A Grassroots Approach to Healthcare Makes a Difference

My name is Eve Zaritsky, and I am thrilled to join Karen Meckstroth, MD as the new Co-Medical Director of The Women's Community Clinic. I am so excited to be working with the WCC and I wanted to take a moment to share a little bit about myself and my recent trip to Tibet.

I came to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1995 after receiving my undergraduate degree in Community Health at Brown University in Rhode Island, the smallest state in the Union. I attended medical school at Stanford University. During my time at Stanford, I spent a year in El Salvador, which was one of the best things I did for my medical school education. I provided medical care, conducted healthcare research, and became fluent in Spanish. After completing internship and residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco in 2005, I attended a yearlong fellowship in laparoscopy at Stanford University Medical School in 2006. Currently, I am a member of the Kaiser Oakland Obstetrics and Gynecology Department.

I chose the field of obstetrics and gynecology because I love the opportunity it gives me to establish ongoing relationships with women throughout their lifetime. While I enjoy all aspects of obstetrics and gynecology, my interests are diverse and include queer health, minimally invasive surgery, and international women's health.

In September 2006 I had the pleasure of traveling in Tibet on behalf of the organization One H.E.A.R.T., which works to train Tibetans in healthcare skills that enable them to help themselves, particularly in the area of infant and maternal death. Tibet has one of the highest rates of birth-related deaths in the world. Many of these deaths are preventable with simple and inexpensive interventions. The aim is not to replace traditional Tibetan health practices, but to work as a team with Tibetan doctors to improve health outcomes.

Before we dove into our work, we took some time to orient ourselves to Tibet and get a taste of Tibetan culture. The most prominent aspect we observed was religion, Tibetans are tremendously religious and their rituals pervade everything they do. We observed their dedication to Buddhism through visits to several monasteries.

The monasteries and the amazing landscape that surrounds them provided a historically rich backdrop for the real purpose of our visit, to get information about the benefits of a training One H.E.A.R.T. conducted for village and township doctors or "amchi" in Tibet's rural areas. It was really interesting to interview the village and township doctors and see how the training helped them. The doctors are very impressive and knowledgeable and it was inspirational talking to them. They have such extraordinary challenges in their work-no medicines, limited transportation, and villagers with poor health education. And they all work for the equivalent of $4.60 per month. One village doctor told me that before the training that she would be very nervous when she attended a delivery and now she feels confident and able to handle problems that might arise.

Overall the trip was an amazing success, and I am excited about how I can apply the experience to my work in the U.S. and at the WCC. It is very inspirational to see how a grassroots approach can really make a difference, both at home and abroad.

Thank You Ladies' Night!

My name is Tammy and I would like to share with you a little bit about my life and my experiences with the WCC's Outreach Program and Ladies' Night. I grew up by myself. I raised myself. It was hard and I started smoking and getting high to run away from the pain. My father hit me, abused me my whole life. Your father is supposed to be your protection. Mine beat me up. My mother didn't care. Now, I drink to numb the pain and anger I feel. My boyfriend hit me yesterday. I had a knife and I told him to get away. I have bruises on my arms. I am fed up!

I come to Ladies' Night because it makes me feel good. I need the supplies that they give out. Right now, I am trying to get on SSI and Medical but it is hard. It helps to have people here every week to support me. I like talking to the staff because they make me feel comfortable. Every week my boyfriend tells me not to go but I do. It is my time to get away from him. It is my time. I love the music, food and activities. I wish we could have more of it! The BINGO is so much fun!

Someday, I want to be a counselor for young women. I want to let them know that no man should ever put a hand on a woman. I want women to be strong. Don't let no man hit you or put you down because you are a good person inside. And remember that you always have a place at Ladies' Night!

Ladies' Night, hosted in collaboration with the Mission Neighborhood Resource Center and other community-based organizations, is a two-hour drop-in time for homeless women in the Mission District. Each week between 35 and 60 women come to Ladies' Night for the services and camaraderie.

The WCC Welcomes New Staff Members: JAMILA, MARIANA, AND MI'JAN!

I am Mariana Goodin, one of the new AmeriCorps Associate Clinic Managers! I grew up in the Bay Area, born in San Francisco and raised in Berkeley. I graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a major in Latin American and Latino Studies. I spent my last undergraduate year abroad in Chile and have since spent much time in Latin America. I am very interested in community health and maintenance and hope to pursue a career in community development (law, economics, and public health being the main concentrations). Although my training and experience is with Latino populations (specifically women and young adolescents), I am most interested in community based programs within under-resourced communities. I am very excited about working with the Community HealthCorps and the Women's Community Clinic and helping to serve underserved women and girls who need and deserve quality healthcare.

I am Mi'Jan Wilder, a new Associate Clinic Manager at the WCC. I am currently a third year doctoral candidate in International and Multicultural Education at the University of San Francisco. My research is in women's reproductive and sexuality education with the African diaspora population of Salvador, Brazil. I completed a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Minor in Spanish, at Xavier University of Louisiana, and a Masters of Arts at the University of San Francisco.

My interest at The Clinic is in growing and cultivating the outreach efforts to African diaspora women in the Western Addition, and in non-profit administration for women's organizations.

Before joining the Women's Community Clinic, I was a social work case manager for homeless pregnant and parenting teens in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Following that professional role, I taught courses to adults in English as a Second Language, and Parent Education through San Mateo Unified School District. Most recently, I co-taught the 'Supporting LGBT Families in Early Childhood Education' course and facilitated co-sponsored Center for Sex and Culture and Good Vibrations workshops for women of color.

I am Jamila Harris, a new Associate Clinic Manager at the WCC. I was born and raised in San Francisco, and have spent the last three years volunteering at the Women's Community Clinic. Over the past years I have worked in many roles. As a Health Educator, I took patient vitals, provided information about birth control options and about sexually transmitted infections. Most importantly, I helped to empower women to learn more about their bodies. In HIV counseling sessions, I support and witness clients coming to terms with personal issues affecting their sexual practices. As an outreach worker, I have had the privilege of supporting women who struggle with drug use and homelessness. Now as Associate Clinic Manager I am learning about all the administrative aspects of running a clinic.

Throughout my time at The Clinic, I have gained a solid education in Community Health. I will use the training I have received at the Women's Community Clinic when I enter Medical school at UCSF in the fall of 2007. I believe The Clinic is such a special place, not only because we provide great free health care services, but also because we train future health care leaders. In the future I hope to return to the WCC as a volunteer physician.