'Tomatoes at Terrapin' Celebrates Local Music, Beer and Tasty Sandwiches

Submitted by Athens Nurses’ Clinic

The Athens Nurses’ Clinic is pleased to announce the fifth annual “Tomatoes at Terrapin,” a celebration of local music, locally crafted beer, and—of course—delicious sandwiches made with locally grown tomatoes, donated by the Athens Farmers Market.

Join supporters of the free clinic at Terrapin Brewery Co., on July 17 at 5:30pm for a fun-filled night, celebrating another year of providing innovative, effective health care to most needy citizens.

The event will feature the musical stylings of MrJordanMrTonks, Betsy Franck, the Wildcats, and Megaband. Pre-sale tickets are $20 and can be purchased via the clinic website or at the Athens Farmers Market. Tickets are $24 at the door.

Founded in 1991, the Athens Nurses' Clinic provides primary health care to the homeless and uninsured in Clarke County and surrounding areas. The clinic treats acute and chronic illness and provides dental services, hygiene kits, and over-the-counter and/or prescription medications. Currently, the clinic treats about 1,200 individual patients per year.   

Although presently located at 496 Reese Street, Athens, the Clinic is preparing to move to a brand new building, becoming a part of ARCH-Athens Resource Center for the Homeless, to be located on North Avenue between the Department of Labor and DFACs. The Center will also house AIDS Athens, the Athens Area Homeless Shelter, and Advantage Behavioral Health Systems. The anticipated moving date is 2015.

All proceeds from “Tomatoes at Terrapin” will help the Athens Nurses’ Clinic purchase new medical equipment and support their mission to continue providing quality healthcare with compassion to low income, uninsured residents in Athens.

The clinic has gone through some remarkable changes within the past few years – including implementing a successful diabetes management program, which has helped 100 of their patients improve blood sugar management; a breast health program, educating 1500 women and helping provide 400 with screening and/or diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds and biopsies. In addition, more than 60 patients attended the smoking cessation classes.

In the last few years the Clinic has also built remarkable partnerships with organizations including The Salvation Army, the Homeless Day Services Center, It’s the Journey Inc., Athen’s Regional Medical Center and Action Ministries, among others, who have played a major role in framing the success it celebrates today. 

“The Salvation Army values the Athens Nurses Clinic partnership as our clients heavily rely on the services that the clinic provides,”said Adrienne Bumpers, Social Services Director of The Salvation Army. “The acute medical services that the clinic provides are essential to the community and essential to the medical needs that individuals with low/no income have.”

In the year ahead, the Athens Nurses Clinic is planning on introducing a new, groundbreaking approach to obesity. Although the Clinic has yet to receive the grant that will help its staff fully develop the vision they have for the new program, they are wasting no time in taking the necessary steps in making this vision a reality. 

As part of their approach, the Clinic already provides it’s patients with an ongoing 8-week diet/nutrition/exercise class. All patients considered obese (BMI over 35%) are referred to the class, and those who actively engage in the course are provided gift certificates with the loss of weight.  Patients are also presented with low-fat, low carb cooking classes in the Clinic’s teaching kitchen, as well as given yoga mats and pedometers during the 8-week series.

The average patient who engages in the class loses up to 12 pounds over the duration of the course, and the Clinic staff has been proud to see many of their patients continue the program each quarter. 

This successful approach to obesity seen thus far, with the help of many of those who support and help further it’s progress, has inspired the Athens Nurses’ Clinic to further invest their time and knowledge into ensuring the health and improvement of their patients’ lives.

For more information, visit www.athensnursesclinic.org.