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Celebrating One Year in Our New Home: MKHC’s Journey of Growth and Transformation
- mwiegand41
- Apr 21
- 4 min read
Can you believe it has already been a year since the Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic (MKHC) moved? On April 18, 2024, we hosted the official ribbon-cutting ceremony and welcomed patients to our new space in the Key West Corporate Center in the Fallsgrove area of Rockville.
Since then, progress has not stopped -- over the past year, MKHC has continued to grow and improve, seizing the opportunities that this move has brought us. Join us as we reflect on everything we have achieved in just one year!
Getting Settled: Creating a Welcoming Environment
At MKHC, we strive to make patients feel welcome, comfortable, and safe. We believe that enhancing the patient experience not only reduces anxiety and stress but also fosters a sense of dignity. The bright, spacious, and modern design of our new office has been a significant step towards creating a welcoming environment.
Over the past year, we have prioritized further improvements to our space. Generous donations from Quality Engraving & Design allowed us to install donor plaques, a reception sign, frosted glass doors, and other enhancements that personalize the environment and aid navigation for both patients and staff.
Beautiful paintings donated by Artists Circle Fine Art add to the impact. We also installed a TV display in the waiting room to share health information, updates on MKHC initiatives, and other helpful resources with patients. In the exam rooms, touchscreen displays provide a new way for providers to explain conditions, share health education videos, and gather patient feedback, improving communication and care.
“Mansfield Kaseman [Health] Clinic has always been patient centered, but now more than ever, the staff has the physical environment to continue caring for their patients in a place staff and patients deserve.” - Maria Solernou, MKHC volunteer interpreter
Expanding Access to Care: New Initiatives
MKHC’s larger space and prime location have unlocked exciting new opportunities to expand and collaborate. Over the past year, five new primary care providers have joined MKHC to offer pro bono services, and two more are scheduled to come on board this spring. With additional providers, we have been able to increase regular service hours, allowing more patients to access the care they need.
“From the clinical perspective, the new [location] is more professional - the patients love it. We have more room for providers to have their own space and more privacy. Having more rooms creates a better patient flow, providing better care for patients. There is also no [longer a] rush because of [a shortage of] rooms and/or space.” - Ana Porquin, MKHC medical assistant
We have also expanded the types of support we offer patients. For the first time in many years, dedicated funding has enabled us to provide subsidies for colonoscopies. This means high-risk patients can now bypass the typical seven-to-eight-month waitlist for this critical cancer-detection procedure. MKHC’s proximity to Adventist HealthCare and other radiology centers—four of which are within walking distance—has significantly increased the number of patients receiving mammograms and other diagnostic imaging services. Some patients can even schedule their scan for the same day as their appointment!
This year, MKHC began offering in-house retina scans to patients after purchasing a scanner device. The scanner has helped improve the testing rates for diabetic retinopathy, a condition caused by diabetes that can lead to blindness if untreated. A long-term volunteer provider received training to use the scanner, has performed dozens of scans, and has contacted a local ophthalmology center to ensure follow-up care for patients with abnormal results.
Starting soon after the move, in May 2024, MKHC hosted the first of a series of Wellness Days aimed at connecting patients to certain types of care. These events included three Women’s Wellness Days offering essential breast and cervical cancer screenings, two Diabetes Wellness Days that provided comprehensive evaluations and nutritional guidance, and two Retina Scanning Days using the new retina scanner.
Reaching More Patients: Outreach and Collaboration
Over the past year, MKHC has built relationships with like-minded organizations to enhance our visibility and connect more patients to healthcare services. We have begun receiving referrals from these organizations, which include the Latino Health Initiative, SAMU First Responders, Identity Youth, and others.
A particularly fruitful collaboration has emerged with the American Heart Association (AHA) to educate patients on hypertension awareness and prevention, healthy lifestyles, and recognition of cardiovascular warning signs. In addition to health education materials, the AHA has provided 50 free take-home blood pressure monitors for our patients. MKHC has developed a program to allow patients with hypertension or other conditions to check out the blood pressure machines and measure their blood pressure at home. They will also receive education, support, and regular follow-ups with providers. So far, we have loaned blood pressure monitors to 15 patients, and we hope to expand this success!
We are also working to build awareness of MKHC’s services through targeted outreach. Staff have met with representatives from local Title I elementary schools to connect with parents who may not have insurance. They have also distributed flyers and other information at local food distribution events, soup kitchens, and other places that work with the uninsured. These efforts have paid off—MKHC has been welcoming an average of five new patients each week in spring 2025. Reaching new patients not only expands access to healthcare but also amplifies our impact on the community.
As we celebrate one year in the new clinic, we recognize there is still work to be done. The new space has allowed us to expand services, welcome more patients, and deepen our commitment to providing high-quality care to the underserved. This is just the beginning!
MKHC has completed the initial stages of a three-year strategic plan that will shape our future and build on the work that we have accomplished so far. Priorities for the plan include increasing patient numbers, adding new types of specialty care, and streamlining internal processes. We remain committed to growth, collaboration, and ensuring that everyone can access essential healthcare services.
Thank you to everyone who has supported MKHC along the way. In the coming years, we will continue to grow, serve, and work toward achieving better health together.
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