About JayDoc
Overview
JayDoc Free Clinic is a not-for profit, student-run free clinic located in Wyandotte County that serves patients from the Kansas City metropolitan area. JayDoc is the only Safety Net Clinic that is entirely free, does not require or accept appointments, and does not request documentation from patients. Our clinic nights are entirely staffed by volunteer rotating dentists and physicians, dental students, medical students, and community volunteers.
Services
JayDoc operates out of the Southwest Boulevard Family Health Care Clinic (SWBFHC) near the University of Kansas Medical Center campus. The dental clinic opens on a bi-monthly basis on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. and provides; free oral hygiene instructions, cleanings, fillings, and extractions for all patients in need. The general clinic begins on Mondays and Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and people of all ages arrive with a variety of acute care concerns and chronic conditions. Like other safety net clinics in the metropolitan area, JayDoc struggles to supply the resources needed to meet the demand for care. Every General Clinic night begins with a randomized triage process to determine who would best be served by the clinic and who would benefit more from a referral to a dental or medical home.
JayDoc care is provided by volunteer community dentists and physicians, who mentor and guide dental and medical student volunteers in patient care and medical ethics. Clinic services include acute care procedures, language interpretation, and laboratory services. Additionally, the JayDoc social services office provides patients with referrals to dental and medical homes and specialty care clinics, legal assistance, and educational opportunities.
On Tuesday nights, JayDoc specialty clinics operate on a rotating basis. Every other Tuesday night, the Women’s Health Initiative Program (WHIP) offers gynecological consultations and the only opportunity for completely free prenatal care in the metropolitan area. Physical and Occupational Therapy Night clinics run concurrently with WHIP and Radiology Night clinic is held one night per month.
On alternating Tuesdays, the Diabetes Night clinic provides specialized care and patient education for diabetes patients. This clinic focuses on stabilizing patients’ glycemic indices before referrals are made. Ophthalmology Night clinic occurs one night per month concurrently with the scheduled Diabetes Night.
Caring for Kids
Since its inception, JayDoc has placed a priority on providing care to children and adolescents. Before General Clinic begins, the clinic’s Directors make an announcement to explain the clinic’s mission and to answer any questions. Immediately following the announcement, children ages 16 and under who need to see a doctor or dentist, begin the triage process. This ensures that children are triaged first. Provided that adequate resources are available, all children and adolescents see a dentist or doctor when they present for care. In addition, JayDoc launched a Reach Out & Read program to promote child and family literacy.
Community
The need for JayDoc’s presence in the community is evident in the results of our annual patient surveys. The majority of JayDoc patients (74%) report a total household income of $1,500 or less per month. Furthermore, nearly all JayDoc patients are at or below the poverty level.
Sixty-two percent of JayDoc patients live in Wyandotte County, while others travel to the clinic from Johnson County (21%) or Jackson and Clay Counties in Missouri (12%).
In 2012, JayDoc provided care for more than 1,300 patients on General Clinic nights. Combined with specialty night clinics and social services, JayDoc served 1,976 people in 2011 and is on track to see even more patients in 2013