One of South Florida’s Leading Youth Advocates and  Medical Facility Come Together for the Community

MIAMI, FL (November 2, 2009) – Alonzo Mourning Charities and UHealth-University of Miami Health System have joined forces to offer vital and convenient health services to the hundreds of children and families of Miami’s Overtown Youth Center (OYC), the first youth enrichment center Mourning opened in 2003. Volunteer physicians from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s UHealth joined Alonzo Mourning and other special guests on October 29^th, 2009 for the unveiling of OYC’s mini-clinic.

Alonzo Mourning’s dedication to South Florida’s youth paired with UHealth’s vast knowledge and excellence in medical care make for the perfect team to provide Miami’s inner-city youth who attend the Center with the health services they so desperately need. Alonzo Mourning personally spoke at the opening celebration, thanking UHealth representatives for their commitment and gave guests a tour of the new clinic. UHealth volunteer physicians were on-hand to answer questions about the various services that will be provided. Speakers at the unveiling also included Carla Penn, Executive Director of the Overtown Youth Center, Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Miller School of Medicine and CEO of UHealth and OYC parent, whose child continues to receive services, Gwen McNair.

Local community members were also invited to the clinic opening, and a heart-wrenching story from one OYC parent described the importance of offering these services to local children and their families. Gwen McNair, mother of two young boys and one girl who attend OYC shared the story about her son with asthma who wasn’t able to pursue his passion for sports because of ongoing concerns. Her child now receives routine check-ups and monitoring from UHealth doctors and will now be able to pursue his dream.

The program will bring volunteer UHealth physicians to the Overtown Youth Center three times a week to provide check-ups for enrolled children and their families.  Doctor visits will occur Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Services will include: health education, promotion of health literacy, mental health screenings and referrals, community outreach – such as linkages with school nurses, first aid for sports injuries, school physicals, pre-participation physicals for OYC recreational events, select primary care services for uninsured OYC youth and their parents, and marriage/family therapy.

The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, the Area Health Education Center (AHEC), the Department of Otolaryngology and the Jay Weiss Center for Social Medicine and Health Equity, all part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, are collaborating to provide services through UHealth at the Overtown Youth Center.

“Our partnership with the University of Miami Health System allows us to take care of our students both physically and mentally now,” said Mourning.  “We’re thankful for UHealth’s commitment to the community and look forward to the benefits OYC’s children and families will receive.”

“The Miller School of Medicine and UHealth-University of Miami Health System are proud to take part in this partnership with the Overtown Youth Center, working together in this way we are able to bring the best medical care to our patients and to our community, as we strive to make sure our children can be the best they can be,” said Dean Goldschmidt.  “We are honored to be able to extend our clinical and social services to the Overtown community and to partner with Alonzo Mourning Charities and the Overtown Youth Center in this effort.”

Alonzo Mourning Charities has a long-standing history with South Florida’s youth through the various programs they organize throughout the year and positive change they encourage. In 2003, Mourning teamed with donors to build the OYC, a state-of-the-art facility in Miami’s inner city.  OYC programs are designed to engage children in educational and recreational activities that promote their physical, cognitive, motor, social, and emotional development. The OYC’s mission is to inspire and empower youth and families by fostering hope through enrichment services.

For more information on the Overtown Youth Center and its services, call 305-349-1204 or visit http://overtownyouth.org.