KCC Has A Lot To Celebrate And A Lot To Do

By John Voket

Wednesday afternoons are normally percolating at Kevin’s Community Center, the free local medical clinic tucked a way in an increasingly too cozy corner of the Newtown municipal office complex on Pack’s Lane. But last Wednesday was exceptionally busy, and celebratory.

As patients were shuttled in and out of exam rooms, staff and volunteers took a few moments to celebrate two recent high profile grants and a grassroots donation of medical supplies orchestrated by an enterprising local Girl Scout.

The clinic’s founder Dr Z. Michael Taweh also took a few moments to tout next Monday’s inaugural mammogram screening program, being conducted in cooperation with the Newtown Health District, St Vincent’s Hospital and the hospital’s signature cancer awareness-raising program, Swim Across the Sound.

According to Director of Development Phyllis Cortese, Kevin’s Community Center recently received a $25,000 grant from the Ridgefield-based pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim and its nonprofit philanthropic division, Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation. These funds will help underwrite clinic operations and help in acquiring pharmaceutical supplies.

KCC has also become a United Way of Northern Fairfield County Affiliate and received a $20,000 grant to support the clinic’s program, which supplies no-cost medical care to uninsured and under-insured Newtown adults, as well as assisting with referrals and support for parents seeking medical care for their minor children through the state’s HUSKY health system.

These referrals are facilitated by Newtown Social Services director Ann Piccini, who is stationed at the clinic every Wednesday afternoon during its operating hours of noon to 5 pm.

Last Wednesday also saw the clinic being visited by Newtown High School freshman and Girl Scout Lauren Hanulik, whose recent and aptly-titled “Band Aid,” helped the clinic restock its supply cabinets with armloads of medical supplies.

As part of her ten-year anniversary in scouting, and to earn her Silver Girl Scout Award, Lauren provided flute lessons to several Reed Intermediate School students and traveled to the Newtown Middle School to recruit interested music students for the high school’s marching and concert bands. Her efforts also brought her to three neighboring scout troops to talk about her positive experiences with scouting and her many musical pursuits.

Along the way she solicited donations of medical supplies for the clinic, and delivered boxes laden with rubber gloves and gauze, bottles of peroxide, bandages, and other requested items. As he helped her unload the supplies, Dr Taweh marveled at the donations.

“These are all things we need everyday,” he said while learning about Lauren’s musical multitasking — playing piano for her own enjoyment, as well as saxophone and flute in the high school ensembles.

“Besides collecting the supplies, I spent part of the 40 hours required for the Silver Award sewing flag bags and costumes for the color guard, and providing assistance during a dinner for members of the Count Basie Orchestra who visited the high school for a recent concert,” Lauren said.

Once Lauren’s supplies were all put away, Dr Taweh and Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert spoke to The Bee about this coming Monday’s mammogram screening session at Kevin’s.

“We’ll have volunteers and staff here to help patients and to coordinate with the mammogram screenings,” Dr Taweh said. “I can’t stress enough the importance of this procedure since we’ve already had two of our own patients who have been successfully treated after being diagnosed with breast cancer through similar screenings.”

Dr Taweh said that in both local cases, he feared the worst may have happened if these patients failed to receive the mammography screenings that lead to the diagnoses. He also urged women as young as 20, and those with or without insurance coverage, to make an appointment for the screenings.

“Younger women are not as attentive to these matters. But sometimes we see women in their 20s and early 30s developing breast cancer, and these screenings are the best way to prevent the cancer from developing, as well as motivating uninsured or those who have not yet participated in a screening to get tested,” Dr Taweh said.

Ms Culbert said the groundwork for this first-of-its-kind event was laid last September when St Vincent’s conducted similar screenings at the Health District Health Fair.

“I had my own mammogram done through this service at the health fair,” Ms Culbert said. “But having this activity here at KCC is a natural. It affords plenty of privacy both in our location, and the fact we have these private exam rooms to work in.”

Women interested in setting up a screening must call St Vincent’s for an appointment at 203-576-5500.

The clinic was also celebrating the return Wednesday of APRN Liz Devine, who began volunteering when the clinic opened about two-and-a-half years ago, but who had been off on maternity leave since last year. In addition, KCC welcomed its latest physician volunteer, internist Dr Alan Davis who will be on hand on Wednesdays to help with patient care.

For more information about KCC, to learn about volunteer opportunities, or to make a donation, visit the clinic’s website at www.kevinscommunitycenter.org or call 426-0496.