Operations
Duties: This clinic is a primary care center for acute concerns. We treat patients
to the best of our ability including free medications. We then try to plug them
into the appropriate referral center if more longer term care is needed for chronic
medical problems. We administer PPDs to screen for TB. If the flu shot ever becomes
unrationed we will provide that too, as often Hartford Hospital will donate them.
1. Responsible for the day to day running of the clinic. With the exception of
scheduling and making sure that people show up to staff the clinic, all other
immediate problems with the clinic fall are the responsibility of operations.
2. Need to design/implement policies to ensure federal compliance and safe record
keeping.
3. Complete stocking and maintenance of anything used in the clinic (tuberculin,
otoscopes,
medications, bandages, paperwork, sharps boxes, etc). We purchase and actively
solicit
donations to keep costs down as we are cognizant of being a non-profit organization.
4. Physical improvements are also the responsibility of operations. Training of
managers has historically been another job not performed by operations, but what
is taught to them are the policies determined by operations.
5. In the past there have been four people working in Operations. Two 3rd/4th
years who head up Operations, and two second years who are in training. Currently
we assign one second year to be in charge of the medication stocking. The other
second year is in charge of paperwork, stocking medical goods, and other special
projects. These students share must keep each other apprised of the clinic’s
status. KNOW WHAT YOUR PARTNER IS DOING. The two senior operations people train
and supervise the second years, fill in for them when they are on vacation or
indisposed with exams, and initiate special projects. All operations members assist
in collecting and sorting donated drugs, and have their phone numbers available
to answer any questions that arise during clinic hours.
A thorough overhaul and organization of the medication and utility cabinets,
along with a medication directory has made things easier to find. We are working
on a formulary list to eliminate the purchase of redundant medications, and
to ensure purchase of the most cost effective drugs. A list of things we need
and will buy if needed will be created, as will a separate list of meds that
we would like to have but will only solicit. This should greatly facilitate
the new second year operations student who is in charge of stocking the medications,
since he/she would not have had pharmacology yet.