Increasing Access to Specialized Dermatologic Care Through a Volunteer-Driven Free Clinic

Kourosh Beroukhim; Scott Worswick, MD

Kourosh Beroukhim David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Scott Worswick, MD David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Abstract

Approximately 40% of individuals in the United States live in areas underserved by dermatologists.The lack of specialized skin care is particularly pronounced among patientsÂ without insurance coverage, as almost half of all dermatologists do not see uninsured patients. We report our experience with the Venice Family Dermatology Clinic, a volunteer-driven dermatology clinic in Los Angeles, California. Several unique features of the clinic include:Â operating within a larger primary care freeÂ clinic that provides referrals and clinic space, having access to an in-houseÂ pharmacy, and collaborating with an academic center that provides pathologicalÂ examination of tissue samples. WeÂ hope that the noteworthy features of this clinicÂ may serve as a guide toÂ improve the quality of care and teaching offered at other free dermatologyÂ clinics.

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Author Biographies

Kourosh Beroukhim, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Kourosh Beroukhim is a fourth-year medical student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He graduated with Highest Distinction from the University of Michigan with a concentration in Neuroscience. During medical school, Kourosh spent one year as a research fellow at the Psoriasis, Phototherapy & Skin Treatment Clinic at University of California, San Francisco, where he concentrated on topics pertaining to medical education, psoriasis, and psychodermatology.

Scott Worswick, MD, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Scott Worswick, M.D. is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He completed his medical school training at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, followed by Dermatology residency at UCLA. His areas of interest include medical dermatology, autoimmune skin disorders, and psoriasis.

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