For nearly 15 years, UT Austin medical students have been helping unhoused, underinsured and uninsured Central Texas neighbors through the nonprofit C.D. Doyle, from treating minor infections and injuries to providing free mental health services.
For nearly 15 years, UT Austin medical students have been helping unhoused, underinsured and uninsured Central Texas neighbors through the nonprofit C.D. Doyle, from treating minor infections and injuries to providing free mental health services.
C.D. Doyle was founded in 2011 by students at the UTMB School of Medicine as a student-run, community-driven free medical clinic with the goal of expanding access to care in Austin. Around 2020, the clinic set roots in the Esperanza Community, where it remains today! The clinic runs every Sunday from 2:00-5:00 PM in the Esperanza Community, a non-congregate emergency shelter complex in East Austin established by The Other Ones Foundation. The goal for C.D. Doyle is to provide high-quality, culturally competent, and equitable care for those in need – regardless of their background. Their patients are often individuals experiencing homelessness and/or are uninsured/underinsured.
Part of the organization’s mission is to train student volunteers to be equipped with necessary skills to deliver sensitive care to patients throughout their careers. This includes understanding how psychological, socioeconomic, and political factors contribute to health disparities, and how interprofessional collaboration can provide quality interventions to address healthcare inequities. Not only is the team at C.D. Doyle helping those in need, they are actively shaping our future healthcare workers to be able to provide quality care to all patients regardless of their backgrounds. Says C.D. Doyle undergraduate director Sanika Mhatre, “C.D. Doyle Clinic has an open-door policy that provides services to any individual regardless of insurance, ID, or residency status. Our mission is to help all patients, regardless of their circumstances.”
In addition to just treating physical injuries, C.D. Doyle strives to offer comprehensive care to everyone that they serve. This includes assessments and treatment of minor infections or injuries, management of common cold and flu symptoms, blood pressure checks, blood glucose monitoring, basic wound care and certain preventative screenings. They also offer basic social services such as providing free one-day CapMetro bus passes, handing out wound care/sexual wellness/seasonal kits, and giving out GoodRX coupons. In addition to physical care, they administer medical counseling, mental health counseling, and referral to medical specialists for more complex conditions that they may not be equipped to handle. The volunteer team at C.D. Doyle go above and beyond for our neighbors in need, hosting an annual Outreach Event where last year they assembled more than 50 wound care and 100 sexual wellness kits for their patients! C.D. Doyle strives to be a safe space for any of our community members in need and provides truly life-changing services to a community often neglected by our healthcare system.
