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Providing Access to Healthcare Team Meeting

The Health Disparities Track is a two-year curriculum created to foster the ability to recognize and address social factors that can be barriers to health. PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents learn about health disparities through didactics, mentorship, and a primary care experience in the UAB Providing Access To Healthcare (PATH) Clinic, a free diabetes clinic for patients who are uninsured. 

Goals

  1. To increase knowledge about disparities in health and health care, as well as the importance of incorporating social determinants of health in medical practice

  2. To improve internal medicine resident understanding and utilization of community resources, and in turn improve the quality of inpatient-outpatient transitions of care

  3. To learn about the role of public advocacy in efforts to achieve health equity

  4. To explore clinical and research career opportunities within in the field of health equity

Providing Access to Healthcare (PATH) Clinic

The UAB PATH Clinic provides primary care to local patients with diabetes who do not have insurance. Working in an interdisciplinary clinic with limited resources allows our residents to develop an understanding of the types of challenges that may arise when providing high quality care for patients. 

Global Health

Many of our residents have interest in working internationally with populations who are affected by health disparities. We have integrated global health topics in our didactic curriculum and provide time and some financial support for a one-month international rotation for interested residents in their PGY-2 or PGY-3 year. 

Testimonials

  • “Our patients balance daily challenges of housing, food, and other matters with their appointments and medicines. In care of the patients in our community, we must attend to the needs of the whole person.”

    -Cameron Pywell
  • “Educating and counseling patients is why I love medicine. The health disparities track provides opportunities to help patients improve their health literacy so they can be empowered in their care.”

    -Gus Weiland
  • “Treating our patients is much more than writing prescriptions, we must also address their psychological, social and personal needs.”

    -Sofia Zavala
  • “I love working at Path clinic. I practice there to serve those whom I can impact the most.”

    -Jacob Elrod
  • “I enjoy the holistic, multidisciplinary approach required to successfully care for patients in this environment. It is both intellectually stimulating and personally fulfilling.”

    -Steven Allon

Contact

Rebekah Weil, MD
Assistant Professor, Director of Health Disparities Track
raweil@uabmc.edu