School of Medicine

After 18 years of service in the same location, the UCSD Free Clinic Project (Free Clinic) had to close one its four clinic sites. Several hundred patients were faced with the challenge of commuting long distances to another clinic, and even losing access to car. Although unfortunate, this became an opportunity for the Free Clinic to examine where its patients live, the distances they travel to clinic, and determine new locations for a clinic. To complete this examination, the Free Clinic performed a spatial analysis--mapping patients and clinic locations--using specialized Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software.