Sunday, February 01, 2009
A safety net for teens
From the RoundTable blog
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John E. Gardner III
Gardner is the president of the board of directors for the Roanoke Adolescent Health Partnership.
Thank you for running the Jan. 6 article "Teens at risk to fall through health care cracks." The article identified the complex issues of providing health care to teenagers and the critical need for our youth to stay connected with a physician as they navigate the often troubled road between childhood and adulthood. The good news is that the Roanoke Valley is fortunate to have one of the few teen health centers in the state: the Roanoke Adolescent Health Partnership. RAHP provides a variety of health care services to all adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 whose parents have given written permission. These services are unique to our community and one of our best-kept secrets.
RAHP has been in operation for 17 years. Our non-profit organization is funded through partnerships with the Roanoke City Health Department, Roanoke City Public Schools, Roanoke County Schools, Roanoke City Human Services, Carilion, Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority and an assortment of grants. RAHP operates three teen clinics: school-based clinics at Patrick Henry High School and William Fleming High School and a community-based clinic located in the Hurt Park Community Center. The locations of the clinic sites are meant to provide the easiest and most efficient accessibility to adolescents from across the valley.
RAHP offers medical services provided by doctors and other health care professionals utilizing the best practices established for adolescent health care. Although resources are often scarce, our dedicated staff bends over backward to be flexible to accommodate the unpredictable and urgent needs of this unique population. They understand attention to health and medical issues in adolescence -- or lack of attention -- predicts lifelong habits, practices and outcomes with critical consequences.
We urge the community to please help us maintain RAHP as an invaluable resource for our young people. Parents, if you have a child between the ages of 10 and 19, please visit our Web site (www.rahpteens.org) to learn more about RAHP's services or call 857-7284. Read, print and sign the parental permission form, then send it to us. Adolescents from all area high schools are able to use these services with a signed permission form. Students attending Patrick Henry or William Fleming can receive services at those school-based clinics while students from all other area high schools are eligible to receive services at the Hurt Park Community Clinic. Furthermore, all insurances are accepted, yet RAHP provides its services at no cost to the teen or the teen's family to those without insurance.
If you are interested in assisting RAHP with a tax-deductible donation, we would be grateful and I would like to thank you in advance on behalf of the Roanoke Valley's adolescents. Donations can be sent to: RAHP, P.O. Box 12712, Roanoke, Va. 24027. Also, I encourage those interested to explore our volunteer opportunities on the Web site to determine if there is a match with your interests and skills. Your support is vital to helping RAHP continue to promote the health and well-being of the Roanoke Valley's teenage population.
