GoodRx Helps Partner Spotlight: HAVEN Free Clinic Mobilizes Students to Help the Underserved

To help do our part in promoting health equity, the GoodRx Helps Medication Assistance Program partners with free clinics around the country to provide free medications for people who otherwise would be unable to afford them.* One of our partner clinics is HAVEN Free Clinic, a student-run free clinic in New Haven, Connecticut. 

Here’s a look at their work and how they’ve been caring for their patients during the pandemic.

How student-run free clinics work

Student-run free clinics (SRFCs) like HAVEN are a cornerstone of health, providing underserved communities with healthcare at no cost. These clinics are largely staffed by students in the health professions and supervising licensed professionals. 

Having volunteered at a SRFC as a doctor of pharmacy student, I’ve witnessed the impact that these clinics can have on patient lives. SRFCs are often more accessible for people with lower incomes, providing people with access to lifesaving free healthcare services, and, often, free medications. Without these services, some low-income communities would likely go without care, further exacerbating the stark health disparities that exist in the U.S.

Providing critical medical and legal services

HAVEN Free Clinic is staffed by Yale University health professional students in medicine, nursing, physician associate, and public health programs. Like all SRFCs, the students are supervised by licensed healthcare professionals who are often leaders in their respective fields. 

At HAVEN, students provide services in behavioral health, primary care, lab/phlebotomy, and reproductive health, as well as robust social services. Individuals also have unique access to medical-legal services through a partnership between the clinic and Yale Law School. Through the medical-legal partnership, patients can receive free access to the services of law students, who can help them navigate government programs, housing, and more.

While HAVEN offers extensive services, clinic staff are empowered and encouraged to refer people to services in the larger Yale New Haven Health system when they have additional needs. The referral system has been invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic, as HAVEN student staff saw an increased need for social services. 

Although it provides a vast array of services, HAVEN Free Clinic is only open one day per week. During this short time, HAVEN’s volunteers manage to conduct over 100 patient visits per month by maintaining a highly structured clinic day. 

In the morning, all volunteers huddle to discuss expectations for the day. Clinic staff develop a plan and assign supervisors and student providers to patient cases. The pharmacy, also staffed by Yale medical students, then prepares to receive medication orders from providers. The pharmacy volunteers also begin exploring the best ways to get patients free or heavily discounted medications — including through the GoodRx Helps Medication Assistance Program. 

Once all of the student and licensed clinical staff are confident in their assignments, they begin to see patients. 

Like most clinics, the COVID-19 pandemic required that HAVEN shift away from in-person visits and toward telehealth services. Because many HAVEN patients had trouble accessing the internet for virtual visits, the clinic relied on phone calls. 

Adapting for new patient needs

The pandemic highlighted many unmet needs for countless people in Connecticut, and, in response, student leadership at HAVEN Free Clinic is mobilizing. 

“Our goals as a clinic have changed because of how much pain and suffering we’ve seen our patients go through. [During the pandemic,] we built out a lot of services for the patients who didn’t qualify for any federal relief [and] added cash assistance programs and rental assistance programs to the clinic,” said Rebeca, a fourth-year medical student and executive director of the clinic. 

“We also had a stark realization that the services that we provide, while they’re great, are just not enough for the patients that we’re serving. So, we have also dedicated a lot of our time and resources to advocating for Medicaid expansion in the state to immigrant populations. That’s something that we’ll definitely continue to do. We joined an advocacy coalition here in the state, and there’s a bill that passed through the House and Senate that we’re really proud of. We have to keep on fighting for the continued expansion, and I think that’s something that will continue to be on our radar.”

As proven by the folks at HAVEN Free Clinic, SRFCs are an invaluable resource and entry point into the vast safety net that exists for uninsured, underinsured, and underserved populations. GoodRx is proud to partner with them and support their efforts as they push for greater healthcare access for the underserved communities of New Haven.

To donate and learn more about HAVEN Free Clinic, visit their website and follow them on social media via Facebook or LinkedIn. If you’d like to learn more about student-run free clinics in general, visit the Society of Student Run Free Clinics. 

* We’re currently providing the Medication Assistance Program to free clinics in partnership with the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. You can learn more about their organization here.