Our Commitment to Community Medicine
Our Family Medicine residents and faculty are committed to providing the best possible care to the community and using community resources to benefit our patients. We are fortunate to be situated in a community with multifaceted needs and resources. This allows us to interface with the community, thereby providing a rich learning opportunity. We are proud that our residents are active physicians in the Mon Valley Community. Many residents have initiated special interest projects such as HIV Education for African American men; Self-Empowerment for Women who have experienced domestic violence; Prevention of Diabetes Education for primary school-age children and a health education series for the local community. The following are highlights of our partnerships with the community.
Schools & Sports Physicals
Residents gain experience with school and sports physicals with students from grade school to college levels. Residents perform on-site state-mandated school physicals for first and sixth graders. Seasonal sports physicals, under the supervision of a Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician, are performed by the residents at McKeesport Area High School and several local schools.
Additional Sports Medicine experiences and event coverage are available under the supervision of a Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician for:
- High School Sports - The Pittsburgh City Schools High School Football
- High School Sports - McKeesport Area High School
- University Sports - Penn State- Greater Allegheny Campus
- Professional Sports - NWA East/PWX
- Professional Wrestling
- Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure - Pittsburgh
- The Pittsburgh Marathon
Community Outreach
Throughout the year, residents participate in health fairs held at malls, community street fairs, churches, agencies, and schools by providing patient education, prostate exams, breast exams, dermatological exams, and health education. Residents and Faculty participate in the UPMC Community Day, HIV & Aids Awareness Walk, HIV Women and Girls event, World Aids Day, Village for Kids, The McKeesport Community Garden, and numerous other community projects. The Residency is also involved in the State Health Improvement Plan ( SHIP) and is part of several of the working groups. Currently, our program participates in Perinatal Depression, Youth, and Chronic Disease. We are involved in the Mov Valley Providers Council which is a collaborative program that addresses community needs throughout the Mon Valley. Our program has active roles with the HIV Working Group and the Working Group on Health. Residents visit a variety of community programs including the local domestic violence shelter, community mental health, and the McKeesport Community Garden where Latterman has a garden box and is part of the work there.
Latterman Community Advisory Council & Community Health Committee
This group is comprised of community leaders, members of the religious community, residents, faculty and staff, and patient representatives. The members meet quarterly at the Latterman Family Health Center to address the current health issues in the community. The Council works in conjunction with a very active Community Health Committee made up of residents, faculty, and staff. This committee meets monthly to consider the social determinants of health and address ways of addressing healthcare disparities. This group works to address gaps that are identified and develop projects such as Latterman Scholars for students to shadow medical Providers and a healthy fruit project related to children and nutrition. In addition, members participate in an annual program with Project Heart (HIV/Aids Education and Research Training) for students ages 13-17.
There are also two rotations that intersect with the work we do with the community. The two rotations are Community Medicine and Population Health and are both first-year rotations. Community medicine gives the resident exposure to the health needs of the community and opportunities to explore how the environment and community resources impact the individual and population health of the community. Population health will provide the opportunity for the resident to immerse themselves in studying and addressing health outcomes the patterns of health determinants, the policies and interventions, and other socioecological factors linking determinants and outcomes.
Community Geriatrics - Nursing Homes, Home Bound and Transitions of Care
As part of the curriculum requirement, residents do home visits and take care of patients in Personal Care Homes and the local Nursing Home, Riverside Care Center. Residents provide home visits to some of our home-bound Latterman Family Health Center patients ensuring that their chronic and acute medical conditions can be managed while remaining at home with family. In addition, it is a priority of the program to strive for a seamless transition from inpatient hospitalization to discharge to ensure a safe return to home as well as to avoid unintended hospital readmission. A team-based approach, including participation from resident physicians, is used that allows for close follow-up of our discharged patients.