Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield visited the Erlanger-affiliated Dodson Avenue Community Health Center on Thursday, Aug. 10, in recognition of National Health Center Week, Aug. 6-12, and presented a proclamation to Bill Hicks, Executive Director of the Southside and Dodson Avenue Community Health Centers.

Members of the Southside and Dodson Avenue Community Health Center boards, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Hospital Authority Board of Trustees, and Erlanger's administration were also on hand to recognize the contributions made by the nation's community health centers. Among them were Jim Worthington, a member of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Hospital Authority Board of Trustees, and Southside and Dodson Avenue Community Health Centers board members Larry High, Sandy Ornelas, and Tommie Patillo.

"These community health centers have provided a valuable service to these communities for a number of years," Mayor Littlefield said as he presented the proclamation in honor of the Dodson Avenue and Southside (formerly Alton Park Community Health Center) facilities, which have been in operation more than 35 years.

The week's activities also included a patient appreciation day, a health
information day for parents registering their children at Howard High School, and the kickoff of a community walking program at Southside.

Each year, the National Association of Community Health Centers, Inc.,
dedicates the second week of August to recognizing the nation's community health centers. The 2006 national theme is "Celebrating Patient Voice and Community Choice."

"I see this theme in action every day," Mr. Hicks said. "We are overseen by a board composed of community members who give voice to the community's needs while we endeavor to provide an affordable and quality choice for health care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay."

Community health centers in the United States are the "family doctor" to 15 million people. Clinical studies show that uninsured people who live near a health center are less likely to have an unmet medical need, less likely to postpone or delay health care, and less likely to visit an emergency room or stay in a hospital compared to other uninsured.

In 2005, Erlanger's Dodson Avenue and Southside Community Health Centers treated nearly 10,000 OB/GYN, pediatric, family medicine, and dental patients, according to Mr. Hicks. The centers are comprehensive,
multi-specialty primary care facilities offering affordable, accessible, high-quality medical and dental care. Healthcare providers include pediatricians, internal medicine specialists, an obstetrics and gynecology physician, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and dentists. The centers' disease management and wellness promotion programs focus on helping patients
get and stay healthy, with special classes on diabetes and hypertension
among the major health issues addressed. Charges for services are on an income-based, sliding-fee scale.

The Dodson Avenue Community Health Center is located at 1200 Dodson Avenue and offers family medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, and adult dental care, as well as several community outreach programs. The phone number is (423)778-2800. The Southside Community Health Center is located at 100 East 37th Street and offers family medicine, pediatrics, and OB/GYN care, as well as several community outreach programs. The phone number is (423)778-2700.

More information about Southside and Dodson Avenue Community Health Centers can be found at www.erlanger.org.