Today we’d like to introduce you to Chinwe Efuribe.
Hi Chinwe, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I consider myself a social physician worker who engages youth for wellness. I am the first of four children born in Nigeria, raised in Houston, Texas. I grew up around a number of family members who worked in the healthcare field, including my father who owned his own pharmacy in Nigeria and my mom who worked as an emergency room registered nurse for most of her career in the U.S. I wanted to be a doctor/actress when I was younger but my dad encouraged me to focus more on the doctor part and drop acting dream. I developed my love for healthcare during my first year in college when I was introduced to medical missionary work through an organization run by the Chair of our Biology department. As students, we traveled across states and internationally to meet the needs of underserved populations. I learned early that to heal the physical body, we must also address the social factors that affect health. Now it is widely known that social determinants of health make up about 80% of what impacts one’s health.
I have also enjoyed connecting with younger age groups during my time in high school/college as a mentor for underclassmen and through my medical training as a church youth ministries director. My passion for holistic health sciences and youth engagement has fueled my professional development as a pediatrician who specializes in adolescent medicine, lifestyle medicine and community health promotion. I may not act on the big screen but my creativity takes center stage when I find ways to build rapport with my young patients.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Along the way, some challenges have provided opportunities for growth. I have a very active mind filled with ideas to change the world for the better. I am blessed to be surrounded by wise loved ones who don’t hesitate to remind me to pace myself. I have also experienced some failures that caused me to question my ability to fulfill my dreams. For each failure, through my faith, I was provided a way to become more grounded in my strengths and build community to propel me into my purpose and calling. Each setback prepared me in more ways to be ready to meet future endeavors so now I smile and pray for patience whenever I go through obstacles.
We’ve been impressed with Centered Youth Clinic and Consulting (CYCC), but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Beyond the United States, I have over 16years of clinical experience caring for patients in the United Kingdom, Africa, and Canada, which allowed me to develop a cross-cultural approach to pediatric healthcare, health education and promotion. I feel called to improve the well-being of youth and young adults through evidenced-based medicine as well as health promotion, social support, skills and career development. I created Centered Youth Clinic and Consulting (CYCC) to renew my connection to patients and support their health in ways that did not increase my team’s risk of burnout as a medical professionals.
CYCC’s mission is to provide holistic, high-quality, person-centered healthcare to youth and young adults by promoting wellness through supportive provider teams. While we provide care for newborns up to age 25 years, we are intentional to create a health space that is more adolescent-centered and youth-friendly. In partnership with young people and caregivers, we aim to redesign how we deliver adolescent health care by making group visits, youth engagement and community partnerships core parts of our services.
We provide routine preventive visits as well as acute care for illness, weight management, injuries and contraceptive management. Visits are conducted in-person with COVID-19 precautions or via telemedicine if appropriate. For mental health concerns, we provide counseling and treatment for ADHD, OCD, mild to moderate depression and anxiety. For complex cases, we consult with the Children’s Access Psychiatry Network (CPAN) as a bridge to receiving further care with behavioral health specialists, which is often associated with long wait times.
We pride ourselves in being one of the few clinics in the area that has integrated youth engagement as part of our infrastructure to ensure that our services are truly youth-friendly and we measure what matters most to our patients and their families. For example, youth reported having high levels of anxiety during clinic visits so we created an O.R. (Oasis Room), designed by youth, where patients can experience calm, peace and laughter during their appointments. We adopt a team-based approach that accommodates for equitable inclusion of a wider range of perspectives. This means that every voice on our team is respected and valued at every level.
Our medical practice is built on principles of Lifestyle Medicine and Centering Healthcare, including coaching young people to develop the skills necessary to take charge of their health as they transition into adulthood. We hope that our efforts can contribute to reducing the health conditions adults develop due to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors they adopted when they were younger.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
For new entrepreneurs, be patient with your progress and give yourself grace each step of the way. For physician entrepreneurs, your training has prepared you to tackle the business world so take that leap, go forth and conquer! Embrace vulnerability as a superpower because that is where the most growth is attained. Lean on your community resources for support when it seems hard and for solutions to problems that seem insurmountable. For those who feel they have been given a vision or innovative idea, I also recommend the book “Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard”. The authors provide a great framework to appeal to the motivations behind most people’s responses to change.
Pricing:
- $79/month (<3yo) DPC membership
- $69/month (3yo and above) DPC membership
- Co-pays for insurances (Decent, BCBS, Aetna, United Healthcare, Tricare, Humana)
- $129 single visit without membership or insurance
- $10 off for each siblings
Contact Info:
- Email: Hello@centeredyouth.com
- Website: www.centeredyouth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=/centered_youth/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centeredyouthclinic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/centered_youth?s=11
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClquJQcJTUVGnk0_tBkxWeg
- Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdfLBwcD/
Image Credits:
Portraits by https://giannasnellphotography.com/
