MedServe

MedServe operates as a non-profit organization with a mission to bridge the gap in healthcare services for medically underserved communities. The organization was co-founded by Anne Steptoe and Patrick O'Shea. In 2016, MedServe won the North Carolina Social Entrepreneurship Contest.

The core of MedServe's operation is a two-year fellowship program that places recent pre-medical college graduates into primary care clinics in rural areas across North Carolina. This model serves a dual purpose: it provides essential human capital to clinics in need and offers fellows hands-on experience, encouraging them to become champions for health equity in their future medical careers. The program is structured around a "match, immerse, and support" framework. MedServe matches its service-minded fellows with primary care practices that are leading community health initiatives. Fellows are then immersed in these communities as full-time members of the clinic staff. To prepare them for this role, they undergo a rigorous two-week training institute and receive ongoing skills development through quarterly summits.

Functioning as an AmeriCorps program, MedServe provides paid, service-learning fellowships. The roles filled by fellows are specifically designed to meet the human capital needs of the community clinics they serve. By connecting these aspiring health professionals with underserved populations, MedServe aims to inspire a new generation of primary care providers dedicated to working in areas with limited healthcare access. The organization's efforts have been recognized for their potential to create a lasting impact on community health and for providing a pipeline of physicians for rural areas.

Keywords: primary care, healthcare fellowship, underserved communities, rural health, medical education, non-profit, health equity, AmeriCorps, community health, North Carolina healthcare, pre-medical students, physician pipeline, healthcare access, service learning, community clinics, public health, medical missions, healthcare workforce, primary care access, social entrepreneurship