The City Council has approved an agreement with the University to establish the Auburn University Health Care Clinic and Education Center at the Boykin Community Center in Northwest Auburn.
The clinic’s purpose is to “offer health care services for Auburn residents who are uninsured, underinsured or prefer to access health care in northwest Auburn,” according to a press release from the Harrison School of Pharmacy.
The council approved the clinic on Tuesday.
The Harrison School of Pharmacy will manage the clinic, and other University programs will participate in offering care at the facility.
Richard Hansen, dean of the Harrison School of Pharmacy, thanked Mayor Bill Ham, the council, city staff and his colleagues at Tuesday night’s Council meeting for working to make the clinic a reality.
“This clinic is perfectly aligned with our land-grant mission of serving the people of Alabama,” Hansen said. “Our students have been active throughout the years offering health care services in the community, and this takes it a step further and gives us more opportunities to be involved.”
Ham expressed his gratitude to the pharmacy school’s ability and willingness to create a needed health care option for those in the Auburn community.
The clinic has received support from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, according to the Harrison School of Pharmacy’s press release, and BCBSAL plans to continue offering support for interprofessional education in the future.
Students from the pharmacy school were also present at Tuesday’s meeting to show support for the new clinic.
“We’re modeling (the clinic) after the Equal Access Birmingham model,” said third-year pharmacy student Morgan Wood. “It’s Equal Access Auburn, and it’s modeled to give care to patients who are underserved, which is a big problem in Auburn and Lee County.”
Since the pharmacy students will be working with those studying other health care fields, Wood, along with second-year pharmacy student Tinia Harris and third-year pharmacy student Ren Aranda, stressed how the interprofessional setting can add to their learning experiences.
“A student’s education is not limited to the classroom, and there is no substitute for the kind of experience you get from working with a real patient — helping them deal with their issues and finding new ways to improve their health care outcomes,” Hansen said.
The Council approved the agreement unanimously. Representatives from the Harrison School of Pharmacy and councilmembers expressed excitement for the new clinic in northwest Auburn.
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