How appropriate and timely for my last blog to highlight what I think is one of the most fascinating parts about the acronym CHC. The word “Community” in Community Health Center. Without it, we would be just another Health Center.

Community does not mean that we alone serve the community, that’s a tall order for a Health Center. But Community means that we work within and share our labor with our neighbors. Those neighbors include our local government, community organizations, businesses, civic leaders and the like.

I enjoy working with the community to help give our Daily Planet patients the best care available. Today The Daily Planet partnered with Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing, Department of Health Education and the Department of Genetics. I feel it is important to expose young learners of all disciplines to public health. I also believe it is important to stay involved with research and the institutions of medicine, so that our patients are afforded the same level of cutting edge care that is offered to the general public. VCU is our neighbor and we work closely together to take care of our community.

Last week at the Daily Planet we held an orientation for the VCU School of Nursing and Department of Health Education students. These students will be working with us on a HRSA grant that we were awarded to improve how we obtain family histories. We know that if we explore the family history of our patients it will give us useful information to predict their personal health risk and implement a plan for prevention. Not only are we teaching cultural competence, but these students are helping us to take better care of our patients.

We are a “Community” Health Center in the true sense, in that we involve the Community, to take care of the Community, because we are the Community!

I hope that during my month of blogs, you have noted that practicing Community Health has all of the excitement, adventure, and variety of specialty care medicine or third world mission work.

It is truly what you make it, and it is all available to you in many different shapes, sizes, and locations.

Dare to explore and enjoy! Thanks to all for allowing me to share!