NEWS
People’s Center Seeks Old Volunteers for 40th Anniversary Celebration
In only a matter of months, the CRPC will celebrate its fortieth anniversary. A Steering Committee is in formation to plan several events to mark the occasion. If you were a volunteer for the People’s Center in the 1970s and 1980s – we are looking for YOU! Please contact Doris Rubenstein at 612-305-1311 for more information.
A group of distinguished volunteers have agreed to serve on the Honorary Committee:
Former Congressman Martin O. Sabo
Jungle Theater Artistic Director Bain Boehlke
Prairie Home Companion Host Garrison Keillor
University of Minnesota Center for Biomedical Ethics Professor Steven Miles, M.D.
Current members of the Steering Committee are:
Former City Council Member Joan Campbell
Music legends Willie Murphy, Judy Larson, Bill Hinkley
Forecast Public Art leader Jack Becker
People’s Center Pioneers Mary Lange, Elaine Wynne, Bill Teska, Tim Strick.
Join friend old and new to celebrate four decades of serving the People!
STEVE VENABLE APPOINTED TO PEOPLE’S CENTER ADVISORY BOARD
The Cedar Riverside People’s Center (CRPC) announced today that Steve Venable has been appointed to the Advisory Board. The CRPC Advisory Board assists in securing new financial assets and other resources to the organization to grow and improve its programs.
“Steve Venable’s understanding and connections in the Minnesota business community are tremendously valuable to our organization,” says Peggy Metzer, CEO of the Cedar Riverside People’s Center. “He can help us make connections with companies and individuals who can help us expand our services to the growing number of people who need affordable medical care.”
A resident of southwest Minneapolis, Venable is Principal and Founder of Surgo Consulting Training & Development which specializes in providing cutting-edge employee development programs and compliance training. Venable has been an attorney and entrepreneur for some eighteen years; and prior to Surgo, Venable served as General Counsel of Jostens Learning Corporation and was Owner/Operator of Lakeville Ford Mercury. He received a 2005 Minority Business Award from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal.
“I’m always happy to put my business and social skills to use for the betterment of the community,” said Venable. “The Cedar Riverside People’s Center is a great match for me indeed.”
Venable is a 1987 graduate of the University of Michigan. He received a J.D. from Boalt Hall (i.e. The Law School of The University of California at, Berkeley) in 1990.
Founded in 1970 by grassroots organizers, the CRPC was one of the country’s first community clinics to address the health and medical needs of local economically and socially disadvantaged individuals and families. The Cedar Riverside People's Center (CRPC), in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, provides clinic and social services assistance to an expanding clientele, with a special focus on immigrants and refugees.
November 10, 2008
TC Business Journal, Southwest Journal, Star Tribune, Insight News, Spokesman-Reporter, Michigan Alumnus, UC/Boalt Hall
CRPC HONORS HEDSTRAND AS “HEALTH HERO”
The Cedar Riverside People’s Center (CRPC) honored Dale Hedstrand of Shoreview, MN, as the first recipient of the People’s Center “Health Care Hero” award. The purpose of the award is to honor Hedstrand for his 19 years of service as a member of the CRPC Board of Directors.
Hedstrand also was honored with the establishment of the Dale Hedstrand Endowment Fund to support the “Dale Hedstrand Exam Room” at the People’s Center Medical Clinic. The ceremony honoring Hedstrand was held on August, 28, 2008.
“Any volunteer in any charity organization deserves an award, but to have a volunteer serve for nearly two decades is exceptional,” said Peggy Metzer, CEO. “In the thirty-eight year history of the People’s Center, no one has given their time so consistently for so long as Mr. Hedstrand. The contributions that we are receiving to honor Dale as our Health Hero will endow an exam room at the People’s Center Medical Clinic and connect his name to the People’s Center for as long as the organization exists.”
A resident of Shoreview, MN, Hedstrand is the President of Focal Point Financial Services. Focal Point is a broadly based insurance and comprehensive financial service organization based in White Bear Lake, MN. Hedstrand is also the Chair of the White Bear Area Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s a double honor to receive this award,” Hedstrand admits. “It’s very satisfying to be recognized by the People’s Center; being the first to receive such an award from this organization makes it something special. But, my volunteering really just supports the great staff at the People’s Center. I feel very humbled to have been selected.”
In addition to his current role as Vice Chair of the CRPC Board of Directors, Hedstrand is a past board member of the Greater Minnesota Speed Skating Association and the Midway Speed Skating Club in Roseville; he is a past deacon and member of the mission commission at Calvary Church in Roseville; and is a member of the board for the Friends of the Oval in Roseville. His other volunteer involvements include serving as chairman for New Wings, based in South Minneapolis; Chaplain of the Minnesota Christian Campers Association; Chair of the North American Committee for Good News Theological College and Seminary in Ghana and serves on the honorary board of governors for the Good New College and Seminary in Ghana.
