When students need health care they generally go to health services in the nursing building, but many are not aware that there’s another free clinic they can go to in the downtown area.
Located at 1124 N. Third St. in the Grace Lutheran Evangelical Church of Phoenix, Nurse Practitioner Healthcare-Grace is a community health-care clinic open to ASU students as well as the public. The College of Nursing and Health Innovation operates the clinic.
Hannah Nunez, a sophomore justice studies and broadcast journalism student, was among the students who did not know the clinic existed.
“If I knew about it, I would definitely use it,” Nunez said. “Why not?”
Claudia Zamarron, the clinic office supervisor, said that although few students are aware of the clinic, part of its purpose is to serve them.
“We are here to serve everybody and we are here to offer students help if they need it,” she said.
The clinic is managed and operated by nurses. It is comprised of three medical assistants, one nurse practitioner, an office supervisor and about 20 ASU nursing students per semester.
Zamarron said the clinic has the same services as the health-care center located on the Downtown campus. It offers physical exams as well as family planning services such as birth control and STD testing.
According to the Nursing School’s website, part of Grace’s mission is to, “Provide comprehensive, accessible, culturally acceptable reproductive health care to underserved populations in Phoenix and the surrounding area.”
Ninety-five percent of the patients at the clinic are non-English speaking Hispanic women, said Zamarron. Furthermore, 99 percent of the clinic’s patients live below the poverty line, also according to the website.
Zamarron said the clinic is a Title X clinic, a government run family planning program which was established to provide access to family planning services to those in need. It also promotes prevention of diseases and overall wellness.
Zamarron said that the clinic is mutually beneficial for nursing students who have the opportunity to intern at the clinic. The clinic provides students with first hand educational experiences.
Contact the reporter at jehoagla@asu.edu
