Page 60 - LIN_December 2022

GABRIELLE O'BOYLE, Marketing Director / Healthcare Network

HEALTHCARE NETWORK:

45
Serving Families for the Next Years

ow did Healthcare Network To address this shortage, we opened the Nichols Community Health
celebrate its 45th anniversary Center in 2020. This facility offers a “one-stop shop” for pediatric
Hin 2022? By adding more ser- medical, behavioral, and dental health services. Well-child check-
vices to our already comprehensive ups and immunizations are available at this location as well as other
care, furthering our mission and Healthcare Network offices in Naples and Immokalee.
making it more convenient for all To better serve expectant mothers, our new maternal-fetal medicine
families in Collier County to access program focuses on women with high-risk or complicated pregnan-
the services they need. cies, since specialty care is not always available to low-income mothers.
“We serve nearly 50% of Collier In addition, we offer a wide range of in-office procedures such as
County’s children, and more than management of ectopic pregnancy, the Loop electrosurgical excision
one-third of soon-to-be moms are patients of Healthcare Network,” procedure (LEEP) to prevent cervical cancer, and vulvar biopsy.
said CEO Jamie Ulmer, who joined the center last July. “Considering These procedures were previously only accessible to our patients at a
the rapid growth in the area, it’s imperative that services be available hospital, where the cost to the patient was often prohibitive.
to more people in more communities, particularly where access is In addition to traditional offices, we also bring services into the
limited, like in Ave Maria and Everglades City.” community through our Community Outreach Team and various
Our services include family care, obstetrics and gynecology, pedi- mobile units. The multilingual team bridges healthcare gaps through
atrics, senior care, and pharmacy as well as dental care, traditional home visits, health fairs, and door-to-door canvassing. Our Ronald
mental health services, and integrated behavioral health. McDonald Care Mobile© and Health and Smile Mobile have traveled
Recently, in order to better serve our families, we expanded our to schools, community centers, and neighborhoods to deliver dental
pediatric services. In September, Healthcare Network launched and medical care to underserved children and families.
Pediatric Convenient Care and extended hours for pediatric dental As Collier County continues to grow, Healthcare Network is
services. Our Pediatric Convenient Care at the Nichols Community committed to being innovative in how we reach at-risk populations.
Health Center provides same-day care for infants, children, and teens We hope to engage more of the community in support of our mission
with minor illnesses and injuries. Since the practice was launched, to create a healthier community for the benefit of all. To learn more,
we have seen about 40 patients a day, including walk-ins. If your child visit healthcareswfl.org.
is sick or having a minor allergic reaction and is unable to see their
provider, our new practice is a great same-day care option.
Through our Dental Care East office, we have extended pediatric
appointments from 7a.m. to 5:30p.m., so children will not need to
miss valuable school time. Additionally, to help children feel at ease
while receiving dental care, Healthcare Network, with great support
from Naples Children and Education Foundation (NCEF), will soon
provide sedation dentistry at our pediatric dental practice, located
in the Nichols Community Health Center. Sedation services are fitting
for pediatric patients who may suffer from severe dental anxiety, need
several procedures to be done during a single visit, and/or have a
medical, physical or emotional disability that limits their ability to
understand directions and remain calm.
Children go through many important developmental milestones
as they grow up, making accessible primary care services essential
for their health and well-being. However, access to primary care for
children can be difficult, as Collier County is federally designated as
a Medically Underserved Area/Health Professional Shortage Area
(HPSA) for primary care, especially in the Golden Gate communities.

60 Life in Naples December 2022