The bookshelves and tables in the waiting room at Community Clinic in Rogers are filled with new books, thanks to recent gifts from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine-Arkansas.
Staff members from NYITCOM-Arkansas in Jonesboro visited the Rogers clinic last week to donate toys and books that are in English, Spanish, and Marshallese. The donation will help to promote childhood literacy and encourage parents to read with their children. Medical students at NYITCOM-Arkansas perform clinical rotations at Community Clinic.
“We are extremely grateful for the relationship we have with Community Clinic,” said Colleen Hendren, NYITCOM-Arkansas’ Regional Manager for Northwest Arkansas. “Community Clinic helps support our mission by training our students, and we’re thrilled to in turn support their mission through these gifts.”
“Health education and literacy are key components of our mission,” Hendren said. “It’s the perfect fit to give kids a chance to read and learn when they visit Community Clinic.”
Community Clinic operates 13 sites in Washington and Benton Counties. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Community Clinic provides primary care, behavioral health services, and dental services. A sliding fee discount is available based on federal poverty level guidelines. They also accept ARKids 1st, Medicaid, Medicare, and third-party private insurance. Community Clinic is Northwest Arkansas’ largest safety-net health care provider, serving more than 37,500 patients annually.
“As the primary care provider for over 17,000 children, we know the importance of reading to young children and encouraging the time for literature in the family,” said Community Clinic CEO Kathy Grisham. “Our pediatricians discuss this with their families and having books to give families when they visit Community Clinic reinforces the importance of reading. We are so appreciative of this gift.”