The Columbia-Harlem Homeless Medical Partnership: A Free Student-Run Clinic for the Homeless
The Columbia-Harlem Homeless Medical Partnership (CHHMP) is a newly created, student-run free clinic, serving the community of West Harlem. Operating from a church basement every Tuesday evening, the clinic provides the homeless, the uninsured and the local community with basic medical care, health education and referrals to a variety of social services. CHHMP was established by Columbia University medical students in partnership with the Center for Family and Community Medicine, opening its doors in May 2007 after almost four years of planning.
Carl Erik Fisher, with other founding members, will describe the establishment of the clinic’s unique model, present data from the recently-completed 6-month pilot phase, and discuss the next stages of operations. They will also discuss the creation of an associated student-run elective course on homelessness, including the process of integrating this course with the medical school curriculum and future directions for interdisciplinary collaborations in the establishment of such coursework across all health sciences schools.
