By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital's new pediatrics clinic is much more spacious than the house on Main Street it replaces, but there was no way of telling that Tuesday with more than 235 Dowagiac Union Schools athletes lined up for 2003-2004 sports physicals.
Snack tables were set up outside to accommodate the line winding out the door to the packed parking lot and vehicles lining several blocks of Whitney Avenue behind Taco Bell.
Not that there weren't things to do while waiting. Parents could receive health screenings for blood pressure and cholesterol. Pamphlets and fliers were distributed as well.
Younger brothers and sisters were probably surprised to find chalkboard walls on which they're encouraged to draw.
The clinic has been completely remodeled to where the video store and tanning salon which previously occupied it are unrecognizable.
Borgess-Lee's pediatrics clinic utilized a $10,000 grant for a computer information system which tracks immunization.
Office supervisor Rosie Petro, manning the larger nurse's station, said the percent of children current on their immunizations has been improved from 36 percent to 75 percent at 36 months to meet state requirements.
Cruse said, "What's neat about this is that as people are updating the system at all sites, you catch immunizations that the kids have missed. You also don't over-immunize."
Coping with the heavier than anticipated turnout Tuesday for $10 physicals offered between 2:30 and 7 p.m. were three physician assistants, a nurse practitioner and five doctors.
The pediatrics clinic at 300 Whitney Ave. is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and sees patients from newborn to 21 years old.
Call 783-1336 to make an appointment.
Staff from Borgess-Lee were on hand to answer any questions and to provide information on other services available at the Dowagiac hospital.
Greg Otto, PT, director of Borgess-Lee's physical therapy team, was on hand to field questions about sports injuries and how they can be prevented.