National and chapter news

University of South Carolina Fall Giving Tree

The University of South Carolina School of Medicine's (USCSoM) AOA Beta Chapter commenced its Fall Giving Tree service project in 2009 to benefit the Columbia and Greenville, SC Free Medical Clinics (FMCs). The FMCs provide medical care to indigent, uninsured, and underserved patients in Columbia and Greenville at no cost to the patients. The clinics accept donations of basic medical supplies and overhead; thus, USCSoM is reaching out to the underserved and impoverished in Columbia and Greenville by donating these supplies to the FMCs. The giving tree service project fosters awareness of the local community's medical and socioeconomic needs by engaging the school's medical students, professors, hospital house staff, attendings, and other ancillary medical staff in a collaborative and festive effort to provide overhead, sanitary, and dining supplies as well as diabetic foods for the patients at the FMCs. By donating these desperately needed supplies, United Way funds budgeted to the clinics for all of their medical and non-medical supplies are thus more available for purchasing medicines and medical supplies that have to be purchased by more regulated means. The inaugural year was a tremendous success as the School of Medicine provided enough supplies for the FMCs to last 3-4 months. Due to the constant need of the FMCs, the School of Medicine's Beta Chapter is developing a similar annual supply drive during the spring to continue reaching out to the community with the potential to expand its vision of service for South Carolina.