Campus News

Clinic for Houston community opens in Health 2

Healthcare system and companies are to blame for interest in alternative medicine

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

A new clinic has opened in Health 2, providing health care access to those in and outside the UH community.

The UH Family Health Care Center is serviced by doctors at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine and allows students to further develop their clinical skills. The specialists range from licensed clinical psychologists to family medicine doctors.

The center accepts most major insurance plans and Medicare and has a discount program for those without health insurance.

Regardless of the patient’s status at UH, all patients must either fill out the web form if new or log in through the portal if they are established.

Dr. Brian Reed, practicing family physician and medical college’s chair of the clinical sciences department, hopes the clinic will become a used resource in and around the Third Ward.

“We are able to develop treatment plans that don’t just address the physical health but also address the mental health well-being of patients that access the UH Family Care Center,” Reed said.

The center aims for them to soon be a reliable resource for those at UH and throughout Third Ward, with students, staff and faculty able to come in for a quick checkup between classes.

Second-year medical student Carolina Venturi stresses the importance of community and connection with patients, mentioning asking patients for their pronouns and being aware of places accepting food stamps.

“I feel that healthcare is a right, not a privilege,” Venturi said. “I feel that we should all have the ability to be as healthy as we can and really no other medical school focuses on those themes.”

Venturi’s love for healthcare came after her younger sister dealt with a health issue, later discovering that she aligned with UH’s mission.

“When I applied, the mission was compassionate care serving underserved populations,” Venturi said.

Once receiving approval from the patients, students can shadow the doctors and build their clinical skills.

The full FAQ sheet on the clinic’s website consists of information regarding bilingual services and how to schedule an appointment.

“I’m glad that we’re not just sort of talking the talk, but also walking the walk with action,” Reed said.

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