Salvation Army
The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center is an inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation program located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia, PA. The rehabilitation program combines work, group meetings, counseling sessions and peer support within the context of a structured schedule to help residents at various stages of the recovery process.
The population is diverse and includes men and women between the ages of 21 and 65. They commonly suffer from a variety of medical problems including chronic issues such as hypertension, diabetes and asthma and acute problems such as musculoskeletal injuries and upper respiratory infections. As with any primary care clinic, however, we see our fair share of the unusual and challenging. Additionally, the residents also struggle with psychosocial issues including lack of health insurance.
Approximately 15 years ago, Drs. Steven Peitzman and Michael Barrett, in conjunction with several Medical College of Pennsylvania students, founded a student run heath clinic at the center to help address some of the residents' health care concerns. The clinic runs one evening per week and is overseen by 1 or 2 attending physicians and 1 fourth year medical student.
The program is coordinated by a group of second year DUCOM students. First and second year student volunteers have an opportunity to interview and perform vital signs on residents. The students then present the patient to the attending physician and participate in formulating a diagnosis and dispensing medications. At the end of the evening, the attending physician spends time with students reviewing interesting cases and good teaching points.
"Sal Val", as it is affectionately called by the students, is a wonderful learning experience. It gives them a chance to take a break from the textbooks and spend time interacting with patients and applying some new found knowledge. The clinic runs on Tuesday evenings from 630 till 930. We encourage students to volunteer with us throughout the year.
For more information, please contact Steve Loscalzo at sl693@drexel.edu or DUCOMSalVal@gmail.com