Free clinic in Peñitas ‘is everything’ to medical students, community

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PEÑITAS — Some free community events have a catch. Some are simply done out of the kindness of people’s hearts. What occurred here Saturday can be classified under the latter.

A group of dedicated medical students from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley got a little training under their belts and helped a large group of residents with free check-ups, a win-win as far as free clinics go.

Shirley Arnolde, clinic administrator at Clinica Maria Luisa in Peñitas, said the center has been open for 20 years and established a clinic in the area to address the medical needs for those with low income and no health insurance.

“This (the clinic) is basically run by volunteers,” Arnolde said, adding that many physicians and dentists have dedicated their time to the clinic on a volunteer basis.

In fact, Arnolde said they have a volunteer physician who travels from Seguin, Texas to the Rio Grande Valley just to help support the community.

Once a month, about 36 medical students run the clinic under the supervision of volunteer physicians.

“They’re doing basic medical care,” Arnolde said. “When the patients are seen they get a full evaluation and then they’re prescribed medication or whatever needs that the doctor feels they need.”

Many of the patients who visit the clinic often have conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

She explained that they have often treated patients who already have an amputation or require an amputation due to the patient not being able to afford their medications to help control their diabetes.

It is these issues that the clinic along with the student-run clinic hope to continue to address through their volunteer work.

“I love having the medical students here,” Arnolde said with a smile. “Not only do they come here bright-eyed and enthusiastic to see a patient and to do all the evaluations and stuff. They’re learning and I love it.”

Not only does the clinic provide care but they also help patients with their medications.

She explained that they provide patients with samples of medicines they may need as well as helping them find ways to acquire their medication for a lower price through applications like GoodRX.

“Their enthusiasm, I can’t stress that enough, that the enthusiasm is here to help patients or the community members and that’s in the eyes of the students,” Arnolde said.

In August, UTRGV School of Medicine was awarded a $40,000 grant by the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine in partnership with the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation, the American College of Physicians and the Gordan and Betty Moore Foundation.

The university was among 16 medical schools and training programs to receive the grant.

Dr. Roque Mifuji, assistant professor of internal medicine at UTRGV School of Medicine, said the grant will be used to fund their efforts to address healthcare disparities.

The funds will be used to provide medical equipment such as blood pressure monitors, blood sugar monitors and supplies, FIT testing kits for colorectal cancer screening as well as other testing reactants.

Mifuji added that the funds will also be used for “logistics and transportation of residents to the clinic.”

Arnolde said she hopes the funds will eventually be used to assist with medications.

Although they often schedule about 20 to 25 patients on student-run clinic days, Arnolde explained that not every patient shows up.

As of right now the most patients the students have seen during those days is about 18 patients.

For Fernando Cisneros IV, second-year medical student at UTRGV, volunteering at the clinic has helped him not only apply what he’s learned throughout his time in medical school but it also gives him experience with patient interaction.

On clinic days the 22-year-old Brownsville native is in charge of checking patient vitals which includes checking height, weight, blood pressure, temperature, respiration rate and pulse.

“I think it’s great to see what we’re learning and being able to apply it and seeing how it all connects to what we’re going to be doing in the future,” Cisneros IV said.

Outside of the clinic Cisneros is the research chair for the program in which he brings in new research ideas.

Right now, he and his team are looking into their patient demographics focusing their efforts on understanding how economic and social status affects their care.

“It feels great to be able to do it as a medical student,” Cisneros said, adding that he’s been volunteering for four or five years even prior to medical school. “It’s just one step closer to being like an actual doctor.”

For Andrea Argenal, a second-year medical student from Nicaragua, participating in the clinic reminds her of when she used to volunteer with her grandmother in free clinics.

“It’s always been my dream to eventually when I become a doctor to be able to run my own free clinic, so getting to do this now, it makes me feel like I’m a little bit closer to my goal of being able to do it,” said Argenal, 26, who now resides in McAllen.

Argenal is currently part of the student board as the operations chair of the clinic in which she calls for and runs board meetings as well as helps with administrative work that the board may need.

“It’s giving me such valuable experience,” Argenal said.

On clinic days she ensures the clinic flows properly by assisting patients move from intake to discharge, helping volunteers know where their patients are as well as coordinating with other aspects of the clinic such as labs and vitals.

“It’s really really nice to see how we make an impact on their life,” Argenal said.

She recalled one 40-year-old patient who came into the clinic in the diabetic range, now after six months they’ve helped the patient fall under the pre-diabetic range.

It’s experiences like this that continue to motivate Argenal and her fellow medical students.

“Even if we help out that one patient, that’s everything,” Argenal said.

The next free clinic is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at 17617 Sabal Palm Drive in Peñitas.

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