Two blocks can make a big difference. The UPMC St. Margaret New Kensington Family Health Center recently opened in a new facility at 1072 Fifth Avenue. The building is just 2 blocks from the center’s original location in downtown New Kensington, Pa.
“I look forward to going there much more than the older building,” says Brandon Miller, a 26-year-old Tarentum resident. He began using the Family Health Center’s primary care and behavioral health services 2 years ago. “The new location is really nice.”
UPMC developed the new Family Health Center with the help of the UPMC St. Margaret Foundation and community donors. A priority for the new location was to create an improved patient experience to support and encourage people to return for preventive health care and stay well.
“The new facility is a powerful statement to the people of our community in New Kensington and beyond,” says Jonathan Han, MD, program director, UPMC St. Margaret Family Medicine Residency Program. “It shows that we care about their health and welfare. And it’s evidence of how we collaborate with community organizations to find ways to improve the health of the patients and families we serve.”
UPMC St. Margaret Family Health Center
The center provides comprehensive, high-quality health care and programs for people of all ages. The broad range of services includes
- Behavioral health services, such as counseling and medicine for opioid use disorder
- Family planning
- Gynecology services
- Prenatal care and obstetrical services (provided by Family Health Center doctors at UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital)
- Sports medicine and osteopathic manipulation treatment (OMT)
- Same day/urgent care appointments
- Health screenings and education classes
- Hearing and vision testing
- Lab services and blood draws
- Medicine consultations with clinical pharmacists
- Nurse visits, including blood pressure checks
- Well-child checkups, immunizations, and sick visits
The center’s doctors are on call for emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Telemed and in-office visits are available.
As part of UPMC St. Margaret’s Family Health Residency Program, the UPMC St. Margaret New Kensington Family Health Center has been fostering an academic model of care and serving local residents since 2001. The new location offers:
- 12 private exam rooms
- Family lounge area with cheerful kids’ corner
- Behavioral health consultation rooms
- Sunshine Place multipurpose room for community meetings and health education events, clinical care, and classes
The move provides more space for partnerships with community and social service agencies from the area.
“Building a new family health center to accommodate integrated services was a welcomed challenge, one that we accepted to create a safe and welcoming space to best serve our patients,” says Dave Patton, president, UPMC St. Margaret.
In addition to New Kensington, UPMC St. Margaret has family health centers in Bloomfield-Garfield and Lawrenceville. To learn more and take a virtual tour of the New Kensington location, visit UPMC.com/NewKenFamilyHealth. To schedule an appointment, call 724-334-3640.
Sources
UPMC St. Margaret Family Health Center
UPMC St. Margaret Family Medicine Residency Program