Friday September 25, 2020
The Cedar Riverside M Health Fairview Health Commons will be opening on Oct. 5. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Somali community is getting an expanded health clinic and moving into the exact space where many of them live.
M Health Fairview has had a health commons clinic serving the Somali community for six years as a drop-in wellness clinic. The expansion will now have a full-time registered nurse from the community and offer more services.
“It’s very important because the clinic is into their home right now,” said Asha Hassan, a registered nurse and the Cedar Riverside Commons Manager.
The free flu clinic held Thursday at the new Cedar Riverside Health Commons are all about wellness and letting the Somali community know that this new clinic will be their space run by one of their own when it officially opens next month.
“I will be the one who’s going to start,” said Hassan. “It hasn’t started yet, but it will be starting on the 5 of October.”
The clinic is an expansion by M Health Fairview of the Health Commons that’s been in the neighborhood for years. Its new location inside Riverside Plaza Complex put it right in the heart of the community.
“This is a big deal,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “This is a really big deal for community here.”
At its reveal ceremony Thursday, M Health Fairview’s CEO James Hersey says the clinic’s location reflects the understanding that health and wellness begins where people actually live.
“Capabilities like the Health Commons, this kind of access point, this kind of support for our communities is absolutely crucial in what we really want to attend to are improving the health of our communities,” said Hersey.
When the new Health Commons Clinic officially opens next month, it will provide mental health services and access to drug addiction programming with a peer recovery specialist. All of it will be managed by Hassan.
“I’ll be very happy to help them really - an honor to help my community,” said Hassan.
Last year 6,500 people visited the drop-in Health Commons locations in Cedar Riverside and in north Minneapolis.