ST. FRANCIS MEDICAL CENTER is a 263-bed acute care facility providing surgical, medical, trauma, rehabilitation and chronic disease management services to Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. There are five social workers on staff providing services to all areas of the hospital.

THE FIELD EXPERIENCE FOR THE BSW CANDIDATE:  Service areas that may be of  particular interest to students are:

• Rehabilitation - working with individuals recently disabled from strokes, traumatic brain injury, orthopedic injuries and other neurological conditions.
• Trauma services - working with individuals who have experienced physical trauma from accidents.
• Neonatal Intensive Care – newborn intensive care unit
• Chronic Illness – illness such as diabetes, heart conditions, pulmonary disease and cancer.

A significant amount of social work activities at St. Francis involves community referral for continuing care of an individual’s medical condition. This also includes arranging for the personal care of patients after they leave the hospital setting to assure their basic needs are being met. These activities afford students an opportunity to learn community resources and to better understand the workings of state and national social welfare services. Students are also afforded the opportunity to learn about the psychosocial impact of various illnesses on individuals and families, and the interventions typically provided by social workers in medical settings.

Much of the work of the medical social worker involves working with other professionals which can sometimes be very demanding and difficult even for seasoned medical social workers. Therefore, students seeking internships in a medical setting such as St. Francis should have a grasp of systems concepts that will allow them to better understand and function in a setting in which the goals and purposes of social work are not the primary mission of the agency. In addition, medical social work services are often brief, crisis-oriented services with staff often involved in several cases demanding their immediate attention at the same time. The students receive close supervision in this setting and have daily contact with supervision staff. Micro-, mezzo- and macro-level practice experiences are available to the student with an emphasis on micro with individuals and families, and mezzo. Field Instructors are MSW’s and a BSW with a master's degree in psychological counseling.

WHAT STUDENTS SAY:  “My overall experience at Saint Francis Medical Center has provided me with an excellent foundation of social work generalist practice. Working on the rehab unit prepared me to assist the senior citizen population with  psychosocial needs and links to community resources. I learned to assess patients’  social, financial and psychological [needs] that could hinder a successful discharge. I was involved in stroke group education that gave me experience conducting and formulating group social work skills and interacting with hospital personnel. I also learned the importance of coordinating and advocating for the betterment of senior citizens.
      In addition to my overall experience, I developed communication skills that will be very helpful in social work practice.  Because of the supportive staff at Saint Francis Medical Center, I was encouraged to participate in rehab staff meetings including determining discharge plans. I have become knowledgeable about community resources available for senior citizens. I enjoyed having Sherry Eakers as a field instructor and was glad to have her suggestions on how I can enhance my social work career. Sherry provided me with limited supervision that allowed me to take initiative in my approach to social work practice. Based on what I learned from experience, I am very interested in gerontology social work practice.”

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"St. Francis Medical Center is aan outstanding place to complete social work education.  From the patients to the staff, to the outside community resources and agencies, each person is truly sincere and dedicated to their profession.  I have thoroughly enjoyed my time spent here and feel like I am walking away from it with a whole new wealth of knowledge.  The things I have gained from here, I know I will be able to take with me and use at other agencies.  St. Francis Medical Center is truly a setting of pure devotion and dedication to each one of its patients.  I have truly loved it!"

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"My field instructor at St. Francis and the other social workers were very helpful and taught me a lot.  They were always right there to answer any questions and to guide me when problems came up.  This experience was wonderful and something I will keep with me for years to come.  I couldn't have had a better field placement." 

For more information about St. Francis Medical Center, visit their Web site at:  http://www.sfmc.net/

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