Cedar Riverside People’s Center (CRPC) Receives Recognition for Innovation in Health Care Services
(L to R) Betsy David, Dr. Steve Vincent, Priyangani Gooathilaka, and Johanna Stirling were part of the Redesign Team that worked on this award-winning project.
The Cedar Riverside People’s Center (CRPC), Minneapolis, MN, is one of only eight organizations to receive recognition for innovation in health care services as part of the Medica “Raising the Bar” awards program. CRPC CEO Peggy Metzer accepted the award at an event held at the Walker Art Center on October 14, 2008.
“We are very honored to be named a finalist in this highly-competitive award process,” Metzer said. “These awards recognize medical groups that show real quality improvement and are able to sustain it over time.”
CRPC was recognized for the “Clinic Redesign” project at the People’s Center Medical Clinic. The project serves to integrate clinical quality, patient satisfaction, productivity, and fee collection into a best practices process to cut patient waiting time significantly and maintain a high level of service.
Metzer continued, “The Clinic Redesign project was an outgrowth of a complete remodeling of the People’s Center Medical Clinic in 2006. We are now better able to meet the needs of an increasing number of patients who come to the Clinic. Our patient load has grown rapidly, especially in the past several months with the downturn in the local economy.”
Medica established the “Raising the Bar” Innovation Awards in 2008. Award winners and finalists were chosen from health institutions in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Other winners and finalists were Access Psychiatric Home Health, SMDC, Western Wisconsin Medical Associates, WestHealth, Allina Medical Clinic, Marshfield Clinic, and the St. Paul Heart Clinic.
Clinic's flu program now under way.
Flu shots available during Clinic hours daily.
Monday 8:30-5:30
Tues., Weds, Thurs. 8:30am-8:00pm
Friday 8:30-5:30
People’s Center celebrates
National Public Health Center Week.
People’s Center Celebrates Community Involvement
In celebration of National Public Health Center Week (August 10-16), the People’s Center Medical Clinic hosted two events on Wednesday, August 13. The first event was a neighborhood walk through the Cedar Riverside area and the second was an open house and community picnic at the Clinic. The intention of both events was to spread neighborhood awareness and promote community involvement.
Dubbed the “West Bank Walk for Wellness”, the purpose of the walk was to highlight many of the local organizations and businesses that contribute to the stability and betterment of the Cedar Riverside neighborhood. Walkers were treated to a guided tour through the neighborhood with a number of site stops along the way at organizations such as: the Korean Service Center, Bedlam Theatre, Brian Coyle Community Center, the East African Women’s Center, Augsburg College, and St. Martin’s Table.
At the conclusion of the neighborhood walk, the People’s Center Medical Clinic hosted an open house to showcase their recently-renovated exam rooms, new Clinic personnel, and expanded clinic hours. Along with the open house, the Clinic organized a community picnic and a tooth-whitening clinic for children which were both held on the front lawn of the People’s Center. Among the attendees of the event were a representative from Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office and State Representative Phyllis Kahn.
Not only does the People’s Center Medical Clinic intend to make the National Public Health Center Week an annual event, they are also planning to expand the size and number of activities for this occasion in 2009.
METZER HONORED AS INDUSTRY LEADER
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal has recognized Peggy Metzer, CEO of the Cedar Riverside People’s Center (CRPC) in Minneapolis, as an “Industry Leader” among successful businesswomen in the state of Minnesota. Metzer was among 50 women from around the state who were honored for their achievements in outstanding leadership, exceptional performance in their field and involvement in the Twin Cities business community.
“We are very proud to have Peggy Metzer honored as a female leader in the Twin Cities business community,” announced Patricia Kelly, Chair of the Board of the Cedar Riverside People’s Center. “Peggy has been at the forefront of the revitalization of this organization and has worked extremely hard to ensure the success of our clinic.”
Metzer has served as CRPC’s CEO since 2000. In that time, she has increased patient visit volume by 47 percent to 15,000 in 2007. Under Metzer’s leadership, CRPC has grown from a budget of $1.5 million to over $3 million.
A resident of Woodbury, MN and a native of Virgina, MN, Metzer has served on numerous boards and committees throughout the State of Minnesota including the City of Virginia Human Rights Commission, the Red Wing Arts Board, and the Whittier Community Development Corporation in Minneapolis. In 2004, she shared the podium with President George W. Bush at an event that focuseda White House conference on health care to discuss community health centers.
