29 Aug Health Clinics Offered at Contra Costa County Community Colleges

(Contra Costa Health Services via Bay City News)

CC Pulse Staff Report

Contra Costa Health this week began offering free school and sports physical exams and confidential reproductive health services via mobile clinics on the main campuses of the county’s three community colleges.

“College is a time of transition and learning. With classwork, jobs, and daily demands, health can fall lower on the list,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, the county health director, in a statement Wednesday. “By bringing care to campus, we are removing barriers and giving students an easy way to focus on their health.”

The services offered include general physical exams along with reproductive education and services and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.

CCH mobile clinics already provide healthcare at many county high schools. Officials believe expanding the services to community colleges will help keep the young adults attending them healthier.

“We are proud to partner with CCH to offer our students free, convenient health care services,” the colleges’ Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said. “We encourage our students to prioritize their physical and mental health. This is just one example of how our colleges empower students to care for their well-being.”

Staff at the mobile clinics includes a nurse practitioner, a registered nurse, a health education specialist and a mobile clinic operator.

Students younger than 21 can receive reproductive care at the mobile clinics regardless of insurance status. Students younger than 21 who have Medi-Cal, Contra Costa Health Plan or are uninsured can also receive physical exams. Students 21 and older who are uninsured or covered by CCHP or Medi-Cal are eligible for the same services.

The clinics operate each Wednesday from 1-4:30 p.m., except on the second Wednesday of each month, at Contra Costa College in San Pablo and Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill.

Los Medanos College in Pittsburg will host clinics every Monday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays.

To schedule an appointment, students can call (925) 608-5350 or submit an online clinic appointment request.