Dodson Avenue Community Health Center, an affiliate of Erlanger Health System, is hosting a special event on Monday to commemorate National Health Centers Week.
To kickoff the week, health center representatives, along with local elected officials, will present a proclamation at the Dodson Avenue Community Health Center and offer tours of both health centers on Monday from noon until 2 p.m. The focus of the events is to highlight the many health services offered to area residents each and every day at the health centers.
The week’s events also include health fairs from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Dodson Avenue on Tuesday and Southside on Wednesday, Aug. 12. Patient Appreciation Day will be held at both locations on Thursday, Aug. 13, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free health information will be available to patients and refreshments provided by the staff. The health centers will host a community walk on Saturday, Aug. 15, 8-9 a.m., at the UTC parking lot at 3rd and Mable Streets. And, a health symposium and lunch will be held Saturday, Aug. 15, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Orchard Knob Elementary School.
This year’s theme, “Celebrating Our Legacy, Shaping Our Future,” highlights 50 years of recorded history and growth of health centers in comprehensive, high-quality preventive and primary health care to patients, regardless of their ability to pay. According to National Health Centers, health centers serve as the medical and healthcare home for nearly 22 million people annually. Nearly all patients are low income with one in four health center patients having individual incomes below poverty.
The Southside and Dodson Avenue Community Health Centers’ focus for over 45 years is to provide primary and preventive medical care for people of all ages, including prenatal and OB/GYN services. The centers also offer educational information on nutrition, exercise programs, diabetes, hypertension and how to stop smoking. These services are a part of the centers' approach to providing high-quality clinical care regardless of the patients’ ability to pay and a reflection of their service to the community, said officials.
Through both health centers, the centers’ affiliation agreement with University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga has also enabled Erlanger to offer all patients access to a full range of physicians for specialized care. The partnership with the community and a hospital system such as Erlanger is an opportunity to serve residents not only in the city limits but also patients from the region and surrounding states.
For more information on the events or health services, contact the Southside Community Health Center, 100 East 37th St., at 778-2700 or Dodson Avenue Community Health Center, 1200 Dodson Ave., at 778-2800.