The Volunteer Program
The Richard H. Fine People’s Clinic at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital is offering year-long volunteer positions during the 2024-2025 academic year for Pre-Medical, Pre-Health Sciences, or Post-Baccalaureate students to gain valuable experience working in a vibrant academic program for underserved primary care in the San Francisco safety net.
The mission of the Richard H. Fine People’s Clinic (RFPC) at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital is to provide comprehensive, high quality primary care services for underserved patients. San Francisco is known for its cultural and ethnic diversity. Patients and staff at ZSFG and RFPC reflect that diversity, with each major racial/ethnic group representing roughly a quarter of our patient population. RFPC provides primary care to more than 8,000 patients, the majority of whom are low-income individuals with complex medical conditions. Click on the "The Richard Fine People's Clinic" to watch a short 3 minute video.
RFPC believes in service learning and is an ideal site for someone interested in a future career delivering primary care for the underserved. We’re excited to offer several positions within the clinic. Each position will have at least one quality-improvement project and volunteers will also be able to tailor their experiences to their interests through other projects. Our volunteers are integral members of the clinic and work closely with our management team and the clinic staff to coordinate quality improvement efforts for our underserved patient population and further promote our mission and values.
Dr. Richard Fine (1940 – 2015)
Richard H. Fine, MD practiced medicine at ZSFG for 40 years. In 1970, he created one of the first outpatient clinics at a public hospital in the U.S., and then helped found a primary care residency program to train doctors to work with poor and vulnerable patients.
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Known for his strong social conscience, Dr. Fine worked tirelessly and passionately caring for the poor, the homeless, those with AIDS in the early days of the epidemic, and the incarcerated. Today, his legacy lives on in this general medicine clinic that bears his name. Click on "Moral Compass" to check out the film about Dr. Fine.
2024-2025 Application Cycle
Volunteers will work primarily on-site for this year's volunteer cycle. As some of our projects require additional support, we will offer supplemental remote opportunities to complete duties off-site. We intend to be flexible and understanding of your responsibilities outside of your RFPC role but do ask that you fulfill the majority of your work on-site to develop connections and gain valuable clinical exposure.
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Please note that COVID vaccinations will be required for volunteers to be on campus.
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This year, all volunteers will be onboarded to support multiple Quality Improvement projects at the Richard Fine People's Clinic. We currently have projects in the areas listed below and foresee additional opportunities will become available throughout the year.
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Quality Improvement
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Diabetes Care
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Cancer Screenings
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Hypertension Control
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Mental Health
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Practice Management Support
Description of Positions
Quality Improvement (6)
The Quality Improvement volunteers will work on quality initiatives and provide support for RFPC’s outreach efforts to their patients. There are a variety of different projects that happen throughout the year and our volunteers play an integral role in the clinic's efforts to improve metrics and overall patient care.
Examples of projects that a volunteer can work on are: mammography outreach, patient PCP transfers, and women’s health appointment scheduling; in addition to, making outreach phone calls, panel clean-up, scheduling appointments, and mailing letters.
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This is an excellent way to learn a little bit about a variety of health conditions and become involved in RFPC's efforts to provide equitable care to our patients.
Practice Management Support (1)
This volunteer will support the Practice Manager in clinic duties (miscellaneous administrative tasks) and also help run the patient advisory council (PAC) meetings which occur Thursday afternoons off-site. The practice management volunteer is expected to attend the PAC meetings as this will provide them with direct patient interaction and allow them to enhance their leadership, time management and project management skills. The volunteer will also be in charge of meeting support such as set-up and clean-up, purchasing of light refreshments for PAC meetings, PAC member attendance confirmation among other tasks giving them the opportunity to learn about how clinics run on the back end.
FAQ
Are there any "Clearance Requirements"?
Yes, to be on-site:
Occupational Health Services (OHS) Medical Clearance is required. You must bring records of ALL the health requirements listed below in addition to the OHS Form that will be sent out to selected volunteers.
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Two negative TB skin tests: at least one week apart, both placed within the past year and at least one placed within the last 3 months.
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A Quantiferon is acceptable if it was completed within the last 3 months.
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If you have tested positive in the past, you will need to contact OHS for further instructions to complete this step.
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Tdap: Tetanus, Diptheria, and Pertussis (Whooping Cough): proof of Tdap vaccine.
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MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella): proof of two vaccinations or positive blood titer.
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Chicken Pox (Varicella): proof of two vaccinations or positive blood titer.
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Hepatitis B: Proof of three vaccinations or positive blood titer.
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Proof of COVID Vaccinations
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If you need a TB test, this should be scheduled with your PCP or a medical office to obtain clearance. The test will be a two-step TB test, meaning it will require multiple visits:
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Visit 1: PPD antigen applied under the skin
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Visit 2: PPD test is read within 48-72 hours of placement
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Visit 3: A second PPD skin test is applied
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Visit 4: Second test is read
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Will I have a set schedule?
We understand that our volunteers are in different phases in their lives. Each of the teams will require different time commitments, not exceeding 4-8 hours per week. The in-person positions will require a concrete schedule to match clinic needs, whereas, supplemental remote positions might be slightly more flexible. Once you have completed onboarding, you will coordinate your schedule with your provider-lead and make adjustments, as necessary, throughout the year.
Can I complete clinical hours through this program?
We are not an accredited volunteer program for clinical/certification purposes. Please check in with your school's appropriate department to ensure that you can get credit for the volunteers hours you commit to RFPC.
Is this a paid position?
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide a stipend to our volunteers; however, we truly hope that your participation in our program will help you: engage in a clinical setting, develop life-long relationships with staff, providers and other volunteers that will support your academic and professional goals and give you the confidence to continue your pursuit in the healthcare field.
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(please refer to Volunteer Benefits section above for a list of volunteer benefits)