Open Door Family Medical Center, in collaboration with MVP Health Care, United Way of Westchester and Putnam, and The Medcor Group, celebrated National Health Center Week, which began August 8th, by extending its giveaway of school supplies for the entire month of August.
Free backpacks, notebooks, pencils and school supplies were given to all schoolchildren who came in for a visit during the back-to-school period to Open Door medical and dental sites in Ossining, Mamaroneck, Mount Kisco, Port Chester, Sleepy Hollow, Brewster, and our school-based health centers in Ossining and Port Chester, and our most recent center in Webutuck, which opened this past spring. Open Door is committed to encouraging families to bring children in for their medical and dental visits, immunizations, important health and developmental screenings, COVID-19 vaccines, and sports physicals.
“This has been an opportunity to celebrate the work of Community Health Centers (CHCs) here and around the country that provide a safety net for their patients, but also a time to support the children in our local communities who have experienced so many challenges over the past two-and-a-half years because of the pandemic,” said Marilyn Pacheco, marketing director at Open Door. “We wanted to kick off the new school year by getting the kids in our communities excited for what we hope will be a happy, healthy 2022-2023 school year. This year, because of our expanded partnerships, we were happy to be able to provide giveaways of backpacks and supplies for the entire month of August.”
“Community Health Centers are an essential cornerstone to supporting the health and well-being of our children,” said MVP Health Care Medical Director and Pediatrician, Dr. Kristen Navarette. “We are proud to partner again with Open Door to celebrate National Health Center Week, and to support children in the community with backpacks and school supplies needed to get ready for school.”
Since the nation’s first CHCs opened in 1965, expansion to over 1,400 organizations has created an affordable health care option for more than 29 million Americans. CHCs help increase access to crucial primary care by reducing such barriers as cost, lack of instance and language for their patients. The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) was founded in 1971 to promote efficient, high quality, comprehensive health care that is accessible, culturally and linguistically competent, community directed, and patient centered for all.
