November 26, 2014—Construction is nearing completion on a new 3,200 square foot facility off Roswell Road in Marietta, Georgia across from Whole Foods, which will house Life University’s (LIFE’s) new Community Outreach Chiropractic Clinic. LIFE’s current facility, which is near WellStar Kennestone Hospital, has had difficulty meeting size demands because of its booming patient base and more interested Doctor of Chiropractic students at LIFE who want to complete their Level III Clinic Experience at the Outreach clinic. Thirteenth and 14th quarter chiropractic students at LIFE have three choices for fulfilling their program requirements—the International program, P.E.A.K. program, or the Outreach program.
The Director of the Community Outreach Clinic, Steve Mirtschink, DC, notes that the new location and facility will be a welcome sight when it opens at the beginning of LIFE’s Winter Quarter in January 2015. “We see over 1,000 patient visits per month at the current clinic,” Mirtschink says. “The issue is that we have actually outgrown the facility and cannot take care of all the patients that want to utilize our services or supply enough openings for our students to be involved in the program.”
LIFE’s Outreach program dates back to 2003, having some clinics in downtown Atlanta and working with some shelters in the downtown area as well. However, a little over five years ago, it was decided that the Outreach clinic needed to be moved to a location that was closer to campus, and the new facility on Roswell Road will be just a short, four-minute drive for LIFE’s students.
“What’s nice about the Outreach Clinic is that we give our students the opportunity to see critical care patients who have a lot more health issues than patients they would normally see at the on-campus clinic,” Mirtschink says. “This gives students more opportunities to see exactly what the power of chiropractic can do for patients that have visceral conditions.”
LIFE’s Community Outreach Clinic provides care to those in the community who cannot afford regular chiropractic care. Patients may have to provide documentation that shows that they meet the income designated for free service. The clinic also accepts walk-in patients, and the same requirements stated above apply to them as well. The Outreach clinic also works with outside organizations.
“Not only do we have the Outreach clinic, but we work with the Family Promise organization that caters to families that are virtually homeless to give them temporary shelter by giving care to those families,” Mirtschink says. “We also work with Back on Your Feet, an organization in Atlanta that works with struggling men to get new employment possibilities and living opportunities.”
Source: Life University
