Baylor Clinic Recognized By Itasca Chamber Of Commerce For Economic Development

by Judy Long

The Baylor Rural Health Center in Itasca, operated by Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing, received an economic development award Jan. 31 from the Itasca Chamber of Commerce. The clinic, which is Itasca's only health care center, received the award for making the greatest impact on the Itasca community in the past year.
Dr. Lisa Taylor, clinic program director and coordinator of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at the nursing school, attended the banquet to receive the award.
"We've seen more than 800 people in the year and a half since the clinic opened. That represents half of the population of Itasca. The community welcomed us with open arms and has been very supportive, and we feel honored and blessed to be here," she said.
Bob Wilson, president of the Itasca Chamber of Commerce, said the new health center is important to Itasca because many residents are elderly and no longer drive.
"We're located 45 miles north of Waco and 45 miles south of Fort Worth, so we appreciate having a place to go in town for health care," he said.
The health center operates with a five-year, $1.2 million Department of Health and Human Services grant. Among services offered at the clinic are cancer screening, preventive care and case management services. The health center also serves as a source for undergraduate, graduate and faculty research projects for the nursing school, Baylor social work and health education students and University of Texas Southwestern medical students. Research projects at the facility include topics on hypertension, diabetes, obesity in adults and children, asthma, behavioral health and family violence.
For more information, contact the clinic at (254) 687-2437 or Lisa_Taylor@baylor.edu.