Press Release
For more information about Erie Family Health Center, please contact Valerie Comprelli at 312.432.7463 or vcomprelli@eriefamilyhealth.org
Erie Celebrates Grand Opening of Erie Clemente Wildcats Student Health Center
On July 1, 2009 Erie Family Health Center celebrated the grand opening of its first high school-based center; Erie Clemente expects to serve the 2,700 students at the high school.
CHICAGO – July 2, 2009 – The opening of the Erie Clemente Wildcats Student Health Center marks another milestone for the Erie Family Health Center.
Erie Clemente is located on the second floor of Roberto Clemente Community Academy, 1147 North Western Avenue, and features three exam rooms, a counseling room, lab, office space and a number of other state-of-the-art amenities, including an electronic records keeping system. Hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
From left to right: Jazlin Flecha, Stacy Dobreff, Rosa Herrera, Amy Valukus and Tiosha Goss
The center is staffed with licensed physicians, nurse practitioners, behavior specialists and case managers. Erie Clemente bilingual staff provides the following services to its patients: acute care, school and sports physicals, immunizations, chronic disease management, lab services, rapid HIV testing, reproductive Health Services, and counseling services. The counseling services are available through a partnership with Youth Guidance, an organization that creates and implements school-based programs.
“Our goal is to remove any barriers to health care,” said Tiosha Goss, School and Oral Health Coordinator. “The Center will provide health care to students without interfering with their education by allowing them to see Erie providers onsite. Students are encouraged to make appointments at the beginning and end of day, lunch time and in-between passing periods,” added Goss.
An added benefit to students utilizing Erie as their health care provider is the long-term connection with the organization. Once an individual becomes an Erie patient they can visit any of the other centers. In the case of Clemente students, upon leaving the high school they are automatically a part of Erie’s health network and can utilize the adult patient care centers. With the electronic health records system implemented at Erie sites, patients can visit any center and providers will have access to all past information. This provides individuals with a continuity of care.
“We are honored to help improve access to quality, affordable health care for Clemente students,” said Amy Valukas, Director, School Health and Health Promotion. “Our mission is to provide accessible, affordable and high quality health care for those in need. Many of the most vulnerable are kids,” Valukas added.
A $130,000 grant from Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation helped to support the renovation of Erie Clemente and made it fully operational on July 1.
About Erie Family Health Center:
Erie Family Health Center was first established in 1957 as a volunteer clinic by doctors from Northwestern Memorial Hospital. It has been Erie’s mission to ensure that all Chicagoans have access to high quality, culturally sensitive, bilingual health care services — regardless of their ability to pay. Today, Erie serves about 30,000 patients annually at ten sites, including four school-based health centers, a teen health center and two oral health centers. Erie’s mission is to provide accessible, affordable and high quality health care for those in need. We believe health care is a right, not a privilege.