I flew into cold, snowy Chicago last week to discuss my book at the main facility of Erie Family Health Centers. This felt like a dream as I stood behind the lectern gazing at the audience that, believe it or not, included a few familiar faces from some thirty years ago. I had been invited to read from my book: Stories from the Tenth-Floor Clinic: A Nurse Practitioner Remembers.I was discussing EFHC’s humble beginnings to this group of employees seated in the conference room on the third floor of an impressively designed modern building.

The main clinic that I remember was housed in a community center. Children’s laughter in the after-school program and the sound of the ball dribbling on an indoor basketball court easily penetrated the partitioned walls of the exam rooms. The dedicated staff experienced delayed pay days when revenue came up short. The clinic where…