Improvement Co-Director Research & Quality Improvement Co-Director Training Co-Director Training Co-Director

Claire Alcus Cecilia Amaro Katie Dowell-Esquivel Tim Madigan Gizelle Godinez Jenny Keenan Hunter Kessous Stephanie Gonzalez Julia McAleavy Isabel Rodriguez Nikola Susic Karan Prasad Sofie Janette Derek Nuamah Michael Ugarov Alex Hawkins

A Special Thank You

The Gaffney Family ESTABLISHED 2020 - RENEWED 2025-2026 Since establishing their endowment in 2020, the Gaffney Family has been an essential partner in DOCS' growth and mission. Their sustained generosity, renewed again this year, has directly funded expanded care, stronger infrastructure, and deeper community connections across South Florida's medically underserved populations.

What your support has made possible

Expanded specialty care at studentrun clinics, broadening the scope of services available to patients.

Advanced health fair screenings, enabling earlier detection and more effective identification of health concerns in the community.

Created official clinic signage to increase visibility and help patients more easily access the services they need.

Expanded patient navigation services, ensuring individuals receive comprehensive follow-up and connection to long-term care.

About Lukas Gaffney A proud graduate of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Lukas Gaffney has remained deeply connected to the institution and its mission. His family's endowment reflects a personal commitment to ensuring that future generations of medical students can carry forward the same tradition of service he experienced as a student.

Strengthening our endowment has allowed us to invest in initiatives with lasting impact, work that benefits both the patients for whom we care and the students who are training to become compassionate physicians. — DOCS Executive Directors & Faculty Advisor, in gratitude to the Gaffney Family

Our Year Recap Totals reflect combined figures throughout report

1,165

440

Patients Served at Health Fairs

Patients Served at Clinics

1,605

Total Patients Served

9,148

3,068

Student Volunteer Hours

Physician Volunteer Hours

12,216

Total Hours Volunteered

2025 - 2026 Annual Report

Thank You. “A Year of Service & Community: Our South Florida Story”

Until Next Year - DOCS Team 2026

2025 - 2026 Annual Report