Health Clinic: More Milestones
In response to the lack of access to healthcare on the South Side of Chicago, IMAN’s Health Clinic began as a grassroots clinic providing health screenings two days a week. With prioritization and planning within the organization, and generous support of community partnerships, IMAN’s Clinic has become its most rapidly growing program. Over the last four years, IMAN’s Clinic has transitioned from a basic, grassroots clinic into a comprehensive health center that operates five days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. In 2010, Dr. Altaf Kaiseruddin, MD, became the Clinic’s first Medical Director and paid staff physician, a goal that the Clinic had established since its beginning. In 2012, IMAN’s Health Clinic served 834 unduplicated patients through 3,127 visits.
A group of volunteer physicians and allied professionals, who provide their time and commitment to the Clinic, have been central to our growth and success. Dr. Sarah Ahmed, an emergency room physician, and Dr. Haque, a specialist in pain medicine and rehabilitation, are two volunteer physicians who have joined our Clinic’s team of physicians. Dr. Haque provides acupuncture services. Two other memebers of the team are Dr. Deeba Masood, who provides focused asthma visits, and Sarah Syed, who has been providing free on-site ultrasound services to our Clinic. A new team member, Dr. Ibrahim Mansoor, is expected to join the Clinic soon!
IMAN’s Health Clinic has a commitment to community education and the Clinic staff is committed to the development of young professionals in healthcare. Through partnerships with local allied health centers, such as Everest College and Elam Institute, the Clinic has become an externship training site for medical assistants and medical administrative assistants, who are under the guidance of Dr. Adiba Khan, MD. Third- and fourth-year medical students are exposed to primary care and the challenges of caring for the indigent patient population, as they work with our medical director, Dr. Kaiseruddin. Fransisco Lorozonio, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) counselor, oversees graduate social work students from the University of Chicago, and introduces them to the complexities of mental health issues in a primary care setting.
The Health Clinic is looking forward and preparing to experience exponential growth and development in 2013, as it continues on its trajectory to becoming a free-standing health center that provides a full complement of health services to address the needs of Chicago’s South Side. Please look for more exciting announcements related to the Health Clinic in our upcoming editions!