The community agency chosen for this activity is Vista Health Clinic, which is also known as Vista Health Center of Cook County. It is located in Palatine, IL (1585 N Rand Road, in particular) (Vista Health Center of Cook County, 2015). The clinic is near a crossroad of two main roads, which makes it easy to get to. Internist and pediatrician are the professionals that mainly provide healthcare to the clients. The physicians specialize in the Family Medicine, which determines the scope of their patients. To visit a doctor, one is to gain an appointment beforehand, as it is the only way, in which the walk-ins are allowed. Vista Health Clinic works from Monday till Saturday, which enables those who works during the weekdays, have a consultation.
As it was mentioned, the clinic encompasses a particular medical specialty. It proves that it has an experience in the group practice. Of course, the fact that the healthcare facility does not provide a wide range of services is likely to make the clients dissatisfied, but it is necessary to remember that today such approach is advantageous. The medicine became very complex, so it becomes impossible to know everything about the innovations in different fields. Thus, the clients who refer to Vista Health Clinic realize that the professional who work with them know not only the basics but are familiar with all peculiarities regarding their specialization.
All people who live in Palatine have an opportunity to consult a physician in Vista Health Clinic. The clients are accepted regardless their age and nationality, which is of advantage, as the population in Palatine is diverse and have different origins. Those who have public insurances, such as Medicare, etc. also have an opportunity to refer to this healthcare facility. The professionals live within the community they work with, so it is easy for them to find a common language with the patients.
The nurses in Vista Health Clinic promote health and take care of the patients paying attention to the disease prevention. They help the physicians and gather the information about the patients, one’s complaints, provide diagnoses and treat the illness. The nurses are also in charge of preventative care. They are responsible for checkups and immunization; they control tests and conduct health-risk assessments. The nurses help the patients to keep to a healthy lifestyle. They educate the representatives of the general public and manage chronic illness. In some cases, they also coordinate the care provided by the physicians, but as Vista Health Clinic does not have a variety of specialties, it is needed not often. Pediatric nurses work with children predominantly; they sometimes get in touch with the school nurses to gain more information about the kid’s physical condition. They find an approach to children for them to feel comfortable and not to be afraid of the following consultation with a physician.
I believe that the experience that I got when being at Vista Health Clinic is very valuable. It allowed me to see how the healthcare facility operates and what tasks the health workers have. I think that group practice allows them to remain true professionals and improve their knowledge in the sphere so that they are always aware of innovative treatments, etc. Operating within the familiar community also makes their work easier and more efficient. I believe that Vista Health Clinic has enough power to improve the health of the community.
References
Vista Health Center of Cook County. (2015). Web.