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Going to the doctor wont feel like dragging to the DMV anymore for the thousands of people served at Norwalk Community Health Center. The new facility at 120 Connecticut Ave is filled with light, color, and comfortable features such as radiant heat tiles over exam tables that allow patients to control the temperature of their room (hey, those paper robes are pretty flimsy).
My directive to the architect and graphics team was Make this place beautiful, says Executive Director Lawrence Cross.
A pre-opening tour proves that Cross and his team were successful. Color themes shift with every department, from the cushioned chairs to the floor tiles. There are no hard edges to be found; countertops and corridors are gently curved.
Most of our patients lead very challenging lives, Lawrence says, citing issues including domestic violence, substance abuse, and incarceration of family members.
This is a segment of the population that is desperately in need of beauty, not another drab, sterile facility.
In addition to allowing for broader clinical services, including adult care, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, a lab and pharmacy, the new building also makes a more extensive social services program possible. Licensed clinical social workers and outreach workers will team up to address the full spectrum of patient needs, from financial to emotional well-being as well as physical.
Its not enough to just put someone in front of a physician, says Cross.
The new NCHC opens to patients on Tuesday, April 6th; the Grand Opening is scheduled for Monday, April 12th.
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