Curricular Tracks

A Track that Impacts the Community

Residents pursuing this track are afforded the unique opportunity to understand the interplay between an individual patient’s health and the community where they reside. The Community Medicine track offers powerful, intensive opportunities not only to enrich your Residency experience, but also to gain competencies in cultural diversity and community medicine.

You’ll be immersed in the community where health changes occur. Individuals get well and become sick again due to their immediate environment that lacks vital public health services and supportive infrastructure. Serving at the grassroots level, you’ll work to be a part of the community’s solutions.

You’ll reach many more people than the patients you see at the clinic through the many mutually beneficial relationships the Community Medicine track has established. You’ll have the opportunity to affect change beyond individual patient care.

Objectives

The track is a longitudinal experience, enabling residents to work in the neighborhood where our patients reside and:

• Understand community-oriented primary care (COPC)
• Care for patients across social and cultural lines in a variety of medically underserved settings, including a local clinic for uninsured patients
• Use epidemiologic skills to assess and track the health indices of a community including research design, implementation and evaluation
• Develop data analysis and presentation skills
• Develop and maintain relationships with local community organizations and other neighborhood resources
• Advocate for marginalized and vulnerable populations
• Gain grant writing skills
• Educate health professionals about community resources for underserved patients

Curricular Components

PGY-2

• One to two months Community/Ambulatory Medicine tailored to areas of personal interest
• Community-based project, either ongoing or of your own choosing, using COPC methodology

PGY-3

• One to two months Community Medicine/ Ambulatory Medicine with intensive focus on area of personal interest or continuation of community-based project initiated in second year
• You may also begin work on an MPH

The Riverwest Health Initiative

Mission: The members of the Riverwest Health Initiative work together to create a healthier Riverwest community. We believe that health is a basic human right and should be enjoyed by everyone.

The Riverwest Health Initiative is a grassroots coalition of health, social service, education, business, faith-based and neighborhood organizations and individuals working collaboratively to provide healthcare information, services, and referrals to Riverwest residents. The Columbia St. Mary’s Family Health Center is a member of this coalition. Dr. Sanders is a founding member of this initiative and one of the principal investigators for the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program. Additional information can be found on the web at: www.riverwesthealth.org

Community-Based Chronic Disease Management

Community-Based Chronic Disease Management is a Healthier Wisconsin Partnership program that provides inexpensive evidence-based health care to impoverished uninsured populations in Milwaukee’s inner city. The coalition is made up of three separate Medical College of Wisconsin student groups, area food pantries, Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital, local churches and other local community-based organizations. Dr. Sanders is the principal investigator for this program.

For more information contact:

Jim Sanders, MD, MPH
Columbia St. Mary’s Family Practice
1121 E. North Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
jsanders@mcw.edu
(414) 267-6502 Office
Toll free: (866) 540-4760
(414) 267-3892 Fax
www.family.mcw.edu/CSM