Will County Community Health Center Adds Infectious Disease Clinic to Its Services
WILL COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Already serving Will County as a home for primary medical care, women’s health care, dentistry and many other services, the Will County Community Health Center has added an Infectious Disease (ID) Clinic to its list of medical services available to the public.
The ID Clinic has partnered with the Care Clinic and specializes in the treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and HIV care while also offering general infectious disease consultations.
The ID/Care Clinic continues to offer all the services previously offered by the Care Clinic which includes testing and treatment of STIs, HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV. In addition, the ID/Care Clinic is now offering HIV treatment and general infectious disease consultations that were not previously provided in the clinic. The ID/Care Clinic works with different grant programs to see all patients regardless of their insurance coverage.
“All infectious disease consultations are welcome at the ID/Care Clinic,” said Dr. Dan Garganera. “We can see a patient dealing with any type of infections, including but not limited to urinary tract infections (UTIs), pneumonia, sinusitis, wound infection, diabetic foot ulcers, cellulitis, wound and post-operative infections, fungal and mycobacterial infections, prosthetic joint infections, strep throat and viral infections like Cytomegalorvirus (CMV), Flu, COVID-19 and Mpox, naming some of the conditions we can manage.”
Garganera, a certified internal medicine and adult infectious diseases specialist since 2002, directs the ID/Care Clinic. Dr. Garganera previously worked in private practice while also serving as the Medical Director in the Infection Control Department at Ascension St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet. Since 2016, he has served as the Medical Advisor for the Will County Health Department and also as the Medical Director at Will County’s Sunny Hill Tuberculosis Clinic.
“Having an infectious disease specialist is a great addition to our medical staff,” said Stacy Baumgartner, CEO of the Will County Community Health Center. “An infectious disease specialist can diagnose and treat infections that may be outside the experience of a primary care physician. Additionally, a board-certified internal medicine and infectious disease specialist has long-term experience managing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.”
The ID/Care Clinic team also consists of Kendra Coleman, Program Coordinator for HIV/STI/PrEP/PEP), Erin Dryer, AFC Case Manager Supervisor/Program Coordinator for Infectious Diseases, and several Certified Medical Assistants and STI/HIV Educators.
The Will County Community Health center also has an on-site laboratory, an on-site pharmacy and can assist with case management and social work services to assist patients with financial limitations.
The Infectious Disease Clinic at the Will County Community Health Center sees patients on Mondays from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling 815-727-8670.
