Serving and improving the well being of the underprivileged population is at the core of becoming a physician assistant student for the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.  The implementation of a community medicine project is one such method to achieve this mission.

The idea for our community medicine project, Repair With Care, was fostered by a scavenger hunt organized by our faculty in order to increase our awareness of the underprivileged citizens of Southwest San Antonio.

One of the stops of the scavenger hunt led us to the Madonna Neighborhood Center.  This small center is a United Way sponsored agency that provides multiple essential services to low income families within its service area.  Such services include a day-care facility, financial support, food services, job assistance, and activities for the elderly, and discount clothing at their thrift store, but offer much more.  

The Repair With Care community medicine project was inspired by the enormous public service that the Madonna Neighborhood Center provides for the underprivileged citizens within its community with its limited funding and volunteer staff.

We began our collaboration with the Madonna Neighborhood Center with the assistance of their executive director.  From there, we conducted a needs assessment survey for the local citizens that utilized the center’s resources.  This survey allowed the people to decide what the focus of our project would be.  From the results of the survey, minor repair for the homes of elderly participants of the Madonna Neighborhood Center was what was most needed.  And so, the Repair With Care community medicine project began.

The Repair With Care team members had various objectives to meet in the months leading to the completion of the minor repairs for the homes.  Accepting the challenge of what could potentially be a grand endeavor, we identified 13 homes that were within the scope of what our team’s resources could accomplish.  And with our hard work and dedication for community service, we were able to organize the funding and volunteers to accomplish our goals.

Over the weekend of February 25-26^th, 2006, a group of volunteers consisting of physician assistant students, church-group members, San Antonio policemen and women, and private contractors gathered in unity for a great cause.  With all of their help, we have increased the awareness and support for those elderly in need within our community and made their homes a happier and healthier place to live.

Our thanks to everyone making the Repair With Care community medicine project a fantastic success!