If you want to witness some of the exceptional services Erie Family Health Center provides, all you have to do is take a seat in  an Erie waiting room.  You’ll see patients moving in and out, taking with them a reassurance they’ve found a place that truly cares about their health.  If you wander throughout the clinic, you’ll see case managers working diligently alongside patients, educators teaching about the importance of exercise and healthy eating, providers listening to patients’ stories, and support groups learning and offering guidance to one another.

The amazing thing about Erie is that these wonderful services extend beyond the Erie walls. Outreach workers travel throughout Chicago communities to schools and social service agencies, educating and informing Chicagoans about a variety of health issues. By informing others on topics such as oral health, HIV/AIDS, depression, wellness and many others, these outreach workers not only teach participants about how to improve their health, but also spread the word on how Erie Family Health Center can help guide them to a healthier life.

Lauren Ranalli MPH, Manager of Community Programs, sees Erie’s outreach program as a vital part of bringing the message of health into Chicago communities.  “Outreach presentations are a great opportunity for Erie to engage with community members,” says Lauren. “They are a way for us to tell Chicago residents about the comprehensive programs and services offered at Erie.”

Outreach services also offer audiences the chance to focus on a particular topic or facet of their health. Whether it’s demonstrating the proper way to exercise, giving a cooking lesson, or using models to demonstrate the pathways of medication, presentations take a new spin on standard health lessons. “Participants at our outreach presentations can increase their knowledge on a new health topic, such as how to better manage their diabetes or protect themselves from contracting HIV.  They can also gain a new skill, such as how to talk to their child about sexual health or how to read a food nutrition label,” says Lauren.

Benjamin Harris, an Erie Americorp Health Educator, knows firsthand the importance of Erie’s outreach services. “I think we, as a society, are learning that human health is a much more complex and multi-faceted state than we initially thought—one that requires a more multi-dimensional and multi-member approach,” says Benjamin. “Outreach workers work with our patients and participants to take what their provider tells them and apply it to their own lives in feasible and meaningful ways.”

Most importantly, outreach services offer a continued resource for health – Erie Family Health Center.  “Participants can learn about great resources at Erie and in the community,” Lauren says. “For example, participants will learn who is eligible to receive a free mammogram through the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program or how to set up a smoking cessation appointment with Erie’s Lung Health Educator.”

Erie’s outreach services continually strive to carry the Erie mission of providing accessible and affordable health care forward. They present health care in a unique and versatile way to the communities Erie serves. “Accessible and affordable health care requires a team that collaborates in all aspects – from the exam room to the conference room where our education classes meet to our patients’ homes,” states Benjamin. “Our mission to provide affordable, accessible and high quality care takes a strong commitment to serve and to build a trusting relationship with our patients and communities. As outreach workers, we add a new dimension to that service – we reinforce and build upon the trust that is built between our providers and our patients, between our centers and the communities we serve.”

Erie Family Health Center would like to thank everyone who attended Salud and the City on February 24, 2011. Because of your support, Erie was able to raise funds to support all of our programs! If you were able to join us for the event we hope you had a great evening at LaSalle Power Company and enjoyed the live band, South of 80! If you missed the event don’t worry, we have you covered. Click here to check out photos on Flickr!

The Governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn, has officially declared January Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. It is predicted that 590 women in Illinois will be diagnosed with cervical cancer this year while 180 women will lose their life to the disease. All women are at risk for cervical cancer but it occurs most often in women over 30 years of age. The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer.

With routine screening and follow up, cervical cancer is highly preventable. Early detection through routine screenings will help to increase the chances of survival. The Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP), which is offered at Erie Family Health Center, provides free mammograms, breast exams, pelvic exams, and Pap Tests to uninsured women. IBCCP has provided 17,908 cervical cancer screenings to uninsured women in the past fiscal year. Throughout January, public and private organizations and state and local governments throughout the country will promote education about cervical cancer causes, screenings, and treatments.

Erie Teen Center’s Comprehensive Approach and New Walk-In Services

Not many will argue that teenage years can be a very confusing time in a person’s life. No longer a child, but not quite an adult, teens consistently performing a balancing act between these two worlds. Peer pressures from the media and social groups also can become an obstacle in a teen’s life. For teens in need of somewhere turn, Erie Teen Center becomes a haven of support and information for adolescents trying to mull their way through this challenging time.

Erie Teen Health Center has been in operation for over 25 years. It is the only freestanding, comprehensive teen health center in the Chicagoland area. While most adolescent sites only offer family planning services or care for young women, Erie Teen Center offers a multitude of services for young adults ages 12 to 24, including reproductive care, well child care, school and sport physicals, behavioral health services, health education and case management. The response from the teen patients has been overwhelmingly positive and most patients hear about Erie Teen Center through word-of-mouth. Last year alone, Erie Teen Center provided over 6,000 patient visits.

