For the past two years, Blue has served as the clinic manager and volunteer for the Coyote Clinic’s outreach clinic at the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House, a shelter that offers a warm, safe and secure place to start the road back to a more stable, long-term way of living for the unhoused.

Ellie Blue smiles at the camera for her professional photo. She is wearing a necklace and a black blazer with a white tank top underneath.

The free student-run clinic provides care once a week at the BDHH, bridging gaps in health care access for a disadvantaged population; in turn, it provides future physicians with invaluable experience in providing compassionate, person-centered care to every guest that walks through the door.

In her role as clinic manager, Blue oversees the clinic’s inventory of medications and supplies, ensuring that volunteer medical students have essential resources available to treat patients, while also promoting volunteer opportunities for BDHH to USD medical students. She also serves as the liaison to connect BDHH guests to other health care resources, such as referring to other clinics as needed to support continuity of care.

“Volunteering regularly at BDHH has broadened my understanding of how to navigate social determinants of health,” Blue, a Brandon, South Dakota native, said. “Guests at BDHH often have trouble attending health appointments due to time constraints with their employment, difficulty finding a ride or limited financial resources. Much of our work is focused on patient education, such as wound care, hand hygiene or learning what resources are available for them in the community. It is imperative to create a treatment plan and provide education that is cognizant of the person’s unique circumstances and allows them to be an active participant in their health care.”

Blue’s commitment to the underserved population extended beyond Coyote Clinic. Recognizing transportation as a barrier to care, she partnered with Project Car, a nonprofit providing free rides, to help BDHH patients access their appointments. With guidance from Dr. Tiffany Bender, SSOM Class of 2025, she developed a protocol to arrange these rides easily and reliably. “Summer usage has been on the low side, but we expect more patients to use the service once the weather turns colder,” she said.

At the SSOM, Blue is also active with the Coyote Clinic Steering Committee and Women in Science and is a family medicine peer mentor, and member of the Student Advisory panel and LCME Reaccreditation Committee.

“I am incredibly thankful to receive this award,” recognized Blue. “As an aspiring family medicine physician, I hope to stay engaged within the communities I serve and appreciate how my experience has helped me learn more about social determinants of health and how to provide high-quality, compassionate care that meets patients where they are.”

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