New clinic caters to employee healthcare needs

For faculty and staff members enrolled in the Tulane University Health Plan, there’s a new way to receive medical attention fast. Since opening its doors in September, the downtown Tulane Living Well clinic has provided a central location for employees to go for free same-day appointments addressing their healthcare needs. Services range from urgent care to dietetic counseling.

“We’re trying to provide employees with a convenient way to get more access to medical care,” said Joe Esneault, director of clinical services for the Tulane University Medical Group.

The Tulane Living Well clinic was conceptualized three years ago by Tim Harlan, associate chief of general internal medicine at the School of Medicine, and Sue Pollack, assistant dean for administration at the School of Medicine.

“We’re trying to provide employees with a convenient way to get more access to medical care.”

— Joe Esneault, director of clinical services for the Tulane University Medical Group

“They both had the vision and tenacity to make the idea of an employee wellness clinic a reality,” said Esneault. “They also saw this as a way to curb costs for healthcare insurance.”

While patients can visit for their annual flu shot, they can also make appointments with the clinic’s acute care team, which includes nurse practitioner Jenine Dabon and medical assistant Keri Bovie, to treat common illnesses or injuries, like sinus infections, allergic reactions, burns and sprains.

“We designed the clinic to be extremely efficient,” said Esneault. “We can get someone treated for an acute care need, like sniffling, in about 30 minutes so they can get back to their day at the office.”

The clinic also provides primary care consultations with School of Medicine faculty members Dr. Ronald Slipman and Dr. Kristen Valliant. Other long-term services like nutrition programming offered through the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine and health coaching can help patients monitor conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

The Tulane Living Well clinic is located at 1430 Tulane Ave. (Hutchinson Building, Room 1545) and is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To schedule an appointment, call 988-HEAL (4325) or contact WellnessClinic@tulane.edu.

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