Emilie Martin Helps Serve the Uninsured

In Summer 2022, Emilie was pursuing her Master of Public Health degree with a Community Health Concentration at East Tennessee State University.  When it came time to select a field placement, there was no question in Emilie’s mind to reach out to Partners for Healing for a position, after volunteering with them as an undergraduate. The mission of Partners for Healing is to provide compassionate health care and nurturing to the working uninsured in 3 counties in southern middle Tennessee.  Emilie was offered a Region IV PHTC Pathways to Practice Scholarship to analyze if the clinic was adequately reaching and serving its population, support its outreach programs, and assist in creating referral systems for patients in need of specialty care. At the end of her experience, Emilie stated:

I originally volunteered with Partners for Healing in 2018 when I was in my undergraduate studies at East Tennessee State University. I had every intention of pursuing medical school at the end of my four-year degree, however, my time at Partners changed my view of how I could help people. I realized there was a need outside of practicing medicine, but I knew I wanted to make a bigger impact.

I learned more than I could have imagined through working with Partners. I learned about resources in my community, how non-profit organizations are organized and run, and much more. My knowledge of the field has grown, and I have been afforded the opportunity to make connections with Vanderbilt Medical Center, Unity Medical Center, Southern Tennessee, and more.  

Since starting with Partners, they have offered me a full-time passion as outreach coordinator. I will start this position after I graduate with my MPH and will hopefully be able to grow within this clinic, and maybe find a career in working with non-profit organizations.