As the new director for the Main Campus Medical Center, Dr. Sanford Kimmel intends to put his background in family medicine to good use.

The 28-year employee, who specializes in family medicine, understands UT’s patient population is slightly different from that seen in a traditional primary care practice.

“Our students have specific needs for their age groups,” said Kimmel, who also is professor and vice chair for research and scholarships for the Department of Family Medicine. “We do a lot of urgent care type of treatments, but we also have to be concerned about behavioral health, such as anxiety and depression, sexually transmitted diseases and substance abuse.”

The challenge of the Main Campus Medical Center, he added, is to establish continuity of care in a population that doesn’t always call the Toledo area home.

“Our students have their own family physicians in their hometowns. While they’re here, we have to be responsible for their health concerns from a few different standpoints, including preventive care and treatment of illnesses and injuries.”

The center recently has been remodeled in appearance and approach, with separate sections reserved for students and employees. Care includes routine physical exams, immunization services, health screens, and treatment for minor to moderate medical conditions.

“Our goal is to establish a true primary care practice for the UT community, including employees and their family members,” Kimmel said. “We’d like to extend this service to our community in the near future.”

The Student Clinic now offers extended service from 8:15 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, with office hours from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.

The Employee Clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m.

During his first year as director, Kimmel will tackle several challenges, pursuing accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and specific improvements in student insurance coverage.

“I suspect I’ll be learning a lot,” the former UT Medical Center chief of staff (2008-2010) remarked. “I’m looking forward to meeting and talking with people from all the populations that can benefit from medical services on Main Campus.”

Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, chancellor, executive vice president of biosciences and health affairs, and dean of the College of Medicine, added, “We warmly welcome Dr. Kimmel into this role on the Main Campus. His extensive experience is well-suited to lead the great team at the Main Campus Medical Center. We hope we’ll see continued growth in the faculty and staff, as well as the students receiving patient-centered, university-quality care on campus.”

For more information about the Main Campus Medical Center, see its website here or call 419.530.3451.

This entry was posted  on  Friday, September 3rd, 2010  at  5:26 am  and is filed under  UToday .
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