PrimeCare News

We Can! Program:
Abby Clemens and Jen Costello.
PrimeCare has started an obesity intervention program for pre-adolescents and their parents. The program consists of seven weekly sessions focusing on making healthy food choices, portion control, understanding food labels, increasing physical activity, and reducing screen time. The three main components of each class include a nutrition lesson, a healthy snack, and some form of physical activity. The adult portion of the program is based off of the We Can! curriculum developed by the National Institute of Health. The pre-adolescent curriculum is taken from multiple sources, including We Can! and MediaSmart Youth.

The classes have been challenging and fun. The parents and children have responded to the lessons well and have been making healthy changes at home. Our goal is to increase awareness in parents and children that obesity is a preventable problem. If we can teach parents to set a good example, we believe we can help their children learn to maintain a healthy lifestyle to carry them into their futures.

If you are interested in joining the classes or would like more information, please contact Abby Clemens or Jen Costello at 312-849-7963. Join us in making nutrition and exercise easy and more fun!

PrimeCare Physician Receives the Physician CARES Awards from Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center

Dr. Jim Lang, Primary Care Physician at PrimeCare Community Health, Inc., recently received the Physician CARES Award from Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center (SMEMC).

Dr. Lang was recognized for promoting the CARES values – Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence and Service. He was honored for advancing the practice of medicine through volunteerism, health care access, service, compassion, and community service. He was nominated by a committee that selected the doctors who best met the criteria through an anonymous process.

Dr. Lang, board-certified in family medicine, became a member of the SMEMC medical staff in 1990 after joining PrimeCare Community Health, Inc. as a Family Practice Physician. He graduated medical school at the University of Illinois - Chicago College of Medicine and completed his residency at John H. Stroger, Jr., Hospital of Cook County (Cook County Hospital) in Chicago, IL.

“It has been a pleasure to work for 20 years as a family physician in an institution committed to providing quality care to our community,” Dr. Lang said. I appreciate the support I have received from my colleagues on the medical staff, as well as the hospital staff and administration. Without the support of the entire medical team, I would not be able to provide my patients with the quality, compassionate care they deserve.”

Vaccines for Children

Vaccines for Children (VFC) is a program of the CDC (Center for Disease Control). The Center for Disease control is "committed to programs that reduce health and economic consequences of the leading causes of death, thereby ensuring a long, healthy and productive life.” Because of vaccine immunizations, preventable diseases are at or near record lows.

This year two of our clinics made tremendous improvements. PrimeCare Northwest was recognized for their high immunization coverage levels for 2010. PrimeCare West Town was also recognized for implementing and sustaining quality improvement recommendations in 2010. This always takes a team effort and commitment to the initiative.