Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine students hosted a Women’s Health Day free clinic April 29 at The Free Clinic located at Lubbock Impact, 2707 34th St.

The facility is a non-billing clinic where people without medical insurance can be seen for various medical problems. Patients 18 and older from mostly lower-income backgrounds are seen according to severity.

The Women’s Health Day clinic provided medical services like well-woman exams, consultations with Texas Tech Physicians, breast exams, pelvic exams, pap smears, mammogram sign ups and referrals, pregnancy tests and prenatal referrals. Laynie Abraham, a first-year medical student, said the key to keeping women healthy is prevention.

“At The Free Clinic, we see a lot of women in need of pap smears and other women’s health exams,” Abraham said. “Regular health exams and tests can help detect problems before they start, and finding conditions earlier increase your chances of successful treatment."

In 2008, TTUHSC School of Medicine faculty and medical students partnered with Lubbock Impact Inc., to establish a local free non-urgent care clinic. Abraham, who also serves on The Free Clinic’s leadership team, said the clinic’s mission is to serve the uninsured and the working poor, educate students through clinical experiences with close mentorship and create a bridge between the Lubbock population and health care service.

“This Women’s Health Day clinic is an opportunity for those who cannot afford services to come see a physician,” Abraham said. “We offer many of these services throughout the year. The difference is that this is a day specifically devoted to women, and women are guaranteed to have specialists available for gynecological, breast or other women’s health issues. We want to provide the resources to keep our community as healthy as possible.”

For more information, call (806) 370-0603.