The Lancer

The Lancer

The Lancer

Celebrities catastrophic effect on the environment
Joseph Goodnight, Opinion Editor • March 27, 2024

With our current understanding of the climate crisis, it’s safe to say that everyone is trying to be more sustainable for the sake of the environment,...

Lancer-to-Los Robles volunteer system stays strong
Lancer-to-Los Robles volunteer system stays strong
Gemma Spraggins, Assistant News Editor • March 27, 2024

Los Robles Regional Medical Center benefits from the varied talents and experiences that volunteers offer, ranging from high school students...

Time T.O. Vote
Time T.O. Vote
Kailah Spencer, The Lancer Staff • March 27, 2024

Senior Maya Campo turns 18 in April, and she is ready to make her voice heard this November. As the presidential primary election nears, seniors...

Going Digital: The SAT’s New Normal
Going Digital: The SAT’s New Normal
Kailah Spencer, The Lancer Staff • March 27, 2024

Many Lancers students are familiar with the SAT; a paper test with over a hundred questions of varying difficulty. Now, CVUSD is introducing...

Around the Business Table
Around the Business Table
Julia Pineda-Dominguez, The Lancer Staff • March 27, 2024

The Majors program provides students with the opportunity to speak with mentors in many different careers. The program consists of monthly meetings...

Moreno heads to Washington
Moreno heads to Washington
Aandrea Pineda-Dominguez, News Editor • March 27, 2024

It was finally over. The bell gave its shrieking cry and off went hundreds of students to enjoy their freedom, at least for a moment. For...

TO Acorn With Permission
Lancers lose a forever friend
Jake Bradley, Sports Editor • March 27, 2024

Bill Gemberling has worn many hats at Thousand Oaks High: student, teacher, coach, sports announcer. But taxi driver? “I was one of (Brett...

Unexpected La Reina closure leads to transfers
Gemma Spraggins, Assistant News Editor • March 27, 2024

escribing how La Reina families felt upon receiving the news that their school, which opened its doors in 1964, will be closing at the end of...

New MegaMind TV and Movie Sequel Release
New MegaMind TV and Movie Sequel Release
Joseph Goodnight, Opinion Editor • February 20, 2024

In March of this year, Dreamworks is set to release a Peacock exclusive TV show and movie sequel to the beloved 2010 MegaMind movie. The trailer...

In Fastbreak Fashion
Jake Bradley, Sports Editor • February 14, 2024

Lancers lead the way in the second half. The Great Oak Wolfpack came into Thousand Oaks Tuesday night for the CIF quarterfinals and with them...

Perserving in Penalty’s
Jake Bradley, Sports Editor • February 14, 2024

The Lady Lancers traveled to a neutral site in Anaheim to take on the Katella Knights in the second round of the CIF-SS girls soccer playoffs....

Kanye - He's Back at it...or Maybe Not?
Elijah Brown, The Lancer Staff • February 14, 2024

Kanye West's new album “Vultures 1”, many nationwide were skeptical at first about Kanye's new album considering the controversies he has...

It’s Valentine’s, Baby
It’s Valentine’s, Baby
Momo Sonoda, Editor-In-Chief • February 14, 2024

St. Valentine’s Day commemorates the death of St. Valentine, but for others, the holiday marks a day of birth. Junior Chokee Weezer was born...

Health Science Majors Program hosts their senior showcase
Momo Sonoda, Editor-In-Chief • February 12, 2024

Last week, the seniors in Health Science Majors hosted a showcase, featuring various professions that they hope to pursue in the future. At the...

Advancing Again
Jake Bradley, Sports Editor • February 12, 2024

The Lancers left campus during lunch to travel to Temecula for their round two playoff game, and the ride wasn’t enough to stop the Lancers....

Community Health Care

Community+Health+Care

With a goal of helping the community, Westminster Free Clinic continuously takes in low income patients to help them discover their medical histories. Partnering with local organizations that donate time and supplies and utilizing teen volunteers puts their goal close at hand.
Westminster Free Clinic is a private, non-profit organization that strives to help those with low income, and other financial issues in order to prevent patients from having to pay for health care, in our community. In addition, the clinic is also used as a training site where high school students are given an opportunity to take a look into healthcare careers.
“We help patients in our community that need financial assistance and can’t afford their medical bills, otherwise they would not be able to receive the proper assistance they need,” junior Maya Johnson said. “Some of these families have difficulties paying their rent alone, and if they have medical issues, their medical bills can cost thousands.”
This opportunity is not for everyone, and each student volunteer is required to go through a rigorous application process.
“The acceptance rate is around about 15 to 20 percent,” senior Kathlynn Meadors said. “It’s relatively low compared to the amount of students that want to get in. It’s very competitive.”
“The clinic looks at a variety of qualities in their volunteers, and students can be chosen for several different reasons.”
“You have to be reliable. That’s one of the number one qualities,” Meadors said. “You’re dealing with people that don’t necessarily know a lot about their own medical issues, so [volunteers need to have] consistency, reliability, and speaking ability.”
These are just a few characteristics the clinic looks for in their volunteers.
“A lot of students who work at the clinic are bilingual because a majority of our patients only speak Spanish,” Johnson said. “They’re extremely helpful to the program because they help translate.”
The clinic begins with patient intake at 5 pm, having a first come first serve policy, they are able to assist over 100 patients each Wednesday night. The volunteers come around 4:30 pm for setup, and leave around 10:30 pm after clean up.
Most volunteers take medical history and present cases to doctors, take out the trash, clean up, and overall make sure everything is where it needs to be efficient and safe for the clinic.
“We first present to the nurses and we have to follow this sheet of paper that has an outline of what we are supposed to cover when presenting,” Julie Maya said. “[Starting with] stating name and age and then chief complaint and with more details about their chief complain like onset, location, duration, etc. After presenting to the nurse she writes a summary to the doctor and then we present again to the doctor.”
Many of the volunteers discovered the opportunity from various faculty members around campus, such as the Wrestling Coach Manuel Valdez and Majors adviser Lou Ann Lemmo.
“My wrestling coach told me about [this opportunity], he’s one of the clinic managers,” Medders said. “He’s been helping a lot of kids, and is responsible for interviewing new volunteers.”
Each selected student either becomes a regular volunteer or is placed in a management position. Two managers were selected from TOHS, Kathlynn Meadors and Janell Cruz. Unlike volunteers, managers do administrative work rather than working hands on with the patients.
“We intake patients, give them appointments, and make sure all the doctors are taking patients consistently,” Meadors said. “All administrative work comes from the managers, and we manage the students and make sure they are doing what they should be.”
Westminster Free Clinic has several programs besides the Wednesday night clinics,  in order to fulfill the healthcare needs of the community. The clinic provides early access health care, innovative programming, volunteer professionals, and provides high school interns with real life experience.
“The clinic has several programs and services that help the community,” Maya said. “Including the internship program, the clinic also offers chronic disease programs, dental care services, preventative care and mental health services, just to name a few.”
Students throughout the CVUSD are participating in these programs and are helping take a step toward their future and discover if the medical field is the path for them.

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