Greater New Bedford Community Health Center to Serve as Clinical Training Affiliate for UMass Medical School

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – The Greater New Bedford Community Health Center (GNBCHC) and the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) have signed an agreement which designates GNBCHC as an educational affiliate of the Commonwealth’s only public medical school.

The agreement allows medical students from the Worcester-based university to participate in clerkships at GNBCHC, beginning this fall. Clinical clerkships serve as an important transition in the educational program of a medical student as they enter hospital wards, ambulatory clinics and physician offices and serve as participating members of health care teams often for the first time. Under faculty guidance and supervision, students actively apply the principals of clinical medicine to patient care, acquire essential technical skills and develop the personal and professional values that enable them to serve as caring, competent and compassionate physicians.

Peter C. Georgeopoulos, President and CEO of GNBCHC said “this partnership benefits all those involved especially the Health Center patients who will receive high quality care not only from our staff but from the students who will train with us. The students, in turn, will be joining a team whose members are deeply committed to their patients well being. We look forward to welcoming the UMass students and to providing them with an excellent health care experience.”

“Partnering with regional health organizations who provide primary care for many local communities in Massachusetts is an important component of our academic strategy,’’ said Terence R. Flotte, MD, the Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor of Medicine, executive deputy chancellor, provost and dean of the School of Medicine. “UMass students will receive hands-on training second to none at Greater New Bedford Community Health Center that will enhance the professional development of our students. I have to credit Dr. Leonard Morse for his vision which laid the groundwork for this partnership.”

Under the new arrangement, students in the population health course from the UMMS School of Medicine and Graduate School of Nursing will participate in a two-week clerkship at GNBCHC this fall. The health population course teaches students to work collaboratively as they study health issues that affect a particular population or community. In New Bedford, students will work with GNBCHC staff, interview patients and tour local neighborhoods.

GNBCHC will host other educational opportunities for UMMS students in the future, under this new agreement.

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About Greater New Bedford Community Health Center
The Greater New Bedford Community Health Center provides a wide range of quality services in one convenient location. These include adult medicine, pediatric medicine, urgent care, WIC, women’s health, infectious disease care, geriatric medicine, dental care, eye care, podiatry, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, and wellness programs for weight loss, diabetic self-management, smoking cessation, and exercise. Benefits counseling and translation services are also provided. Our mission is to provide programs and services that improve the health of individuals and the entire community. We accomplish this mission through access — access to quality care, compassionate medical staff, and modern facilities.

About the University of Massachusetts Medical School
The University of Massachusetts Medical School is one of five campuses of the University of Massachusetts system and one of the fastest growing academic health centers in the country. It encompasses the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Graduate School of Nursing, a thriving research enterprise and an innovative public service initiative called Commonwealth Medicine. The mission of UMass Medical School is to serve the people of the Commonwealth through national distinction in health sciences education, research and public service.