Institute providers help the Hudson Valley arts community access health care at Kingston’s O+ Festival
October 31, 2022
From October 7-9, Institute for Family Health staff joined the annual O+ Festival in Kingston, NY, where artists, musicians and other creatives can access quality health care, including free medical consultations, dental care, and other wellness services. Now in its 13th year, the O+ Festival started as a way for Kingston’s artists and musicians to receive health and wellness services while also showcasing their craft in an open community event. The Institute for Family Health providers have been proud to participate over the years by providing preventative care screenings, overdose prevention trainings, outreach and other services.
This year, a team of residents and alumnae from our Mid-Hudson Family Medicine Residency Program staffed the Artists’ Clinic. Providers were also able to offer patients the opportunity to establish an electronic medical record and schedule an appointment at a local Institute health center for follow-up care after the festival. In total, providers served 108 patients in the Artists’ Clinic.
“The O+ Festival is a great way to show people that we will meet them where they are,” said Dr. Anita Venkatesan, the Resident Education Leader and third-year resident physician in the Mid-Hudson Family Medicine Program, who coordinated the team of Institute providers. “We can demonstrate our commitment to the community and not just show that our door is open, but that we are equipped to provide top-quality care and integrated services, regardless of patients’ ability to pay.”
Artists, musicians and all community members can access affordable health care, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, throughout the year at any of the Institute’s community health centers in the Mid-Hudson Valley.
