OETA Story on Oklahoma Health Care aired on 07/28/09

This is a story that aired on OETA Public Television's The Oklahoma News Report in Tulsa Oklahoma as reported by Angela Rosecrans and photojournalist Edwin Wilson. For more information or to contact us, please go to the new and improved www.oeta.tv

The verbatim script follows below...

FIRST AND SECOND YEAR O-U MED STUDENTS ARE TAKING PART IN A POVERTY SIMULATION. THE ROLE-PLAY SCENARIOS ARE INTENDED TO HELP THE STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES THE POOR FACE ON A DAILY BASIS.

"I think you learn a lot about the struggles that individuals face and how hard it is for them to get help."




"so we're trying to open the student's minds and for that matter our own minds as well as faculty here at the school and if that all works then we'll have students that hang on to the altruism that they bring with them to medical school nursing school and perhaps see a role in their future for helping take care of their community." DOCTOR ROBERT BLOCK IS WITH THE O-U SCHOOL OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE. IT'S A PROGRAM THAT STARTED TWO YEARS AGO WITH A 50-MILLION DOLLAR GIFT FROM THE GEORGE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION.




"before the students delve into biology and anatomy and chemistry we want them to understand the importance of what's happening in their patients environments in their homes, in their neighborhoods because that has great influence on their health and their healthcare problems." IN ADDITION TO THE ROLE-PLAYING STUDENTS ARE ALSO SHADOWING MEDICALLY VULNERABLE PATIENTS IN ONE OF O-U'S FREE COMMUNITY CLINICS. HEATHER STIVERSON IS A FIRST YEAR MEDICAL STUDENT BUT ALREADY KNOWS THAT SHE WANTS TO TAKE THE COMMUNITY MEDICINE TRACK.




"alot of physicians have an attitude about the lower socioeconomic classes that because their cases are frequently difficult and because they don't come to physician as most would like there's an attitude that they're not compliant or that they don't want to do treatment and they're not willing to get help and the truth is that many people and are very willing to get help and are simply unable to do so." AND SHE'S GETTING EVEN A GREATER PERSPECTIVE WITH THIS WEEK'S EXPERIENCE




"what I'm here for is just to get your perspective so that as I'm learning the medical field and when I become a clinician I'll understand from a patients perspective how frustrating it can be.." STIVERSON IS TRYING TO SEE THROUGH THE EYES OF CHRISTINA EVANS. AND AS SHE SITS THROUGH CHRISTINA'S DOCTOR'S VISIT TODAY SHE'S GAINING A NEW PERSPECTIVE AND VERIFYING HER CHOICE TO WORK IN A DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY.




"and what people are really needing is all fields of medicines specialists and general practitioners who are willing to take patients who can not pay full price and who may have complex and very difficult cases I think that's such a wonderful mission and I'm really excited about their goals and striving towards them." AS A PART OF THE O-U SCHOOL OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE PROGRAM- STUDENTS WHO CHOOSE THIS TRACK AND GO ON TO WORK IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES GET A PORTION OF THEIR STUDENT LOANS PAID FOR BY THE KAISER FOUNDATION. IN TULSA, ANGELA ROSECRANS, THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

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