June 2011

The College of Medicine, which already has health centers at two Gadsden County schools, is part of a team that’s working to establish a wellness center at Havana Middle School.

Also involved in the effort are Florida A&M University, particularly its Community Health Alliance and its School of Architecture; the Florida State University Colleges of Nursing, Communications and Information, and Social Work; Tallahassee Community College; the Gadsden County School Board and Health Department; and the Havana community. The hope is to have the Havana Health and Wellness Center open by August.

“We decided to create a center where we have students from pharmacy, allied health, dental hygiene, nursing, physical therapy and medicine working together,” said Maggie Blackburn (in photo), M.D. She’s director of rural health in the medical school’s Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health, plus a member of the steering committee behind this project.

Shirley Aaron, chair of that committee, said Havana has only one practicing medical provider – and that one does not serve people on Medicaid.

The committee received a grant from the Department of Health’s Office of Minority Health to conduct community focus groups in Havana to learn what their needs are.

When it opens, the HHWC plans at first to provide services just for Havana Middle School students and employees. Later it plans to branch out to the local community.

The College of Medicine has student health centers at James A. Shanks Middle School and George W. Munroe Elementary School in Quincy.