Provena to offer medical care to students

Editor's note: This article contains corrected material, published Sept. 5, 2008.

The overflow at McKinley Health Center may soon be put to rest by a new facility available to students on campus.

Provena Medical Group's new Primary Care Clinic, which opened Aug. 21, provides an alternative to students seeking medical care on campus.

Located at 700 S. Gregory St. in Urbana, this new facility offers traditional primary care as well as holistic healing techniques.

"We view ourselves as working alongside McKinley," said Dr. Lenley Jackson of Provena. "McKinley services 50,000 students, and we can aid in seeing the overflow."

The general practitioner services offered at this clinic are similar to those offered at McKinley, such as women's health and rehabilitation services. However, Provena offers a different menu of options for healing, including a massage therapist, a chiropractor and aromatherapy healing.

Provena will also be opening a Quick Care Clinic later this fall inside its primary care facility that will serve students for extended hours from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. McKinley's hours are from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The Quick Care Clinic will also provide an after-hours alternative to the emergency room.

"A trip to the emergency room can be quite expensive," said Kimberly Garrison, manager of marketing and public relations for Provena Medical Group. "Most insurance plans are used by the clinic."

Many popular insurance plans are used by the Provena Clinic, such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, United Healthcare of Illinois and Encore. The cost of using services at the Primary Care Clinic is consistent with the co-pay costs of the patient's insurance plan.

Mike Harrison, public relations specialist for Carle Foundation Hospital, said Carle is pleased that another health care facility is available on the University campus.

"We are certainly in favor of any advancements that are made to address the health care needs within our community," he said.

Health concerns often occur after medical offices are closed.

"The later hours seem like they will be more convenient for when people are out late at night engaging in certain activities," said Matt Misichko, sophomore in AHS.

Provena Primary Care Clinic aims to give students a helpful alternative to medical treatment.

"This is a place for patients to come to initiate the journey on the true path to healing," said Dr. Jackson.