Health clinic at St. Petersburg school aims to connect families with care

ST. PETERSBURG — From employment coaching and financial advising to on-site legal counsel and after-school programs, the Campbell Park Resource Center aims to help stabilize families by offering multiple services under a single roof.

Now, people will be able to access health care at the center, too.

In late August, United Way Suncoast, in partnership with Evara Health — a nonprofit health organization that serves low-income and uninsured communities — opened a new health clinic at the resource center, located on the John Hopkins Middle School campus.

The health clinic operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and serves adults and children with primary care on-site, as well as referrals to specialists. It also has a telehealth kiosk that can be used for consultations with off-site doctors.

The clinic is open to anyone in Campbell Park or the surrounding neighborhood. Most insurance is accepted, and sliding-scale payment plans based on income will be available for people who are uninsured.

Evara chief medical officer Nichelle Threadgill said the goal is to remove barriers to care for families in need. That’s why having it located on a school campus is critical.

John Hopkins Middle School is home to more than 600 students and serves a predominantly Black and economically disadvantaged population. Campbell Park Elementary School is within walking distance of the center, too.

“It’s the difference between patients being able to get there by foot or whatever means of transportation they have, versus going without,” Threadgill said. “Our mission is to make quality health care accessible to everyone.”

But health is about more than just medical care, Threadgill said. It’s about the factors that play into overall well-being, like having stable housing and access to healthy food.

Emery Ivery, United Way Suncoast chief impact officer, said he had that in mind more than a decade ago when planning for the resource center began.

“The goal was to have a one-stop center where people could have their needs met, be that speaking with an attorney, or using a computer or getting job training, or having something to eat,” Ivery said.

When people are struggling financially, Ivery said, they don’t have the time or ability to go to different service providers for all of their needs. His goal was to streamline services to make it easier on families.

Doing so meant working with organizations across Tampa Bay.

The Pinellas County School District donated the building space that houses the center’s operations. The Tampa Bay Rays and Feeding Tampa Bay partnered to run a food pantry and support families with educational resources.

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“We make the greatest impact when we come together,” Ivery said.

Find out more

To learn more about the Campbell Park Resource Center, visit: https://unitedwaysuncoast.org/what-we-do/neighborhood-programs/campbell-park/. It’s located at 701 16th St. S in Building 7 on the campus of John Hopkins Middle School. Or call 813-274-0955.

For more information about Evara Health, visit: https://evarahealth.org/.

For more information about Feeding Tampa Bay, visit: https://feedingtampabay.org/.