Tuga Clinic Opens on CFK Key West Campus

New Collaboration on Stock Island Between The College of the Florida Keys, Florida Department of Health in Monroe County and Rural Health Network

Representatives from The College of the Florida Keys, The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County and Rural Health Network celebrate the opening of The Tuga Clinic on the CFK Key West campus with a gauze-cutting ceremony at CFK’s Community Day event on November 2, 2024. Pictured left to right: Dr. Brittany Snyder (Executive Vice President and CFO, CFK), Dr. Mark Roby, DNP, MBA, RN (Director of Nursing, DOH-Monroe), Dr. Jonathan Gueverra (President, CFK), Dr. Carla Fry, PhD, MSN, RN (Administrator and Health Officer, DOH-Monroe), Dr. Alan Teitelbaum (Vice-Chairman, Rural Health Network’s Board of Directors), Taweh Beysolow, MD (Medical Director, Rural Health Network), Amy Halstead (CEO, Rural Health Network), Dr. Scott Rickert (Chairman of Rural Health Network’s Board of Directors) and Denise McLeod (Minority Health Liaison, DOH-Monroe). Photo Credit: Amber Ernst-Leonard

Monroe, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County (DOH-Monroe), in collaboration with The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) and Rural Health Network, will open the Tuga Clinic on the CFK Key West campus on Monday, November 4, 2024.

The Tuga Clinic will provide general health services to CFK employees, students. and the public, including:

  • Primary care
  • Dental services
  • Family planning
  • HIV testing and counseling
  • PrEP
  • STI testing and treatments
  • Immunizations
  • School health physicals
  • Occupational health physicals
  • Narcan education and distribution
  • Smoking cessation
  • Substance use education and referrals
  • WIC
  • Maternal health and Healthy Start

“Data from the 2022 Stock Island Community Health Survey highlighted the need for affordable, accessible medical care where our residents live, work, and play,” said Dr. Carla Fry, PhD, MSN, RN, Administrator and Health Officer, DOH-Monroe.” We treated the survey responses as actionable data and got to work on a solution.”

“CFK will always be this community’s college,” said Dr. Jonathan Gueverra, President, CFK. “We live up to this goal by being the solution or a part of the solution. The Tuga Clinic is one more example of CFK in action to solve a problem. We are proud to be a partner and the host in this innovative collaboration that will improve the health and wellness of our students, employees, and neighbors, while providing clinical practice opportunities for our future health care professionals.”

“Data from the recent Stock Island Community Health Survey, conducted by DOH-Monroe, support the need for Stock Island residents and workers to gain access to a medical clinic much closer to where they live and work,” said Jennifer Lefelar, Public Information Officer and Principal Investigator for the 2022 Stock Island Community Health Survey, DOH-Monroe.

Rural Health Network will send a practitioner to the Tuga Clinic once a week.  The Tuga Clinic will also use the organization’s mobile unit, which has full dental capacities.

“Rural Health Network is excited to expand access to medical and dental care for Monroe County residents through this collaborative effort with The College of the Florida Keys and DOH-Monroe,” said Amy Halstead, CEO, Rural Health Network.

Initial hours for the Tuga Clinic will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays and 12-4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

To schedule an appointment, call 305-293-7500.

The Tuga Clinic will have a grand opening celebration for the public at CFK’s annual Community Day event, which will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the CFK Key West campus.  There will be a “gauze cutting” at 11:45 a.m. and tours, information, and giveaways will be offered throughout the event.

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