Omaha’s OneWorld Community Health Centers was one of hundreds of health centers nationwide whose funding was re-authorized for two years as part of the recent short-term spending bill.
OneWorld’s Chief Executive Officer, Andrea Skolkin, says they treated nearly 42,000 patients at their 11 locations last year. She says anyone can be treated, and that they accept Medicare, Medicaid and other insurances. About half of their patients do not have insurance, and many are eligible for a sliding fee based on their income.
One of OneWorld’s newer programs, the Teen and Young Adult Health Center, offers full-service primary care for 14 to 24-year-olds. Parents are welcome, but Skolkin says state law does not require parent permission for family planning services. STD testing is available, and Skolkin says Nebraska STD rates continue to be considerably above average nationwide.
“There’s been a big community wide initiative called the Adolescent Health Project, and other clinics are involved under the umbrella of the Women’s Fund. We’ve all been working together to try and reduce those rates, and the more we test, the more we have the opportunity to educate and motivate young people to protect themselves or not engage in that kind of behavior.”
Skolkin says last year over 900 young people received STD testing at the Teen and Young Adult Health Center.
For more information and the locations of OneWorld’s 11 clinics, the website is Oneworldomaha.org