Chicago, IL - On Wednesday, August 31, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., PCC Community Wellness Center in collaboration with Harmony Health Plan, hosted the PCC Austin Back to School Day to ensure that Chicago students are healthy and ready for the 2012 school year. The PCC Austin Back to School Day was held at the PCC Austin Family Health Center located at 5425 W. Lake Street, Chicago, IL 60644. PCC providers opened up their schedules to offer walk-in hours for school physicals to PCC patients.

Harmony Health Plan distributed free school supplies, including a new backpack to the first 100 children who received their school physicals. After their school physicals, two young brothers visited Harmony’s table to gather their school supplies. “Now, I have everything I need!” the oldest son said, as he walked away wearing his new backpack stuffed with a school planner, cheddar cheese crackers, and a Health, Hope, Harmony t- shirt.

Michelle Claybon, a PCC Maternal Child Health Performance Improvement Assistant, is a mother of five and assisted in coordinating the PCC Austin Back to School Day. Michelle indicated that school physicals are important because they ensure that each child is healthy, protected against disease, and developing appropriately for his/her age. If Michelle could offer one piece of advice for a healthy school year, it would be for children to “keep up with their well-child visits.” Well-child visits among many other medical services and programs are offered daily at PCC.

Harmony Health Plan has partnered with PCC for two years, and PCC accepts Harmony Health Plan insurance for services. When asked why Harmony wanted to co-host this event, Kizzy March, a Harmony representative responded, “to promote a healthy lifestyle, and explain the additional benefits that the state offers to Medicaid recipients”. Harmony Health Plan is contracted by the state of Illinois to offer quality health plans and customer service, with a specific focus on mothers and children.

PCC is a not-for-profit community health center network with ten health centers dedicated to providing comprehensive high-quality, accessible primary health care, preventive education and supportive services, specializing in the delivery of comprehensive maternal and child health services. For more information about PCC sites and services, and to learn more about the PCC Austin Back to School Day, please contact Toni Bush at (708) 524-7687.

For more information about this topic or to schedule an interview, please contact Toni Bush at (708) 524-7687 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.