PRESS RELEASE

PHC Celebrates ‘Take a Loved One to the Doctor’ Day
Health Information Sessions and Screenings to be Held at PHC and MRMC

For Immediate Release: Monday, September 20, 2004-PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY- The Plainfield Health Center (PHC), one of nineteen Federally Qualified Health Centers in New Jersey, dedicated to providing cost effective primary health care services for the residents of Plainfield and Elizabeth and surrounding communities, announced that it will conduct health information sessions and screenings in honor of “Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day” on Tuesday, September 21, 2004. The sessions and screenings will take place between 9:00am and 5:00pm at Plainfield Health Center’s main campus, on the corner of Rock and Myrtle Avenues in Plainfield, and at Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center (MRMC), on the corner of Park Avenue and Randolph Road, also in Plainfield.

“Take a Loved One to The Doctor Day” is part of a national campaign by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which focuses on the health gap between minority populations and the general population. The original campaign, "Closing the Health Gap," was launched November 19, 2001. “Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day” is one component of that campaign, encouraging individuals to see a health care professional on September 21st, or make an appointment to see a health care professional in the near future. Dr. Patti Rose, the President and CEO of Plainfield Health Center, expressed that “although “Take A Loved One to the Doctor Day” is a one day, national event, our goal is to encourage the community to participate in health seeking behaviors on a regular and consistent basis.”

“Research has shown that many individuals need to be motivated to seek out regular health care,” said Dr. Susan Walsh, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Plainfield Health Center. “By focusing on a single day, health care providers nationwide can help generate a greater understanding of the importance of regular health screenings, while at the same time focus on those populations which tend to have the least access to health care. We hope that by educating the community on health issues and providing key screenings, people will be encouraged to get complete physicals. We are also eager to encourage our existing patients to take a loved one to a health care provider, or make an appointment for that person,” said Dr. Walsh.

Plainfield Health Center will provide information sessions on senior health care, dental health, vaccinations, asthma, and midwifery at both PHC and MRMC. The following screenings will be provided at both sites as well: blood pressure, glucose, and HIV testing. The sessions and screenings are free of charge. Refreshments will be served. All those referred patients who make and keep their appointments between September 22nd and December 11th will be eligible for a prize drawing on December 13, 2004.
For more information about “Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day” or to make a health care appointment, please call 908.753.6401, extension 128.

About The Plainfield Health Center

The Plainfield Health Center, incorporated as the Plainfield Neighborhood Health Services Corporation, was born in 1969 under the auspices of the 1960's Model Cities Neighborhood Program. Led by a dedicated group of community activists, the Center was initially created to provide accessible health care to the residents of the West End of Plainfield.

Since then, the Center has grown, added more services, increased the number of specialties of professional health staff, and expanded its reach to the entire City of Plainfield and neighboring communities, and to the City of Elizabeth. Today, the Plainfield Health Center serves more than 21,000 patients annually. Its total care program provides adult medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, adolescent medicine, school based services, dentistry and ancillary support services.

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