Welcome to “Paying it Forward,” a monthly interview series made possible by Piedmont Health. In this series, we hear from the folks at Piedmont about the importance of community health centers – and why they chose a career in community health.
This month, Aaron welcomes Dr. Caroline Smith, a pediatrician who’s spent the last 20 years at the Charles Drew Community Health Center in Burlington.
“I (love) seeing the difference we make in kids’ lives,” she says of her work. “It’s amazing, (when you) have a patient who really needs intervention, to be able to step in and meet that patient where they are, show them the path forward, and then watch as treatment happens, watch as things get better over time.”
Dr. Smith had dreamed of being a pediatrician since high school, but it wasn’t until college that she started making her way into the field of community health.
“I had the opportunity to meet with a couple who were both in community health,” she says. “I was able to visit them in their clinic, which was in the foothills of the Appalachians – (and) when I saw the clinic in action, the idea that whole families could come to these clinics and be treated, and the kind of care they were able to give – (it) was really inspiring. It felt more like service.”
Now, Dr. Smith is able to provide that same level of service to families in Burlington.
“As a community health center, we have access to a lot of (resources) for our patients who deal with barriers,” she says. “We have transportation services, we deliver medications, we have our own pharmacies in the clinics (with) special pricing for patients who may not have insurance, (and) we have behavioral health, so they can see therapists in the clinic.”
And Dr. Smith says community health centers aren’t just great places to receive health care – they’re also great places to work, and to spend a career.
“One of the biggest concerns that people have going into medical school is the cost, and a lot of people go into specialty care because they need to pay back loans,” she says – “(but) community health centers qualify for loan repayment. So if you have an interest in primary care, it is a beautiful model of health and you can get loan repayment going to work at a community health center, even if you don’t want to work there your whole career. It’s a great way to give back to the community, to really serve these patients and families in a very meaningful way that I have found enriching in my career.”
97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news and local voices in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every weekday morning, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck chats with government officials, UNC scholars, business and nonprofit leaders, area musicians, and others in our community as they share their thoughts, their experience, and their expertise on the central issues of today. Click here to listen back to all of Aaron’s conversations – and tune in to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” at 7:30 a.m. on 97.9 The Hill to hear those conversations live.
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