Accessibility Now A Reality For Teen Healthcare

After almost two decades of tending to the health needs of Alexandria teenagers inside a doublewide trailer, Dr. Robert Wolverton has some nice new digs.

On Thursday at T.C. Williams High School, city and school officials were on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to honor the creation of a new Teen Wellness Center located inside the school.

The new facility, which has two exam rooms, offices, a lab and other amenities, replaces an old trailer located outside the school's Minnie Howard Campus dubbed the Adolescent Health Center.

While the name and location have changed, the commitment remains to servicing the health needs of Alexandria teens—and not just T.C. Williams students—free of charge.

"It's a very big change," said Wolverton, who started working in the trailer in 1991. "I really hope it's a lot more accessible to the kids. When it comes to care for teenagers, it's like real estate: access, access, access."

The old facility was a half-mile down Braddock Road from the main campus of T.C. Williams.

"Over at the other place, access had been better in the past because the school day was at a different time," Wolverton added. "The [T.C. Williams] campus had an open policy at lunch, so it was more accessible. … I think [the new facility] is going to be a lot more accessible to the kids at T.C. who now have a longer school day and a busier school day than they used to."

Like the old facility, the services include treatment of minor medical issues, immunizations and physical examinations required for sports for anyone between the ages of 12 and 19. Appointments can be made and there is also walk-in availability.

The new facility has also garnered increased partnerships with local health organizations and city services to ensure improved health education and counseling. There remains an emphasis on curbing teen pregnancy and giving students the information they need when it comes to sex and relationships.

"We've found that kids are really interested in learning about health and health access and how they can make it a priority," said Dr. Stephen A. Haering, Alexandria's new health director.

How the center takes shape and what programs become available will really depend on how the students utilize it. Everything from weight-loss programs to diabetes support groups could be in the works.

Haering was one of several speakers to thank the behind-the-scenes work of different school and city health professionals to speed this project along. In less than a year and a half, the new center went from an idea to a shiny new health hub that Alexandria Schools Superintendant Morton Sherman described as a "benchmark and hallmark in service to our kids."

Putting the center and its variety of services in the school, right next to the city's largest concentration of teens, is the accessibility many hope can ensure a healthier future.

"The way we provide service, a young person might come in for one thing and we'll discover several other things that they need," Wolverton said. "And we've had a tremendous degree for flexibility because we don't have to worry about the cost per minute for a visit, the kids don't have to pay. And we've had enough flexibility to try to deal with as many of those things as possible, many of them with a kid walking in without an appointment."

For more information on the Teen Wellness Center or to make an appointment, call 703-746-4776.