Southeast Health ACOM Ashford Clinic providing education and care to community

ASHFORD, Ala. (WTVY) - The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is on a mission to provide quality education, research, and service to students who aspire to work in the medical field.

Eve Reid is a third year medical student at ACOM where she is currently working through her rotations at the Southeast Health ACOM Ashford Clinic.

“I am very thankful to ACOM as a whole,” Reid said.

Reid said she is grateful that ACOM offers students the opportunity for hands on learning by caring for patients to ensure their readiness for their career.

“Day to day we see patients throughout the day,” Reid said. “We see them from start to finish here at Ashford.”

Reid is one of hundreds of medical students at ACOM who accomplishes their rotations at the Ashford Clinic.

“We have upwards to 200 students per class and all 200 of them filter through this clinic during the year,” Dr. Justin Hovey, M.D. said.

Students spend their time at the clinic working alongside doctors to learn and care for patients.

“We are here to serve the community but also teach the students simultaneously,” Dr. Hovey said. “So, they get hands on experience, seeing the patients here in the clinic and be able to learn about how to operate in a rural setting, learn a little bit about the business as well and most importantly the patient interactions and connections they get here.”

Each day medical students put their skills to the test while learning new ones.

“We help room the patient, we get their vitals, we take a history, we do a physical, and then once we’re done with that we kind of develop a plan,” Reid said.

Reid develops that plan by reporting information gathered to the clinic doctors, like Dr. Hovey. They then see if their plans align and put it to work by providing the needed care.

“We hone our skills on taking a history, we hone our skills on our physical exam skills and really get experience to everything especially the exposure to rural Alabama,” Reid said. “So, we really do see a nice well-rounded population.”

Dr. Hovey is the Medical Director at the Southeast Health ACOM Ashford Clinic and an associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics at ACOM.

He said the Ashford clinic is a vital health resource for the community by providing care and convenience for Ashford and surrounding areas.

“It is vital in the sense of treating patients here locally without them having to drive to Dothan or drive up to other places to seek care,” Dr. Hovey said. “So we try to do as much as we can here in this office for these patients so they don’t have to do as much traveling and there is a large group of patients here, a patient population that may not have access to transportation. So, those patients are able to walk here if they need to or you know ride their bikes so they are able to make it to the clinic so they can be seen.”

The clinic hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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