The Cardinal Direction Clinic has opened on the campus of Holy Name Church at 2914 S. Third St., offering free medical care to homeless and underserved individuals in the area. The clinic is led by Caden Seraphine, a second-year medical student at the University of Louisville, who said its goal is to guide people toward better health.

On November 12, six University of Louisville medical students treated the clinic’s first 20 patients. According to Seraphine, they addressed a range of issues including chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and provided care for acute needs like cuts. “Some hadn’t been to the doctor in a long time,” he said. “A family was glad to speak with a physician; it had been years since they’d seen a doctor. Another patient was seen for bleeding from a cut. It was a unique opportunity to see a variety of things.”

The clinic is operated through a partnership between Holy Name Church, Catholic Charities of Louisville’s Father Jack Jones Food Pantry, and the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Its grand opening ceremony took place on November 19.

Father William Bowling, pastor of Holy Name and St. Martin de Porres Church in West Louisville, blessed the new facility and expressed satisfaction with the collaboration: “I’m very pleased that the parish is able to partner with the University of Louisville and the Father Jack Jones Pantry to make this good thing happen.”

Medical students provide care under supervision from experienced physicians, including Dr. Jim Creely—Holy Name’s deacon and an ear, nose and throat specialist. The clinic operates Wednesday evenings from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., serving clients from both the food pantry and surrounding community members experiencing homelessness or financial hardship.

Seraphine explained that during clinic hours, clients can also access food pantry services with assistance from student volunteers: “We want people who can’t come (to the pantry) during the day to have access to the food and access to medical care at the same time, because those things are intertwined.”

Services offered include basic check-ups, cardiovascular screenings, physical exams, acute care visits, monitoring chronic conditions, flu and COVID testing, as well as sports physicals. Referrals are also available for further resources in the community.

“We want every patient who comes in to know the direction they’re going in,” Seraphine said. “We want to point them in the right direction that will be best for them.” He added: “We recognize there are others better suited to care for them in the long run... We want to make sure we can help them build those connections and relationships.”

Lisa DeJaco Crutcher, CEO of Catholic Charities of Louisville, described her enthusiasm for supporting this initiative: “They have done such an amazing job of pulling this from an idea to a reality,” she said about Seraphine and his peers. “I am excited. I love that they are helping us extend outreach into the community.”

DeJaco Crutcher noted that Holy Name’s neighborhood includes many people without insurance or stable housing—including undocumented residents—and emphasized Catholic Charities’ ongoing commitment after relocating its headquarters away from Holy Name’s campus earlier this year: “It’s a great way to move forward with what we wanted to do in that neighborhood, be more of a presence... They can use whatever help we can bring to them.” She added that clinics like Cardinal Direction help fulfill their promise not to abandon local residents.

Dr. Creely commented on how working at such clinics benefits both patients and students: “It teaches them how to work with and walk with the people who will need their help,” he said. “Medicine is one human being helping to heal another human being. I hope the knowledge they gain will go with them as their careers progress.” He also remarked on students’ dedication despite demanding schedules: “It’s a pretty difficult course they’ve chosen, to take precious time to help others. It’s a very impressive thing and a very Catholic thing.” Dr. Creely hopes for lasting impact: he wants it "to become a long-term thing... something the community can have confidence in."