Healing Spaces: An Outpatient Primary Care Neighborhood Clinic

Abstract

With the passing of the Affordable Care Act, millions of newly insured people have been catapulted into the health care system. This means that patients who formerly used emergency rooms for routine illnesses will now have the resources to obtain health care in a primary care clinic, and that more clinics will be needed to provide this care. The proposed primary care clinic provides the holistic experience for people who need psychological and physical healing services for the Central District community. To meet those newly insured and other low-income populations, creating patient-centered environments is a powerful idea. The under-one-roof approach of direct primary care, urgent care, same-day access, wellness center, and healthy food initiative to be delivered by the proposed clinic, can provide a more affordable, accessible and convenient healing space for patients, and a more effective method for clinicians with better outcomes for the community as a whole. This clinic will not only help patients with non-emergency conditions to avoid emergency room costs, but also expands access to primary care for low-income patients. The integration of medical, educational, and social aspects is intended to deinstitutionalize the clinic and to re-position it into the collective aspiration of the community.