Her uniform: jeans and a plaid shirt. Her tools: pencil and paper. Her Credentials: kind eyes and a smile that says, “Can I help you?”
Karen Platt is no ordinary doctor’s assistant. She is one of the many neighborhood people who give their time and energy to the Loop West End People’s Clinic.
Her official title is intake counselor, and she is the second person you would meet (not including the other patients) at the clinic, right between the greeter at the desk as you walk in, and the doctor.
If you were one of the hundreds of visitors to visit the clinic during the last few months, you may have already met Karen. That is, if you came in on a Thursday night, for that is the night she shares a shift with four or five other volunteers.
“My job as intake counselor involves besides asking the usual questions of name and age, inquiring how the patient found out about the clinic, and finding out just what is bothering him. It’s also important for the best treatment, to have some background or history of the physical ailment.”
In case anyone needs additional help, Karen explains the various informational booklets that the clinic distributes, or refers the patient to further counseling, for his or her specific needs.
The clinic’s main concern, Karen feels, is with delivering simple medical attention and advice. For instance, she tells all new incoming women patients about the necessity of having annual pap smear tests to detect early cervical cancer and the importance of pre-natal care.
Karen talks to the patients both before and after they see a doctor. Afterwards she checks to make sure they have no unanswered questions.
She finds that people come into the clinic after they have had unpleasant experiences with hospital clinics or their regular doctor and that they are generally pleased with the way they were treated at the clinic.
Outside the clinic 24 year old Karen works a full day teaching remedial math and science to 50 grade school children in the Wellston School District.
She is very excited about a recently acquired second job which involves a special method of teaching remedial reading to kids with difficulties.
She said that if this method proves effective it can be extended into the home; parents and brothers and sisters can all take part.
Everyone taking part–that is Karen’s ideal.
Even though there is a doctor in the family, she came to the clinic not so much concerned with medical learning as with the people–kids, parents, all age groups.
“I wanted to get involved in a small community such as Skinker-DeBaliviere because I feel that if communities are active they can have a big effect on people.”
“At the Loop West End People’s Clinic they share my philosophy. They believe in free medical care and helping people to help themselves.”
Original photograph caption
Karen Platt talks to patient. Photo by Stu West. The Paper, May 1974, page 5.
Originally published in The Paper, May 1974.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1974_05.pdf, printed page(s) 5.
