MedZou Community Health Clinic

MedZou Community Health Clinic is a faculty-sponsored medical clinic that provides free primary health care, education and prevention.

Our mission is to provide high-quality, patient-centered care for uninsured residents of Central Missouri while educating heath care students about working with underserved populations. Together with our community partners across various health-related disciplines, we aim to improve access to primary health care and promote social justice by advocating on behalf of our patients regarding access to medical care and other basic needs.

Clinics

MedZou’s primary care clinic takes place every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m.

In addition to primary care clinics, MedZou is proud to offer several specialty services to its patient base in an effort to provide a greater holistic health care experience to uninsured individuals in mid-Missouri. These services occur on most Monday evenings, from 5 to 9 p.m., and include:

• Dermatology: Dermatologists (skin doctors) are available to both diagnose and treat many common skin disorders and, if necessary, perform biopsies.
• Diabetes Care: Endocrinologists (doctors who specialize in diabetes and other endocrine disorders) and ophthalmologists (eye doctors) work with medical students to provide a one-stop clinic for patients with diabetes.
• Ophthalmology: Ophthalmologists (eye doctors) are available to conduct eye exams and screen for conditions.
• Colposcopy Clinic: Gynecologists (doctors who specialize in the reproductive health of anyone with female organs) and family medicine physicians work with students to provide care for patients who receive abnormal Pap smear results and referral information for breast exams.
• Musculoskeletal: Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians (bone and muscle doctors) work with students to help people with bone, muscle, tissue, and nervous system problems. They also prescribe physical therapy and help with some forms of pain as needed.
• Mental Health: Psychiatrists (doctors specializing in mental health) are also on hand on the third Thursday of each month during regular primary care clinics to diagnose and treat patients with concerns regarding depression, anxiety, and a variety of other disorders.
• Neurology: Neurologists (brain doctors) and student teams assist patients with neuropathic pain, seizures, and other concerns that may stem from an origin somewhere in the brain.

Lastly, MedZou provides free diagnostic cancer testing for breast and cervical cancer to uninsured women, due to the generous grant support from Mizzou Women Give. We can also assist in referring women to local health care organizations that already provide free Women’s Health services, including birth control, pap smears and well-woman exams.

Services

Although MedZou strives to provide comprehensive, free medical care to out patients, we are not always able to provide all services free of charge. This is especially true with medications and medical diagnostic services that we are unable to provide in clinic.

Services provided include:

• Free medical visits
• Free dietetics consultations
• Free pharmacy consultation on prescription medications
• Free selection of certain medications and a Patient Assistance Program that helps patients obtain expensive name-brand medications for free
• Free social work consultation and referrals to local community agencies
• Free HIV/AIDS testing and influenza vaccinations
• Free laboratory testing, on-site EKGs, FOB colon cancer screening, and EMG/NCS nerve and muscle testing
• Free X-rays to patients with musculoskeletal conditions
• Longitudinal care and case management for patients with chronic disease and complex social issues, especially those with diabetes
• Outreach to local homeless shelters and social services, including patient screening and education Interpreters for non-English speaking patients
• Patient advocacy and medical care coordination, including referrals to specialists and imaging that we cannot provide at MedZou. MedZou does not provide emergency health care or prescriptions for controlled substances, including narcotics, benzodiazepines and Adderall. Eligibility The MedZou Community Health Center serves uninsured patients and those who are insured but with prohibitive out-of-pocket expenses.

About MedZou

In response to a clear need for affordable, non-emergency care in the Columbia area, MedZou Community Health Clinic opened in October of 2008. The initial aim was to provide transitional care for uninsured patients until they were eligible for insurance coverage or they could establish with another primary care provider.

Although our ultimate goal for each patient is to help them secure insurance and a more regular medical home, we have found that many of our patients still have few opportunities to gain access to affordable insurance. In response, we have increased our case management and patient education programs in attempt to provide more comprehensive care for our patients with chronic health problems.

Thanks to the enthusiasm of University of Missouri students, we collaborate with students across a wide variety of studies, including medicine, nursing, social work, pharmacy, health administration, business administration, pre-health undergraduates, journalism, public health, public policy and health informatics.