We cannot say thank you enough to the people who sponsor myHealth in any and every way. Your donation of time or money has enriched the lives of the young people who come to us in their moments of vulnerability and need.

If you are considering a year-end gift, click the donate button below.

With gratitude on behalf of our clients,

The Staff at myHealth for Teens & Young Adults

Let’s look back on the month of February and see what’s been happening at myHealth!

At the beginning of life, a child has their health care needs met by a parent or guardian who brings them to a pediatrician. But as they age, a child may begin to feel differently about keeping the same doctor they saw when they were a toddler.

Many pediatrician’s offices are designed to make small children feel welcome. If you’re 14 years old and surrounded by decorations and toys for someone half your age, you may feel like you’re in the wrong place!

With each stage of life comes slightly different needs. As young people age into teenagers and experience puberty, they may want to keep some conversations with their doctor confidential.

When is it time to stop seeing a pediatrician?

If a young person wishes to remain with their pediatrician, they usually may do so until age 21; however, many young people begin to transition away from pediatricians after puberty.

One great option for those teens is an adolescent medicine specialist like myHealth for Teens and Young Adults. Adolescent specialty clinics are equipped not only to provide a welcoming environment, but know the challenges and needs unique to young people who are making the transition to adulthood.

Giving your child the tools to succeed

myHealth’s mission is to improve the health of our community by providing health services and information that support all teens and young adults in making responsible and well-informed decisions.

Here are some ways we help prepare young people for the world of adult medicine:

• Client-first care that empowers young people feel in charge of their health
• Easy scheduling by phone or online
• Judgment-free services, whether in primary, reproductive, or mental health care
• Comprehensive education on medication and lifestyle choices
• Low cost to free care for clients not using insurance
• Staff trained as MNsure Navigators can help young people apply for insurance

myHealth sees young people to ages 12 to 26. Everyone who ages out of services at myHealth is sent off with information about transitioning to adult medicine, time with a nurse, and an opportunity to apply for health insurance.

We believe in going above and beyond in the field of adolescent care. We understand that young people are trying to navigate the world on their own, and we do everything we can to make that experience not merely an effective one, but a positive one.

Just as important as giving health care to young people is preparing them to continue caring for themselves as they gain independence. myHealth is proud to be one of many clinics to share the goal of informing young people in a way that empowers them to seek the care that is right for them.

To our great Community,

As a friend of myHealth, you know the services we provide are unique and important:

• myHealth is one of only three low-cost or no-cost clinics for adolescents in Minnesota and adolescents ages 18-23 are the single largest uninsured demographic. For more than 50 years, myHealth has ensured access to medical and dental services, mental health counseling, education outreach, parent services, and nurse home visits for pregnant and parenting teens.
• myHealth never turns away anyone who is unable to pay for services and we are the only adolescent-focused community clinic in an area spanning 1,200 miles. Each year, myHealth provides free health care services to more than 300 young people.
• The need for teen-centered mental health care has increased rapidly in the past few years. myHealth is the only adolescent clinic in our service area offering free and reduced fee mental health care, delivered by licensed therapists. myHealth screens each clinic client for mental health issues annually.
• myHealth operates five days a week with both evening and Saturday hours to accommodate the needs of our clients and ensure easy access to care.

Each year, myHealth provides over 1,100 clients with low-cost medical services in over 4,200 visits. Our clients consistently report we meet their needs, and they feel welcomed and respected when seeing a myHealth healthcare provider.

Annually in the community, our health educators present to more than 15,000 young people, adults working with youth, parents, and community partners and provide information on a wide variety of health topics critical to the ages we serve.

Today, our greatest challenge continues to be meeting the demand for mental health care for the young people in our community. Nationwide shortages of licensed counselors and myHealth’s inability to pay competitive wages as a stand alone non-profit has extended the wait times for new clients. To recruit and retain qualified staff members, myHealth has increased compensation, but sadly there has been no increase in insurance reimbursement rates to offset the added expense of providing care.

As we close out this year, we ask that you consider a year-end gift to support the work that we are doing in this community.

Your donation will ensure that myHealth is able to continue to support the youth who are most vulnerable, who need access to confidential reproductive healthcare, who may have nowhere else to turn for mental healthcare, and who often feel marginalized by traditional healthcare providers.

Your gift will help us to one day see that all young people will be educated and empowered to make responsible decisions regarding their health and relationships.

With gratitude on behalf of our clients,

The Staff at myHealth for Teens & Young Adults

P.S. Have you seen our very own Connie on the news? We helped get out the vote and Channel 5 wanted to learn more about it! Check out the interview below:

Let’s talk about health care! It’s recommended that people schedule a visit to the doctors once a year, usually this is called an annual exam. At this visit they can talk about any concerns they have about their body, health, or activities. It is a chance for a doctor to provide preventative services and check to see if there are any concerns developing. There are a few things that happen during an annual, so let’s look into it!

The nurse will measure a person’s height and weight. In the office they will ask about medications to see if there are any changes. There will be a depression screening, and there will be questions about a person’s activities such as substance use and sexual activity. The nurse will also ask if the person has any questions or concerns they want addressed that day.

When it comes to the exam the nurse or doctor will ask to check various parts of a person’s body. They will typically check blood pressure, pulse, the heart, lungs, nose, ears, and, mouth. At myHealth, someone will have a physical exam of their genitals if the patient requests it or if there are things to address such as rashes, bumps, or other irregularities. 

Advocacy

This relationship between a doctor and their patient can be vulnerable and it is important a person feels comfortable with the doctor performing exams, asking about a person’s activities, and having conversations about a person’s health. A patient has the right to ask their doctor questions about the exam, treatment, recommendations, and any other part of the visit. If a person feels uncomfortable with their doctor it could be helpful to search for another provider. Many times clinics will have a small bio on the doctors that a person can use to see if they are a good fit. Doctors will list their focuses, passions, groups they have experiences with, and many times some identities are present in their pictures. Some might mention they are LGBTQ+ comprehensive, sports focused, and so much more.

Identity

A person can let their healthcare provider know how they would like to be addressed and what name they prefer. This can be added to the chart. A patient deserves to have their pronouns and name correctly used during their visit.

*Check out our blog on what happens at annuals for people with vulvas