In this presentation, we will describe the Charitable Health Network and its role in Ohio, highlighting its support of our free clinic efforts in Youngstown. We will then focus on Penguin Physical Therapy, the pro bono clinic created by Youngstown State University's DPT program. This includes the clinic's development as part of a community-engaged physical therapy course, its current status, and operational details such as marketing, budget, scheduling, and staffing.

We will present program data related to patients seen and outcomes, including volume, presenting problems, interventions, and measurable results. Student reflections will illustrate learning outcomes such as clinical reasoning, professional identity formation, and commitment to service.

The relationship of Penguin Physical Therapy with the Midlothian Free Health Clinic in the Youngstown community will be presented. In addition, we will describe the University's partnership with the Midlothian Free Health Clinic to develop and implement an interprofessional approach to patient care in the free clinic setting. As part of this relationship, the interprofessional education course offered by the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services has implemented an experience to engage interdisciplinary teams of students with patients in the free clinic.

Disciplines that participate in the course include Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, Respiratory Care, Dietetics, Social Work, and Public Health. A description of the interdisciplinary course will be presented as well as the specifics of the free clinic-related assignment. As part of this course, students complete the IPEC Competency Self-Assessment Tool to measure their assessment of IPE core competencies before and after the course.

It is our hope that information about the Charitable Health Network, coupled with our model of a physical therapy pro bono clinic and an interprofessional course interfacing with a community free health clinic, will challenge participants to formulate ideas and opportunities to develop similar initiatives that meet their interests and needs.

Upon completion of this presentation, participants will be able to - 

• Describe the structure, funding, and impact of the Charitable Health Network in Ohio.
• Analyze elements for consideration to plan the development of a pro bono physical therapy clinic.
• Assess the integration of interdisciplinary students into a free medical clinic experience to impact and facilitate student learning.