By Jamil Oakford/ editor-in-chief
NW Campus offers women across TCC a one-stop checkup for pregnancy and STDs with a mobile clinic and a multitude of resources.
The Fort Worth Pregnancy Center and NW started this project in late June, but mobile unit coordinator Amber Jenkins noted that their partnership started earlier than that.
“We went to a health fair at Northwest, and we wanted to do something a little more regularly with them,” she said.
And for the campus’ health services, this cooperated effort presented an opportunity to help students who needed this service.
NW health services coordinator Monica Hayes said there has been interest among students, staff and faculty about the availability of pregnancy tests.
All pregnancy tests provided by the Pregnancy Center’s mobile clinic are free to all students, faculty and staff.
“We serve our women by providing them with free services across the board,” Jenkins said.
Besides free pregnancy tests for TCC women, the mobile clinic provides several other services.
“They offer verification through ultrasound, and they do STD testing,” Hayes said.
The mobile clinic tests for two major STDs: gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Starting Sept. 12, South will be the next campus the mobile clinic will visit on a weekly basis.
“It’s important we have this available for students so we can get them correct information,” Victoria Peterson, South health services administrative assistant, said.
She said this service will help offer women on campus more options and give them more focused and in-depth insight.
“We don’t have an ultrasound machine, but they do,” Peterson said. “They have a lot of resources to help women who need it.”
TR health services coordinator Angela Virgin said her campus is in talks with the Fort Worth Pregnancy Center as well.
At the moment, the mobile clinic visits NW from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Tuesday. The clinic will start visiting South every Monday starting Sept. 12 with the same hours.
“We’re here for the community and our women,” Jenkins said. “If I have the means to help someone then and there, I will, and if not, I’ll find a way. We never turn anyone away.”
