Health Screenings at Homeless Shelters
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I will perform health screenings at local homeless shelters in Cedar City and St. George. I am already participating in the RHS-sponsored Foot Clinic in both locations. During the Foot Clinic, patients have their feet soaked in a whirlpool bath and then are seen by a Physician’s Assistant or a Nurse Practitioner. Often, the patients must wait several minutes for their turn since there are only 2 whirlpool baths.
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During this time that patients are waiting, I will offer to give them a basic health screening. Before any tests are done, I will have each patient fill out a disclosure form verifying that they understand that we are only providing medical recommendations and that they do not replace professional medical care. Patients’ BMI, waist size, blood pressure, and blood glucose will be measured. I will then provide a reference sheet that explains the data and what the healthy ranges are for each test. Risk for diabetes will be determined.
Project Overview
Larger Purpose:
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The goal of this project is to provide myself with direct healthcare-related experience to list on my application for podiatry school this summer.
Project Goal:
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For my EDGE Project, I will perform basic health screenings measuring blood glucose, blood pressure, and BMI as indicators of overall health in the homeless population.
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Outcomes:
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1. The people we screen will be able to identify if improvements can be made for better overall health.
2. I will gain more experience working face-to-face with patients.
3. I will learn how to better use a few medical instruments including blood pressure cuff and blood glucose reader.
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