UPMC Matilda Theiss Health Center Aims to Address Health Disparities
By: Sarah Katz
Today, UPMC leaders marked the return of the UPMC Matilda H. Theiss Health Center to the Hill District neighborhood. The clinic has been a staple of that community for decades, working to address health disparities by bringing services to patients who need it most.
“Taking care of our community is part of our identity as family medicine providers, and we believe in meeting people where they are,” said Dr. Jonathan Yadlosky, medical director of the center, which had moved temporarily in August of 2021 to the South Side because of safety concerns in the previous building. “This new location is what I consider the crossroads of the Hill District. We are right off a main thoroughfare of the city and close to multiple bus lines, making this clinic easy to access no matter where you’re coming from.”
Photo inside the Maltida Theiss Center
The clinic will provide comprehensive, holistic care to all members of the family, including essential screenings and vaccinations, sick visits, behavioral health services, access to a nutritionist and more in a comforting environment. All equipment in the clinic is new, and all photography features historical scenes of the neighborhood. A hand-painted mural by ACH Clear Pathways, a nonprofit that connects families with the arts, highlights the Centre Avenue corridor.
“As family medicine physicians, we are in a unique position to address health disparities in our communities,” said Tracey Conti, M.D., chair of the Department of Family Medicine, UPMC and University of Pittsburgh. “We care for the whole family, learning about their values and their lives outside of the clinic. We listen to their concerns and struggles so that we can provide personalized, compassionate care.”
Many patients have been visiting the clinic for years – and sometimes through multiple generations.
“Many patients say this clinic feels like home,” said Michelle Hardeman, a licensed practical nurse at UPMC Matilda Theiss and a patient of the clinic. “They see a familiar face and they feel welcomed here. This clinic is really an integral part of the Hill.”
The clinic will start seeing patients on Friday, April 1. Local health centers are a key tactic in UPMC’s larger strategy to address health disparities throughout western Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland.
“Health care is a critical institution in every community, and we need to ensure that no matter where they live, our patients have access to high-quality care close to home,” said Leslie C. Davis, president and chief executive officer of UPMC. “We must be intentional about where and how we reach each of our communities. The Matilda Theiss team took tremendous care in selecting this location and designing the clinic so that the Hill District community would have the services they need in a welcoming and patient-centered environment.”
Photo of the timeline of the Matilda Theiss Center
