AUBURN, Ala.– The City of Auburn and Auburn University are partnering to bring needed medical services to the community while creating a training ground for future healthcare providers in northwest Auburn. The Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy is heading up the initiative and has entered into an agreement with the City that was approved at the Auburn City Council meeting on Aug. 7.

The new center will be located in the newly renovated Boykin Community Center at 400 Boykin St. In addition to aesthetic improvements such as new flooring and updated bathrooms, the recent renovations were designed to transition the facility from a recreation center to a true community center with resources for residents in the area. Toward this end, the City’s Community Services Department has moved its offices to the Boykin Community Center, and the agreement with the School of Pharmacy helps further this effort.

The Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy released the following announcement on Aug. 7:

Auburn University and the City of Auburn have entered an agreement to address the health care needs of residents in northwest Auburn with the establishment of the Auburn University Health Care Clinic and Education Center. The agreement was approved by the Auburn City Council at its regular meeting on Tuesday, August 7.

The clinic will be managed by the Harrison School of Pharmacy with clinical participation of multiple university programs.

“We’re fortunate to have a great partnership with Auburn University and a great resource through the Harrison School of Pharmacy,” said Auburn Mayor Bill Ham. “We’re thankful for the school’s ability and willingness to provide a needed health care option for those in need in our community.”

Located within the Boykin Community Center in Northwest Auburn, the clinic will offer health care services for Auburn residents who are uninsured, underinsured or prefer to access health care in Northwest Auburn. For many in these situations, the ability to access health care can be life-changing and the interprofessional clinic’s impact could be critical through its outreach efforts.

“We are very excited about this partnership with the City of Auburn and the opportunities we have with the Auburn University Health Care Clinic and Education Center,” said Dr. Richard Hansen, dean of the Harrison School of Pharmacy. “I would like to thank Mayor Ham, the city council, city staff and my colleagues who have put in all the hours to bring this opportunity to life.”

Auburn students regularly conduct health fairs and clinics throughout the Auburn area, offering a variety of health care services. The clinic, when fully operational, will allow students from diverse health care disciplines to collaborate to provide a broad range of wellness and primary health services.

“This clinic is perfectly aligned with our land grant mission of serving the people of Alabama,” said Hansen. “Our students have been active throughout the years offering health care services in the community and this takes it a step further and gives us more opportunities to be involved.”

Additionally, the clinic will serve as an education and training center, offering a site for Auburn University students from multiple disciplines to engage with each other and learn how to treat patients from a variety of backgrounds in a real-life setting.

“A student’s education is not limited to the classroom and there is no substitute for the kind of experience you get from working with a real patient, helping them deal with their issues and finding new ways to improve their health care outcomes,” said Hansen. “This collaboration is a perfect match where Auburn health professions programs can give back to the community while training students.”

The clinic has already received support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. Blue Cross plans on continuing to back interprofessional education.

“In the changing health care landscape, it is more and more important that providers work as a team in a collaborative approach to offer the best outcomes to patients,” said Hansen. “We are very thankful to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama for their recognition of this and their support to encourage students to learn and understand the role of all health care providers on the team.”

About the Harrison School of Pharmacy

Auburn University’s Harrison School of Pharmacy is ranked among the top 20 percent of all pharmacy schools in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. Fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the School offers doctoral degrees in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and pharmaceutical sciences (Ph.D.) while also offering a master’s in pharmaceutical sciences. For more information about the School, please call 334.844.8348 or visit pharmacy.auburn.edu.