Washington Park Clinic (WPC) is a pediatric free clinic located a few miles west of University of Chicago campus. Currently, in its 15th year of operation, WPC aims to offer uninsured and underinsured children on the South Side of Chicago a point of entry for medical care and vaccinations. By offering a point of entry for a first clinic visit, WPC can then direct families to a Federally Qualified Health Center, where they can find a medical home, continuity of care and further health counseling.
WPC is run by a board of Pritzker medical students, along with the support of volunteer physicians, residents, and medical students. The clinic is open Tuesday nights from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at 5350 South Prairie Avenue. We provide school or sports physicals, acute care, immunizations, and resources for finding more longitudinal care. We hope the clinic will help lead to a healthier pediatric population in the South Side of Chicago. Furthermore, we hope the management of this clinic and the enthusiasm of the physicians will offer an important educational and service opportunity for student volunteers and staff. Volunteering at Washington Park is always an incredible night of interacting with kids, learning from physicians at the forefront of medicine, and engaging with the local community.
Contact Information
To schedule an appointment, please email tsutton@chicagoyouthprograms.org
If you have any questions, please contact: Amanda Calipo and Danielle Gaskin.
Faculty Advisor: Icy Cade-Bell, MD, Pediatrics
Hours of operation: Tuesday nights from 5:30-7pm
Location: 5350 South Prairie Ave.
Clinic appointments: email health@chicagoyouthprograms.org
Website: http://wpclinic.uchicago.edu/
-
Determining the patients reason for visit
-
Taking a complete medical history with vital signs
-
Presenting to the attending physician
-
Administering immunizations, if desired
-
Working to provide the patients with longitudinal care
Students coordinate rides to and from the clinic. Free street parking is available right next to the clinic building on South Prairie Avenue.
"Washington Park has been the best experience of my first year for learning from practicing physicians in an actual caregiving setting. The residents and attendings who volunteer have been visibly excited to teach us. It's especially great because I feel like a blank slate, having next to no clinical experience, so Washington Park is really my introduction to doctoring. It has made me much more comfortable with advancing to the clinical years." - Tristan Jones, MS3
"I had a wonderful experience volunteering at Washington Park Clinic. It was amazing to interact with a pediatric population, which is something I otherwise wouldn't be able to do until my third year rotations. The attending, Dr. Jordan, was fantastic with the patients, and watching him taught me a lot about how to develop good rapport with kids of all ages." - Desta Lissanu, MS3
"It is a uniquely wonderful opportunity to be able to work and teach medical students as we care for the children of Washington Park in their community. Through the fantastic clinic that the students run, we are able to provide acute and well-child care, but more importantly, facilitate the connection of children and their families with a permanent medical home." - H. Barrett Fromme, MD, MHPE