High Point has a new clinic aimed at providing health care for teenagers.
It's called the JustTEENS Program, and the clinic began offering services this week. A major goal of the clinic is to reduce teen pregnancy rates, but its focus is also on the overall health of teenagers in the Triad. It serves patients under 20, offering physicals, immunizations, pregnancy tests and private health counseling.
LaTanya Pender with the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health says many teens aren't getting regular health checkups unless they're mandated by school.
"We've got a lot of ground to cover...this is an important time for our adolescents in their health care journey and so we want to make sure that they're not missing anything that they need to be healthy and successful in life."
The facility is equipped for 12 to 14 patients a day. JustTEENS accepts insurance and Medicaid, but Pender says the majority of the teens they see don't have access to either. Those 18 and under are will be covered at the clinic.
The clinic was funded by a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy High Point. Another JustTEENS clinic opened in Greensboro last year.