For 17 years, a health clinic on the east side has been working to break down barriers to care.
The Indiana University Student Outreach Clinic offers free healthcare for uninsured and underserved Indianapolis residents. The Indiana University School of Medicine operates the office with help from volunteers, including medical students.
“We are not coming to the clinic to play doctor,” said Dr. Javier Sevilla, the medical director. “We are coming to the clinic to give neighbors the care they need.”
The medical center was founded in 2009 as a response to the Great Recession. Sevilla noticed that many people were forgoing necessary medical care due to cost. He partnered with Neighborhood Fellowship Church to operate a free clinic out of the church one day a week.
Sevilla said the need has only grown over the years, especially following the pandemic. The medical center has since expanded by offering an additional day of service and moving to a building across the street from the church.
The goal is to be a welcoming environment, said Dr. Anna Pendrey, adviser and associate medical director.
She said some people might be hesitant or worried about medical care due to systemic barriers and generational mistrust of medicine.
To ease this hesitancy, the patients are referred to as neighbors.
“It is very important that this is a safe space for our neighbors,” Pendrey said
She said the clinic serves as a one-stop shop for medical care. Services that can be addressed include infections, women’s health, lab work and mental health. There is even a pharmacy on site. In addition to healthcare, the clinic provides some social services such as getting people connected to jobs and legal help.
If you go
The Student Outreach Clinic is located at 3125 E. 10th St. It is open from 5-8 p.m. Wednesdays and 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. The clinic is open to everyone and operates on a first come, first served basis. More information can be found online.
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Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or darian.benson@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian or on Bluesky @darianbenson.bsky.social.
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