Business is a bit slow at the new family health center at the Green Meadows apartments in Baldwin Borough, said Dr. Aparna Taylor, a family practitioner who began treating patients there in September.
But she is optimistic that the center will grow.
"It takes time for people to know that we are here," said Dr. Taylor, the primary care physician at the center. "We want people to know this is not just for residents of Green Meadows. It is for everyone."
Green Meadows Family Health Center, operated by Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, opened at 5251 Keeport Drive in one of the apartment buildings. It provides medical services to both the insured and uninsured.
It came about because Baldwin officials were having difficulty meeting the needs of low-income residents of the complex, who were calling Baldwin's emergency medical services for routine health concerns.
"The cry for help was back in 2002," said Chief William E. Plunkett, of the Baldwin Emergency Medical Services. "We were overwhelmed with the inappropriate use of 911 services for earaches, toothaches, issues involving very young mothers with infants."
Marcia Scott, pediatric program and outreach manager in Mercy's department of pediatrics, said Mercy Hospital and Baldwin EMS had worked together to secure grants from the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services and Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield to open the center.
The center not only provides health care for infants, children, adults and seniors, but also after-school and tutoring programs for boys and girls and a parenting program called Helping Hands for Parents.
This year, the center distributed free coats donated by Project Warm to more than 240 to children between 18 months and 14 years old who live at Green Meadows.
Green Meadows Family Health Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays by appointment only. For more information, call 412-653-5773.
First Published: December 8, 2005, 5:00 a.m.
