Magrath Community Engagement Award Spotlight: The Ohio State University

In recognition of their extraordinary community outreach initiatives, four APLU member institutions have been selected as regional recipients of the 2023 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award. As regional award winners, North Carolina State University, The Ohio State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Texas A&M University will compete for the national C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, which will be announced during the APLU Annual Meeting in November. In this post, APLU spotlights The Ohio State University.

Seeking to address unmet healthcare needs, The Ohio State (OSU) launched the student-run Columbus Free Clinic (CFC) more than 30 years ago to provide critical care to underserved adults in the community. Each year, the CFC hosts a dedicated annual cohort of 400 OSU students who develop knowledge and skills in patient care and community service while assisting in providing healthcare to more than 1,200 adults in the greater Columbus community.

The CFC is a 30-year partnership between OSU faculty, students, patients, and committed community organizations that the university supports through donations of clinic space, laboratory and radiology testing, and prescription medications. A student steering committee from four different colleges manage the clinic. Each week, under the supervision of volunteer licensed faculty from five OSU professional schools, students in medicine, advanced practice nursing, social work, pharmacy, and a team of undergraduates collaborate in practicing culturally respectful integrated primary care. This includes treatment of acute and chronic health conditions, laboratory services, pharmacy, social services, and behavioral health.

In 2022, the CFC had 10,168 hours of volunteer service, 3,045 free patient visits, 2,588 free prescriptions, and more than 400 community encounters for health education or screening.