Appreciation Post for Dr. George Costea

When I was 17 years old, I started volunteering at Cass Clinic, associated with the Cass United Methodist Church. This was about 2004, and it was a life changing experience. As a high school student, I got to work with and learn from medical students at Wayne State University School of Medicine as they took care of patients who were uninsured, underinsured, homeless, and elderly folks who couldn’t drive to another clinic.

After each patient encounter, we would give a presentation to Dr. Costea, who waited patiently for us to share the important clinical information, and who helped guide our management and care with an in-house pharmacy, dispensing blood pressure medications and diabetes medications alongside clinical pearls and clinical wisdom.

We were able to take care of about 30 to 50 patients each day, working in teams of 2 or 3 students, and seeing one patient at a time. We got to spend 30 minutes to an hour with each patient, and listen to their stories. They allowed us to learn from them with otoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, our stethoscopes, and an index card medical record system as many patients returned each week or each month.

From this experience, I knew that I wanted to become a doctor, not just any doctor, but a doctor like Dr. George Costea. Dr. Costea seemed to be infinitely knowledgable about every medication stocked in that backroom pharmacy, he was unendingly patient, and faced difficult situations in the clinic with unmatched equanimity.

When I eventually finished college and made it into Wayne State University School of Medicine, I continued to volunteer at the Cass Clinic, to serve the patients there and to learn from Dr. Costea. When it came time in my third year of medical school to rotate through a family medicine office, I had the privilege of rotating through Dr. Costea’s family medicine practice.

To say that my experiences working with and learning from Dr. Costea shaped me and shaped my career in medicine would be a gross understatement. His presence at the Cass Clinic is the single biggest reason that I had the opportunity to make it into medical school and to become a physician. Further, his model for care inspired me to start Plum Health.

Unfortunately, Dr. Costea passed away on September 19th, 2022.

Dr. Costea worked with hundreds or maybe even thousands of pre-medical students and medical students as they served patients in the Cass Corridor. He started the clinic in the early 1980’s as a part of the free health care movement, and volunteered just about every Saturday for more than 40 years. Dr. Costea’s example - his care, his selflessness, his humility, his patience, and his willingness to teach - will stay with me forever.

Thank you Dr. Costea!

-Paul Thomas, MD

Dr. George Costea at the Cass Clinic in Midtown Detroit.

From Wayne State University School of Medicine:

George Costea, D.O., founder of the Cass Clinic and attending physician for more than 40 years, died Sept. 19. Dr. Costea dedicated nearly every Saturday morning since the early 1980s to providing free health care to Detroit's poor and underserved. Dr. Costea taught hundreds of Wayne State University School of Medicine students during those years and demonstrated selflessness and commitment to serving the community. Cass Clinic is in need of physicians interested in volunteering their time. If you are interested in participating or need more information, please contact Rob Sherwin, M.D. at rsherwin@dmc.org.

Volunteering at Cass Clinic

Volunteering in the community is an important part of what I do as a doctor. I enjoy helping medical students learn the basics of primary care and serving the community in this way.

This week, I'm at Cass Clinic for their Saturday Morning clinic. It's in Detroit's Midtown Neighborhood and they serve people without insurance, who are homeless, living in drug rehab centers or otherwise vulnerable.

I am grateful that the Wayne State University Medical Students continue to care for the community in this way as they run this clinic without much outside help. If you want to donate medication, bathroom supplies, or hats, gloves, and socks, there's a donation link on their webpage - www.cassclinic.com.

Additionally, I volunteer at the Student Run Free Clinic on the East Side of Detroit at 5555 Connor Ave, just south of I-94. I volunteer at the SRFC once a month and at Cass Clinic about once a month as well. 

I have been volunteering at the Cass Clinic since about age 17. I grew up attending a Methodist church and I was looking for unique volunteer opportunities. I came across the Cass Clinic as it is a part of the Cass Community Social Services, which is a Methodist organization. When I started volunteering, I worked with Medical Students at WSU SOM as they took care of patients in this setting. Watching these young medical students was an inspiration, and from that point on knew which medical I wanted to attend - Wayne State! 

In Detroit, just like in many communities, the needs are great. I know that a few half days a month will not save the world, but these small actions do make a big difference in the lives of the patients that we serve. 

Thanks so much for reading and watching!

- Paul Thomas, MD