Student-Run Free Clinic to Officially Open

The California State University San Marcos School of Nursing will cut the ribbon on its 1,600-square foot student-run free clinic in Oceanside today.

St. Anne's Episcopal Church donated the space on South Coast Highway to the university's Student Healthcare Project, which operates two other free clinics in San Diego's Ocean Beach area, university officials said.

"I think of these clinics as having two clear purposes that overlap with each other," the university's School of Nursing Director Denise Boren said. "The first purpose is to be of service to the community. Our clients are indigent and have a lot of barriers that prevent them from receiving medical care. At our clinics, they see a friendly face and get connected to that care that many so desperately need. The second purpose is to provide our students with diverse, hands-on experiences that prepare them to be better, more compassionate and competent nurses."

The Student Healthcare Project was founded two years ago and aims to train nursing students to deliver primary care services while simultaneously improving access to quality care in underserved communities, university officials said.

The clinics provide hygienic care products and over-the-counter medications. Students also help provide basic wound care, healthcare screenings, social service referrals and discount generic drug prescriptions under the supervision of nursing faculty members and a medical director, according to the university.

-- City News Service