St. Bernard Fosters Growth of Englewood Youth
When St. Bernard rededicated itself to fostering the revitalization and regrowth of Englewood, the hospital identified essential long-term solutions to complex issues facing the community. In looking ahead to the future of a struggling neighborhood, one very important group of young people came to mind. In order to help build a successful renaissance in Englewood and realizing that future ultimately lies in the hands of today’s children, St. Bernard enacted a concentrated effort to address health care needs of community kids.
Today, what began as a pediatric health outreach initiative has blossomed into a multi-faceted campaign to positively affect Englewood’s youngest citizens. Often working in tandem with organizations such as Teamwork Englewood or the strategic partners of CHANCE, St. Bernard is having a direct impact on the lives of hundreds of kids.
The task will long prove an uphill battle. Almost 50% of Englewood children live at or below poverty level, and rates of births to teen mothers, infant mortality, and low birth weight babies are all well above city averages. One quarter of children tested for lead poisoning have high blood lead levels. Despite impactful statistics, children continue to suffer from lack of comprehensive medical care and health maintenance.
“We would love to see parents more closely monitoring their child’s overall health,” says Ronald Campbell, Vice President of Patient Care Services at St. Bernard. “But there are hardships that get in the way. Limited health insurance, work and school schedules, money – they all play a role in how parents approach the issue of pediatric health care.”
The Pediatric Mobile Health Unit (PMHU), launched in 2004, helps to alleviate some of those limitations by providing free, basic physical exams and immunizations for school children throughout the city’s South Side. In addition, PMHU staff offer referrals for dental care, eye care, and family planning. An on-site practitioner offers knowledgeable, candid advice.
“We see a lot of untreated, sometimes chronic conditions,” says Walter Repuszka, the PMHU Director, “and many times they’ve been neglected for years. Sometimes all it takes is one visit to the Mobile Unit, and a child’s health can take a big turn for the better.”
The PMHU is part of St. Bernard’s sweeping CHANCE concept – Comprehensive Health and Advocacy Network for the Children of Englewood. Encompassing programs that treat kids from infancy to high school graduation, CHANCE is a proactive approach to providing full scale health care services to a disadvantaged youth population.
St. Bernard’s in-house dental clinic is the latest major component of CHANCE. Slated to open in January 2007, the clinic will house three operatories (dentist chairs plus related equipment) and will operate five days a week. Up to 1,500 patients are anticipated in the clinic’s first year.
CHANCE and its components are strictly focused on providing health care, but St. Bernard’s reach to community children does not end in the exam room. The hospital is eager to see the lives of these young men and women continue to flourish as they work toward professional goals and community leadership.
This spring, St. Bernard will award its first nursing scholarships to deserving Englewood area high school students. The Barack Obama Nursing Scholarship of St. Bernard Hospital will provide full scholarships for nursing programs at a city college. In return, the hospital is pleased to provide graduates with their first nursing position here at St. Bernard.
“We are seeking excellent students,” says Evelyn Jones, Chief Nurse Officer at St. Bernard. “These are students who have a passion for nursing, who are career driven and eager to succeed. We want them to succeed as well, and these scholarships will help them achieve their goals.”
Career-oriented teenagers have benefited from St. Bernard’s community collaborations, include those with Teamwork Englewood. This past summer, Barbara Young coordinated participation in a summer job program, providing a unique opportunity for Englewood teens to work within numerous departments in the building. Some saw how medical care works from an administrative perspective, while others witnessed the more colorful side of surgery and emergency medicine.
Students were praised by Alderman Todd Stroger (8th District), who joined them at a luncheon in August. Stroger discussed his community, his childhood experiences, and how they continued to impact his life today.
Among those in the audience was 17-year old Judith De’Sir, whose summer was spent in the surgery department. “Ever since I was a little girl, watching ‘ER’, I’ve wanted to (be a doctor),” she said. Having seen a black doctor treat a gunshot victim on television, she knew that medicine was her calling. “it was either a teacher or a doctor – now it’s definitely a doctor.”
De’Sir is only one of the many faces met by St. Bernard each year, but her enthusiasm and determination is the prototype for things to come in Englewood. It’s the greatest indicator that a renaissance awaits, in the hands of tomorrow’s leaders.
