UT School of Nursing receives money for wellness centers

The University of Texas School of Nursing's wellness centers received a two-year grant totaling $703,000, the school announced July 15.

The Family Wellness Clinic in East Austin and the Children's Wellness Clinic in Del Valle provide health care for Central Texas residents who are low-income and uninsured. Thanks to the funding from St. David's Foundation, residents can receive care with no out-of-pocket expense, said Elizabeth Loika, director of the wellness centers.

"It was an honor to receive it," Loika said. "We were just tickled because what that meant was that we had funding to not only continue some of our programs but also build on our programs."

One of the programs expected to be expanded further is the diabetes treatment program, Loika said. The centers provide a step-by-step health care guide for those with diabetes, with tips that address the initial inspection to receiving medication once diagnosed.

The two centers also provide an outlet for UT nursing graduate students to gain experience in the primary care realm. Services at the locations include walk-in immunizations, health education classes and community health outreach, Loika said.

"You can learn something in a classroom, but where you really learn is when you get out and see real world experience, so to speak," she said. "That is our number one priority is the education of nurses and that's why we really have these clinics."

St. David's Foundation has provided more than $6 million to the School of Nursing since 1998.

"St. David's has been so loyal and good and decent to us we probably couldn't in any way have the quality of what we have without their support," Loika said. "So I just can't thank them enough. Because of them we're able to better our education, provide better care."