Lessons in the power of community

The journey into medicine was personal for Olivia Zehel.

Growing up in NEPA, she witnessed firsthand the challenges of accessing healthcare in underserved areas. Now, as a medical student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, she’s fulfilling her dream by serving as the student medical director at the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Clinic at The University of Scranton.

The clinic, funded entirely by private donations and grants, has provided free healthcare to uninsured residents of Lackawanna County since 2008. It briefly closed due to the pandemic. When it reopened in 2024, it had a new partner — Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. It also had a shift in focus from acute care to more comprehensive, longitudinal care: physical exams, chronic illness management and specialized services like physical therapy and behavioral healthcare.

The partnership aligns well with the School of Medicine’s mission: Meet local healthcare needs by encouraging students to pursue primary care — and to be leaders in community service.

For Geisinger medical students like Ms. Zehel, MD Class of ’27 and a 2023 University of Scranton graduate, the clinic’s reopening allowed her to achieve a dream of volunteering there, which she’d hoped to do as an undergraduate before COVID struck.

“Part of my impetus for going into medicine was seeing the need for care in underserved areas,” says Ms. Zehel.

In her senior year, Ms. Zehel joined a university committee formed to reopen the clinic. She then chose Geisinger Commonwealth to continue serving her home region during medical school. She was mainly drawn to the school’s commitment to community service.

“Having a community-based focus was really important to me,” she says, adding that she’s part of the school’s Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program, which provides tuition forgiveness to students who return to Geisinger and serve the region for several years after residency training.

At the Leahy Clinic, students from The University of Scranton and Geisinger do work appropriate to their level and type of education, which could mean completing administrative tasks or participating in patient care under the supervision of physician volunteers. Students from both institutions also play leadership roles and can initiate programs, like Caroline Virone, MD Class of ’27, the community health chair for the clinic. In her first year of service, she launched a successful Pap smear program, so uninsured women wouldn’t fall behind on cervical cancer screenings.

Like Ms. Zehel, NEPA resident, University of Scranton graduate and Geisinger medical student Nicholas Tomassoni had waited for the opportunity to volunteer after the COVID shutdown and takes advantage of the opportunity during med school.

“I wanted to support the restoration of accessible care within my community,” he says. “The reopening represented a renewed commitment to our community and patient-centered care. I was motivated to contribute to that effort and support the local community that's supported me throughout my life.”

Volunteering at the clinic benefits not just the patients, but the students, as Ms. Zehel has discovered.

“In the classroom, we learn about ideal scenarios,” she says. “You order this test, make a diagnosis and then set a course of treatment.”

But at the Leahy Clinic, providers, like their patients, face financial obstacles to care.

“Maybe we want to run a certain test, but it’s too expensive,” Ms. Zehel says. “Or we want to prescribe medication for a breathing condition, but the patient can’t afford an inhaler. Breathing is necessary. So, we have to look for alternative ways to get them the care they need.”

Mr. Tomassoni says the meaningful experience in clinical patient care he’s gained through volunteering has only strengthened his career goals.

“Early exposure has provided insights into the collaborative nature of medicine, where communication is central,” he says. “The experiences at the clinic have reinforced my goals of becoming a physician who provides high quality care and is engaged in both the clinical and community aspects of medicine.”

Finally — some might argue crucially — the medical students have the chance to make a human connection by simply talking with patients and learning about their health and their lives.

“Students spend more time with patients and gain a deeper understanding of what brought them to the clinic that day,” Ms. Zehel says. “I think that’s really valuable.”