Dr. Caitlin Murphy presents to girls at Girls, Inc. Omaha.
Strep, pneumonia, microbiome, oh my! ID physicians Dr. Alison Freifeld, Dr. Andrea Zimmer, and Dr. Erica Stohs and Dr. Caitlin Murphy, Assistant Director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, recently brought the world of infectious disease medicine to young women at Girls Inc. Omaha. Girls learned about common infections and the bugs that cause them, the bacteria that inhabits the world around them, and careers in microbiology and infectious disease.
Dr. Andrea Zimmer shows girls cultures grown from dirty and clean hands and household locations
This event is one of many connections between UNMC and Girls Inc., a national nonprofit dedicated to “inspiring girls to be ‘strong, smart, and bold.’” Dr. Freifeld started working with the Omaha chapter when she came to UNMC almost 20 years ago, when the chapter operated out of a church basement. Since then, Girls, Inc. Omaha has grown to two dedicated locations that provide after-school enrichment activities, homework help, mentorship, and career advising to girls across the city.
Dr. Alison Freifeld is excited to talk to the girls about oral flora!
In 2016, Dr. Freifeld was instrumental in forging a partnership between UNMC/Nebraska Medicine and Girls, Inc. to open a primary care clinic at one of the chapters. The clinic is open after school and provides annual physicals, longitudinal care, well woman visits, reproductive health education, and urgent care.
As a student, I am both impressed and excited by the community outreach and impact of our physicians. I’m proud to be at an institution with such compassionate, innovative, and altruistic clinicians, and I am hopeful, seeing their examples, that my future career can include meaningful service.