VCC: North River Celebration set for Sept. 10

VCC will host an open house to celebrate the new dental and behavioral health center at VCC: North River. The celebration begins at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. VCC: North River, one of five VCC clinic sites, is located at 4700 North River Road in Oceanside.

The state-of-the-art, 2,740-square foot dental and behavioral health center sits across from the VCC: North River medical clinic. The new facility includes five dental operatories or patient stations, a state-of-the-art sterilization center and the Nomad digital X-ray system. Patients of all ages have access to a complete array of dental services including regular exams, X-rays, cleanings, sealants, fillings, and extractions.
The center also provides behavioral health services including psychiatric treatment and counseling.

The VCC: North River improvement project has also added three new exam rooms to the medical building. This allows an additional 2,000 primary care patient visits at the site each year. The patient waiting area sports a new look with new paint and carpeting, and original art by Oceanside watercolorist Chuck Rouse.

The Sept. 10 celebration also will mark the rededication of VCC: North River as the Karen A. Black Memorial Clinic. Black, who was a family nurse practitioner, served her VCC patients with extraordinary compassion and kindness. She inspired her colleagues with her remarkable work ethic and unwavering commitment to her patients. She served as a patient educator in Guam, Nebraska, Nicaragua and Boys’ Town USA. She was a part-time faculty member at several institutions including the University of San Diego. As a family nurse practitioner at VCC, Black coordinated and led multiple patient education programs on disease prevention and chronic health issues. She lost her battle with breast cancer in 2005.

Please RSVP before Sept. 10 by contacting Betsy Heightman at 760.631.5000 x1139 or by emailing betsy@vcc.clinic.