CENTER ROLL CALL
Erie Teen Center: Its 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 are 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 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. 
 

To read more about the Erie Teen Center and their new walk-in services on Erie's Blog, click here.

EVENTS @ ERIE

Through the generosity of an anonymous donor, the Erie Facebook Campaign brought in over $6,000, which will help bring quality health care to all Erie patients

In October, an anonymous donor pledged to donate $5 for every new fan the Erie Facebook page received from October 15th to November 30th. The response was overwhelming. In just a month and a half, Erie's Facebook page received 900 new fans from all over the country. This was done through the encouragement of Erie staff, which helped promote the campaign, as well by other Erie Facebook fans. Through the hard work, dedication and support from everyone involved, Erie not only raised money to continue provide our patients with programs and services, but also introduced an even larger group of individuals to Erie Family Health Center.    
 

Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, our donor had a surprise in store for us. He/she vowed to increase their donation - in fact, they agreed to double it - for the month of December. It was definitely crunch time and it turns out our recruiters still had a little more to give.  Through their efforts, Erie's Facebook page received 169 new fans during the month of December, which amounted to a $1,690 donation to Erie Family Health Center. All in all, the Erie Facebook campaign brought in over a $6,000 donation.
 

These contributions will allow our organization to aid in the health of our Chicago community and it is all because of the unceasing efforts and determination of everyone involved. On behalf of Erie Family Health Center and our patients, thank you!
 

To visit Erie Family Health Center's Facebook page, click here.