Makenna Dixon remembers all the appointments during her childhood.
Her mother suffered from autoimmune diseases that required countless trips to physical therapy. As her health conditions worsened, Dixon’s mom could no longer work a full-time job, and the lack of insurance through an employer made therapy one financial challenge among many.
For Dixon, now a third-year student in the WashU Medicine Program in Physical Therapy, watching her mother’s health decline fueled her fervor to advocate for people who don’t have health insurance. Those early experiences also influenced her decision to pursue a degree in physical therapy, and the Pro Bono Health Clinic drew her to study at WashU Medicine.
The WashU Medicine Pro Bono Health Clinic offers free occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT) and medical intermediary services to uninsured community members in the St. Louis area. Medical intermediary care covers conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and other acute concerns for patients who are awaiting to become established with a primary care provider.
The student-led effort, under direct clinical faculty supervision, provides informed, compassionate care to patients and trains learners through hands-on opportunities that introduce them to clinical and nonclinical factors that impact health.
Read the full article on the WashU Medicine website.
