What’s unique about Clinic In The Park is the degree that it was formed by a collaboration of health-related organizations. By being in one site working together that they can provide a one-stop shop for families.
The Clinic In the Park brings 40 different organizations and medical professionals together for free clinical services. It fits extremely well with one of our Park’s objectives – good health and good activities for people, families at all levels. It’s a very important activity in our Park.
We pay for transportation for families to come from one of the poorest areas in our community. The outreach has been fabulous and the people in the community have looked so forward to the Clinic. We are so appreciative and our families are so appreciative.
It’s hard obviously for doctors and others to provide services under a tent in the middle of a park. We bring the mobile medical clinic. We have the lab and all the different unique items that we need for practitioners to really help people.
This project is the model of a collaborative effort. It truly makes health resources accessible to the community. Most projects in the area that lightly resemble Clinic in the Park happen on an annual or at most quarterly basis. Somehow, Dr. Agran and her team manage to successfully put on an event once a month that highlights health for kids and families, puts them in touch with trained pediatricians, nurses and allied health professionals and gives the community a reliable source for health resources. It’s the most reliable and sustainable project of its kind in Orange County. As the AAP, we are happy to be affiliated as a partner.
A mother came to the Be Aware Foundation (Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention ) Station at the Clinic. She was concerned about her daughter, because the father’s side of the family has breast cancer history. His Mother, sister and Grandmother died from breast cancer. She had asked several care providers, and they all told her not to worry, her daughter is too young. Not one of them told her to get her daughter tested for the BRCA gene. The Be Aware Foundation educator suggested she have her daughter tested. The educator thought if it came back negative some the mother’s stress could be alleviated. If the test came back positive, she could then plan a course of action. Her big issue was that nobody would take her seriously, because her daughter is only 11 years old. The mother was in tears when she told me her story. She was so pleased that we offered her a plan.
Look at all the services here! This is all the Clinic in the Park? It’s wonderful for all of these people to have access in one place!
The Clinic is very friendly. They talk to you, give useful information and help us. They are very patient and answer all of our questions. They are not rushed like a doctor’s office. Our kids like the activities and like to talk to the doctors too. We like the fruit.
Dr. Lerner’s Health Chat was great and the bags and snap peas we got for answering questions were terrific.
My children were given booster seats. I didn’t know they outgrew their car seats!
I learned some healthy eating tricks for my child who is a picky eater.
David lost Healthy Families insurance and his medical home. He is not eligible for MediCal. He has medical and social needs impacting learning and is in need of services. At the Clinic, he was enrolled in the on- site medical home, evaluated, met with the pediatrician, the asthma doctor, the occupational therapist, and the dietitian – all on-site at no charge. The Community Application Assistor will follow him to assure connections to all services.
Joey, age 3, had never been to a dentist. He and his family visited the Healthy Smiles Oral Health Station where they chatted with dental health professionals. Joey had an oral health exam; fluoride treatment and 3 cavities were detected. He was referred to a dental home for further treatment.
An extended family came to a Sunday Clinic with their aunt and her child. After our docent introduced the mother and aunt to the services available, they were guided to the car seat fitting station where they mentioned that it was hard to buckle the children in their car seats. After weighing and measuring each child, the Child Passenger Safety Technician showed the family that the three young children had outgrown their child safety seats and needed to be in booster seats. They were given a demonstration of how to use a booster seat and the children were given free booster seats for a safe ride home.
The Hernandez family came to the Clinic this fall. While her children had health insurance, Ms. Hernandez did not. Hosted by our bilingual/bicultural Community Application Assistor from the Raise Foundation, Ms. Hernandez enrolled for health insurance and other programs for which she and her family were eligible. Ms. Hernandez received a breast exam and flu shot, and her entire family received hearing screenings. She met with the Occupational Therapist to discuss developmental concerns and was referred. Each family member had their BMI calculated and received information on healthy weight and healthy eating. As an incentive for participating she was given a copy of the American Academy of Pediatrics book- Caring for your Young Child 0-5 years – Spanish version. The family was also given fresh produce from the Great Park Farm to take home.