Running head: PATH CLINIC

Community Resource: Path Clinic

Amy Lynn Boyd
NURS 320
February 24 2015

Running head: PATH CLINIC

PATH clinic is part of the Waikiki Health Care system, and this independent clinic
in a home-like setting offers a wide range of services. The mission of Path clinic as found
on the brochure is to provide comprehensive perinatal clinical and social services to
women with past or present substance use issues (Path Clinic, n.d.). The mission gives
an idea of the specific population this resource serves. Porsha Arnold, the Behavior
Health Care Coordinator, also informed me that the OB/GYN who works for the Path
clinic is the only one on the island who specializes in mothers who have opiate substance
abuse issues (personal communication, February 20, 2015). She went on to tell me that
this OB/GYN uses the medications subutex and suboxone, which are medications that are
approved to treat opiate dependence (P. Arnold, personal communication, February 20,
2015). Because the doctor at the Path clinic is the only one on the island with this
specialty, Ms. Porsha Arnold confirmed that the population that this community resource
typically serves is opiate dependent mothers (personal communication, February 20,
2015).
The Path clinic has an OB/GYN on staff as mentioned to take care of the
abnormal pap smears and complicated cases, nurse practitioners who provide the primary
care, social workers, a medical assistant, a lactation consultant, and a Behavior Health
Care Coordinator (P. Arnold, personal communication, February 20, 2015). Porsha
Arnold stated that the clinic offers womens health and primary care, behavioral help
support and counseling, and children visits (P. Arnold, personal communication, February
20, 2015). As learned from advertisement within the Path clinic during the visit and their
brochure, the womens health and primary medical services includes preventative and
acute care, prenatal and postpartum care, OB/GYN care, ultrasounds, birth control, and

Running head: PATH CLINIC

preconception planning (Path Clinic, n.d.). Furthermore, the behavioral health support
and counseling includes smoking cessation, and children visits include well and sick
child visits, immunizations, routine check-ups, and physical exams (Path Clinic, n.d.).
Also according to the brochure, Path clinic also offers case management, including social
services, activities to promote peer support, baby bonding, healthy fun, and childcare
while mom participates in the wide variety of services offered (Path Clinic, n.d.). This
clinic even offers assistance with attaining medical insurance and connecting to multiple
state and community resources. As you can see, the Path clinic provides a variety of
services at their clinic in Kaimuki.
Because Porsha Arnold is the Behavior Health Care Coordinator at the Path clinic,
she is the one who leads the education courses (personal communication, February 20,
2015). She gave me a list of classes that are offered at the clinic, and these classes include
one called Love Me, Love Me Not, which is held on seven days starting on March 11th,
and a class called Health Eating & Lifestyle also held on seven days starting on March
12th. The seven days must be attended in order to receive a certificate of completion. Path
clinic even offers classes on the topics of self-care, parenting, substance abuse childbirth,
and lactation (Path Clinic, n.d.). The Path clinic seems to offer a wide range of
educational programs, which is great!
The Path clinic seems like a phenomenal resource for women and children. Its
services assist healthy mothers and children as well as mothers with substance abuse
issues and sick children. Path clinic even cares for moms without any medical insurance
by helping them get signed up for Quest and offers services during the preconception
time period all the way until the postpartum period. What stuck out to me the most was

Running head: PATH CLINIC

the comfortable, homelike feel of the Path clinic and the wide range of education that is
offered. The Path clinic is a great community resource that I am glad I was able to check
out.

Running head: PATH CLINIC

References
Path Clinic: a member of Waikiki Health. [Brochure]. (n.d.) N.P. n.p.