History

The Sharewood Project was started by students of the TUSM class of '99, who began working to establish a free healthcare program in 1994, during their first year of medical school. They made contacts within Tufts, NEMC, the local government, various social groups and community physicians. They also began the laborious process of writing grants and raising funds. The United Methodist Church of All Nations graciously donated space on its third floor to be used as the clinic site, and many Tufts alumni and area physicians donated necessary equipment such as exam tables and medical supplies. Finally, after a year and a half of planning and hard work, Sharewood opened its doors on February 18, 1997 under the guidance of Dr. Brian Lisse (Medical Director/Advisor, 1997-2001). Throughout the spring and summer of 1997, Sharewood worked on tailoring its services to the needs of its expanding patient population. By August 1998, Sharewood had seen 244 patients with a total of 465 patient visits!

In the winter of 2001, the Church of All Nations had fallen into financial difficulty, and could not continue to host Sharewood's clinical location. After an extensive search, and assistance from Dr. Joseph Gravel (Medical Director/Advisor, 2001-2009), it was decided to move the clinic to the Center United Methodist Church in Malden. On January 15, 2002, with help from the church and the Malden Tri-City Community Action Program, Sharewood successfully completed its move and reopened its doors.

In the fall of 2005, the United Methodist Church in Malden closed, requiring Sharewood to relocate. With a commitment to the Malden community, an important criteria was to stay in Malden. Following another search for a suitable location, the Board of Directors decided to move into the First Church in Malden. We are grateful to the church and its parishioners who allow us to use the space that we now call home.

The Sharewood Project Today

Today, under Medical Director/Advisor Dr. Gregory Sawin, Sharewood has had approximately 2500 patient visits from 1500 different patients, most of whom do not possess health insurance. Sharewood's patient population includes native speakers of English, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Cantonese, Creole, and Portugese. Translators are often available, although patients are always encouraged to bring a bilingual friend or family member to ease the visit. With the move to Malden, Sharewood is beginning to see an increase in patients from the Malden area as well, which include low-income and homeless individuals, many of whom attend the Bread of Life soup kitchen at St. Paul's Parish, open on Tuesday nights.

Over the past few years, many progressive changes have taken place. Medical, nursing, and graduate students from other Boston-based campuses are welcome to volunteer, and Tufts undergraduates help by handling patient administrative duties. The clinic has fully electronic medical records, easily accessible by any of several computers attached to the Sharewood network. The Sharewood Electronic Medical Record system was designed in 2011 by a team of students collaborating from across Tufts schools. The system is used to analyze Sharewood's patient population to better direct public relations and advertising efforts. Most recently, we have brought women's health services, nutrition counseling, dental & vision care on scheduled evenings in order to better care for the full breadth of patient needs.

These examples of progressive changes demonstrate that Sharewood is ultimately as dynamic as its patient population and volunteers. As a gateway into the American health care system, it is ever-changing to meet community needs and accomplishes this through the enthusiasm and dedication of people like yourself.