Leahy Clinic for the Uninsured Grand Re-Opening

The University of Scranton and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) celebrated the grand re-opening of the Edward R. Leahy, Jr. Clinic for the Uninsured and held an open house in the medical and physical therapy (PT) clinic spaces.

At the event, GCSOM first-year medical student and University of Scranton graduate Olivia Zehel ’23 spoke of similarities in the missions of two schools as expressed through the partnership formed to reopen the Leahy Medical Clinic.

“Collectively, our institutions inspire students to serve the community with compassion and advocate for equity. These goals are accomplished by offering students a robust education which emphasizes the humanity that connects us with all those with whom we will connect - patients and providers alike,” said Zehel, an Abigail Geisinger Scholar. “Though our institutions have already been achieving this goal independently, this collaboration to reopen the clinic is a physical manifestation of our education. This is what happens when we take action on what we learn in the classroom.”

The Leahy Clinic is the only free clinic in Lackawanna County and is an indispensable part of the area’s health care “safety net.” Located in the lower level of McGurrin Hall with a Kressler Court entrance, the clinic provides free, non-emergency health care to uninsured Lackawanna County residents who may otherwise forego health care due to cost or seek care in hospital emergency rooms. Longitudinal care offered includes routine physical examinations, primary care, pre-work physical examinations, adult pre-education physical examinations, and sick visits.

The clinic is student-run, with medical oversight provided by Geisinger, and provides “high quality care in a welcoming, respectful and compassionate environment” for the region’s uninsured patients. It also expands opportunities for practical experience in patient care, clinic management and other aspects of healthcare for students at both schools. 

In addition to serving neighbors in need, the clinic offers hands-on teaching and learning opportunities for medical students, nursing students, counseling students and occupational therapy and physical therapy students. Students also receive management and operations experiences by running the clinic, an idea the students themselves proposed in 2022 when teams from The University of Scranton and Geisinger first got together to reimagine the clinic that was forced to close during the pandemic.

“Among the things that make Geisinger College’s education a uniquely Geisinger experience is our emphasis on community accountability and the importance of interdisciplinary care teams,” said Julie Byerley, M.D., president, Geisinger College of Health Sciences and executive vice president and chief academic officer, Geisinger. “The Leahy Clinic incorporates both. And I am particularly proud of the fact that this clinic aims to be student run. In this clinic, learners won’t just show up and wait to be told what to do. Here, they will manage, decide and lead, in addition to gaining rich clinical experience. What an incredible opportunity it is for them – and for our community.”

Dean of the Leahy College of Health Sciences, Victoria Castellanos, Ph.D., described how the University of Scranton’s specialty clinics demonstrate our commitment to provide high quality care for the whole person. Our allied health clinics include:

• A Physical Therapy Clinic providing screening, examinations/evaluations and interventions to uninsured and underinsured community members at no cost. The clinic is run by a team of students from the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program and patients are treated by DPT students supervised by faculty and local licensed physical therapists. 
• A Counseling and Behavioral Health Clinic, which in September 2024 will begin offering free mental health and rehabilitation counseling, conducted by graduate-level counseling students under the supervision of faculty and staff in the University’s Counseling and Human Services Department. 
• A Low-Vision Occupational Therapy Clinic providing free services to adults with visual impairments and opportunities for teaching and learning to University faculty and occupational therapy students.

“The Edward R. Leahy, Jr. Clinic for the Uninsured and underinsured offers medical students and students from disciplines throughout Scranton’s campus the opportunity to put the skill and theory learned in classroom into action in a supervised environment, and to put into motion the call to us all to serve those most in need,” said Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton.

“Collaborations such is this clinic are when we as a university best embody our Catholic and Jesuit mission, bringing students, faculty, and our colleagues from down the hill together to serve our local community. In his recent address to AJCU Presidents and Board Chairs Jesuit Superior General Arturo Sosa, S.J. reminded us that, ‘Our educational charism invites us all, as Pope Francis often says, to integrate head, heart, and hands.’ I can think of no better space to exemplify that integration than this clinic, said Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at The University of Scranton in her remarks at the re-opening event.

University alumnus and benefactor Edward R. Leahy also spoke at the event.

Susan Russell, M.D., Geisinger family physician and assistant professor at Geisinger Commonwealth, serves as medical director. Maria Vital G’11, Ph.D., serves as the administrative director of the clinic. Numerous volunteer providers, community partners and generous donors also contribute to the clinic’s operation.

The Leahy Medical Clinic is open to patients by appointment only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 7 p.m.

For more information, visit the Edward R. Leahy, Jr. Clinic for the Uninsured webpage.