MedZou Honored as University’s Best New Organization
Caring for uninsured Boone County residents unites the multidisciplinary group
MedZou community health clinic, a student-coordinated effort to provide health care access to the more than 20,000 uninsured individuals in Boone County, was honored and recognized as the University of Missouri’s best new organization during the Chancellor’s Excellence Awards Ceremony on April 18 at Memorial Union.
“MedZou stood out among the others for the quality and breadth of its activities,” said Nick Evans, coordinator for student organizations in the Department of Student Life, which hosts the awards. “These people are potentially saving lives.”
Students began planning to secure community support and funding in fall 2007, and the clinic began accepting patients on Oct. 16, 2008. Since its opening, the clinic has provided free care, prescriptions and lab tests for more than 100 uninsured patients through referrals from the Family Health Center, Columbia’s federally qualified health center.
Chris Gu, a first-year medical student and a MedZou clinic coordinator, said the award is shared with the spectrum of students, health professionals and faculty, all of whom have dedicated time and effort to contribute to its success.
“This year’s nominees included many outstanding organizations, and for MedZou to win the award is a tremendous honor and an accomplishment,” Gu said. “It was great to see everyone’s hard work and dedication get recognized by the leadership of MU, and we hope to continue and improve upon what we have all helped to create.”
To be considered for a Chancellor’s Excellence Award, student groups active on campus must achieve the following: work toward the purpose of the group; plan and present appropriate programs, services or games; demonstrate fiscal responsibility; have a positive attitude; represent the University well at all times; find creative ways to share organization information across campus; provide a strong sense of community for members; and maintain good standing with the University and the Organization Resource Group.
To learn more about the clinic, please visit
http://medzou.missouri.edu/.
