LightHouse Women & Children’s Center
Title: Healthcare Advocate
Student Interns:
Simrit Rajan
Drexel University College of Medicine at Tower Health
Academic Preceptor:
Daniel Schidlow, MD
Drexel University College of Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Kate Alley, MBA, MSW
LightHouse Women & Children’s Center
Community Site:
The LightHouse Women & Children’s Center offers transitional housing to mothers with children and single women who are experiencing homelessness. During their stay at the shelter, guests receive a range of support, including spiritual enrichment opportunities, case advocacy to help with employment, housing searches, health services, education, government assistance, and more. Overall, the LightHouse Center offers a safe place for guests to reside and grow so they can eventually obtain stable housing.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps intern served as a medical advocate for the guests at the LightHouse Center. This role involved helping the guests navigate various healthcare-related questions, such as how to find insurance suitable to their needs, how to book an appointment, how to get a physical exam for a job application, how to fill out forms for a new doctor’s office, how to find mental health support tailored to the guest’s needs, and more. The intern also distributed oral health kits and infographics with key information on dental care, as well as an infographic addressing common questions guests may have, such as how to find a dentist nearby, what different types of health insurance offer, and what screenings guests should keep up with.
Reflections
My time as a Bridging the Gaps intern has been extremely informative and illuminating. As I observed the case advocates work, I saw how well-informed they had to be on so many different kinds of subjects, from health insurance nuances to rep payees, that might help a guest manage their finances, to the different kinds of psychiatric holds that might be placed on an individual. There was so much diversity in the kinds of questions that came up for the case advocates and the various hats they wore; it was really wonderful to see them work through it all. Observing the impact of work being done where it is most needed has really inspired me to try to do the same as a future doctor. This program has motivated me to seek out opportunities where I can help communities that may struggle to access healthcare. Since I aspire to be a surgeon, perhaps I can find programs that work with underserved or vulnerable populations and offer my services to these programs. Overall, the program has really motivated me and created tangible goals that I can spend the next several years working towards. I am sincerely grateful for the way that this program has further nourished my existing values for serving others and offering help wherever I can, since I am in the incredibly fortunate position of being able to offer that help as a future healthcare provider.
Simrit Rajan