While adolescents and teens tend to be a healthy population in general, they also are a group who is more likely to participate in high risk behaviors—yet teens have the lowest rates of accessing preventive health care. “This is a critical point in their development, and many adolescents are not seeking care,” says Amy Valukas, site director of Erie Teen Center. “Studies have found that preventive, primary, reproductive and behavioral health services that are matched to teens, with a focus on reducing high-risk behaviors, have the potential of improving the health of young people.” From the moment teens enter Erie Teen Center, everyone from the front desk staff, to the nurses, medical assistants and providers are educating these teens about reducing risk behaviors and promoting good self care.

Amy says the overwhelming support teens receive from the staff encourages teens to come to Erie Teen Center and most importantly, what keeps them coming back. “Studies have found adolescents are more likely to access health care when their confidentiality is assured, they are shown respect, providers are non-judgmental, health care is provided in a teen-only setting and they are given time discuss their concerns” says Amy. Amy also highlights the Erie Teen Center staff as another source of comfort and compassion for the teen patients. “Erie Teen Center staff is committed to providing just that – comprehensive, confidential, low or no-cost teen friendly care.” Other services, such as case management, Centering Pregnancy and Parenting programs for teen parents and even text message appointment reminders all consistently ensure teen patients they are supported in their health care.

Erie Teen Center is excited to offer a new service to its patients: walk in services. Walk in services are now available for patients between the ages of 12 and 19.  These services include pregnancy testing, rapid HIV testing and STD testing, are offered every Wednesday from 2 pm to 6 pm and do not require an appointment. Considering many of these young adults are navigating the health care system for the first time, walk-in services offers them the flexibility they need and reduces barriers to accessing quality health care. Besides pregnancy, HIV and STD testing, services will also include comprehensive education on reducing high-risk behaviors in the future. Teens also will be educated on how to access future care through scheduling an appointment.

There are a lot of complexities that encompass a young teenager’s life, but because of places like Erie Teen Center, accessing quality health care isn’t one of them. Erie Teen Center is more than just another health center. It is a place of support and compassion, made up of people working tirelessly to meet the needs of every aspect of a patient’s health.

Erie is now accepting nominations for the 2011 Golden Toothbrush Awards, being held on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at The Four Seasons Chicago! This year Erie is thrilled to announce a change in the award process… instead of just one award to honor a leader in community oral health there will be three awards presented on the day of the luncheon: Organization, Individual and Student.

Do you know a dentist helping uninsured people in your community? Or a student volunteering at a school to help kids learn how to brush their teeth correctly? Or an organization making a difference to help those without health care? If you do, nominate them for one of the 2011 Golden Toothbrush Awards to honor them for their commitment to improving the quality of life in our Chicago communities.

To learn more about the process and submit your nomination, fill out the Nomination Form by clicking here!

Erie Beats

While we all know presents are lovely, there are some gifts you can’t pick up at a store downtown Chicago. This holiday season, help your community and bring Joy to Erie by giving the gift of health. You can directly assist members of the Chicago community by making a donation. Every dollar given helps bring an extra ounce of joy into the lives of low-income Chicagoans all year around.

Erie Family Health Center was named one of the Top 100 Workplaces by the Chicago Tribune! Erie staff members and board chair Brian Marsella attended an event hosted by the Tribune on Tuesday, November 9 at the Chase Auditorium to be recognized for this honor. The group also have the opportunity to meet and speak with Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz.

Watch a special video message from Erie’s President and CEO Dr. Lee Francis or read our company profile online! Be sure to pick up your copy of the Chicago Tribune today for a special feature magazine!

Erie Beats

Join Erie Family Health Center on Thursday, February 24, 2011 at LaSalle Power Company (500 N. LaSalle) from 6-9PM for Salud and the City, an evening to directly help Erie patients! Tickets go on sale November 10, 2010. For more details visit our Facebook page! Cocktails, appetizers, live music performed by South of 80, silent auction and more! Cheers to a healthier Chicago!

What could be better than someone from Erie going to Lake Erie?! Check out Dr. Sara Naureckas, Medical Head of Pediatrics at Lake Erie Islands with family!!!

Dr. Naureckas at Lake Erie Islands!

Happy Friday to all! Today we have an exciting Who Is Erie post – look at all the places Heidi Ortolaza, Erie Case Manager, has been!

Heidi at the Badlands National Park in her Erie t-shirt!

Here she is at Mt. Rushmore!

Now at Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park!

To see more of Heidi’s pictures or to view other Who Is Erie? photos, check out our album on Facebook.