ESCANABA – Bay College is unveiling a new center today at its Escanaba campus.

Today, Bay is hosting an open house for the new Youth Health & Wellness – The Center. The event will be held today from 3 to 7 p.m., in room 231 of the Catherine Bonifas building.

The Center will offer non-emergency medical and mental health care for people aged 10 to 21. The opening of the new facility was made possible through the partnerships of Public Health, Bay College and Delta and Menominee Counties. In a press release, Bay said that its employees as well as employees from Public Health “have been working hard over the last few years,” to make the clinic possible.

“It was actually an idea that Bay College brought to a meeting of the Delta County Mental Health Task Force that is spearheaded by the intermediate school district and that’s where we first started talking about this,” Health Officer for Public Health in Delta and Menominee Counties, Mike Snyder said.

In 2019, Snyder and company found a grant that could help them make The Center a reality. an application was submitted for the grant through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services in April 2020.

“Of course, that’s when COVID hit so the state didn’t fund any projects in 2020,” Snyder said.

After re-applying and being denied, an application was submitted again for a smaller grant and eventually accepted.

From there, The Center needed employees and Snyder says the facility is fully staffed and ready to go. The Center is completely staffed up with a receptionist, nurse practitioner, registered nurse and a limited-license psychologist.

The great thing about the new facility is that it does not restrict based on area of residence, meaning services are offered to anyone (10 to 21) who needs it.

“They can come from anywhere,” Snyder said.

The age range from 10 to 21 is a stipulation of the grant, meaning the college could not dictate what age ranges they would service.

Director of Nursing at Public Health for Delta and Menominee Counties, Carrie Polley talked about what the new facility means for the community, saying it makes health care more convenient for families.

Snyder said the clinic will create more access for the people in the area.

“Basically, it’s providing more access to care. whether it be physical care or the mental health care that individuals age 10 to 21 need,” he said.

Polley explained the process when you visit the facility, which is similar to a walk-up clinic.

“It kind like a walk-in clinic if you’re feeling sick,” Polley said.

“If your ear hurts, a sore throat – you can see the nurse practitioner for that,” she said.

The office will also be able to write prescriptions for certain medications should a patient need them. Polley added that The Center will be set up to provide medical testing for COVID-19 as well as Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). Anyone who is within the age group can be seen for any acute physical service.

The clinic will operate as other medical offices do by requesting insurance for services. However, should an individual not have insurance, they will still be seen regardless at no cost.

Additionally, the new care center will be available later in the day once a week for people who have conflicting schedules with its normal hours.

“One thing with the clinic that we are providing is a late-night clinic once a week. So, for students that are in school or sporting activities or other activities, we are open one day a week from 10 to 7 p.m., to meet the needs of working families and students and athletes,” Polley said.

That day is scheduled to be on Tuesdays each week. The Center will also be open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will also be open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays.

While this may be the grand opening, The Center has been operating for the past seven weeks.

“We started seeing clients about seven weeks ago and we have already seen over 300 clients,” Snyder said.

“Many of those were sports physicals for student-athletes. As a promotion, we offer free sports physicals this year and it’s been a great success.”

Both Snyder and Polley said they were pleasantly surprised to see that many clients in such a short amount of time. Polley added that the staff at The Center was up to the task when the doors opened.

“They handled it very well,” Polley said.

“They’ve all done a fantastic job and the feedback they’re getting from the community and people who come to visit the clinic think it’s a great site and very convenient with the location there.”

Now, the facility is ready to be showcased to the community.

The grand opening takes place from 3 to 7 p.m., in room 231 of the Catherine Bonifas building. Parking is available in Lot F. There will be light refreshments provided and the first 75 guests will get a door prize.

Attendees will get a look at the exam rooms, the waiting area and the rest of the facility.

“They get a tour of the whole area and then just see how we renovated some classrooms and some staff offices into a real nice clinic setting that’s connected to Bay from the inside of the building along with an outside entrance,” Polley said.

Both Polley and Snyder are thrilled to welcome the public today.

“It’s all new and it’s a really nice space that I think the community will be surprised by,” Polley said.

To learn more about The Center, visit www.phdm.org or call (906) 786-1672 to schedule an appointment.