USF Health Ybor Youth Clinic receives Gold Adolescent-Centered Environment Certification from the Adolescent Health Initiative

The USF Health Ybor Youth Clinic (YYC) has been awarded Gold Certification as an adolescent-centered
health clinic from the Adolescent Health Initiative, becoming the first in Florida
to receive this honor. Earning the gold certification reflects YYC’s commitment to
providing the highest standards of care for adolescents and recognizes its dedication
to continuous quality improvement through advancements in workflow, training and patient-centered
care. Previously in 2022, the clinic successfully completed the Adolescent-Centered
Environment Assessment Process (ACE-AP) and became the first clinic in Florida to
receive certification at the silver level. 

The ACE-AP, developed and facilitated by the Adolescent Health Initiative out of the
University of Michigan Medicine program, is a comprehensive self-assessment and guided
improvement process designed to minimize barriers and improve the delivery of care
to adolescents. The ACE-AP is comprehensive, spanning 12 key areas of adolescent-centered
care, including adolescent best practices and standards of care, confidentiality,
behavioral health practices, adolescent involvement and empowerment and cultural responsiveness. 

Opened in 2012, the YYC is a USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of
Pediatrics clinic, staffed by health care providers from the Divisions of Infectious
Diseases, Adolescent Medicine and Social Work. The mission of the YYC is to provide
high-quality, innovative, compassionate and nonjudgmental health care services to
all youth ages 13 to 24 in an environment tailored to their specific and unique needs
in support of a vision of a community in which all youth can grow into healthy adults.
Specific target populations include youth who lack the support of parents or caregivers
and young racial, ethnic, sexual and gender minority patients who are at high risk
for HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

Through a partnership with the Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County’s Adolescent
& Teen Health Program, onsite peer navigators provide personalized support to patients
in finding and connecting to additional health services and community resources. Most
recently, the program has been able to expand and enhance this model, with funding
from the CVS Health Foundation, by integrating an innovative online youth risk screening
tool to better address the mental health risks and social needs of patients and help
link them to customized resources. In addition, through funding from the Department
of Health Hillsborough County, the Clinic will now be able to offer onsite mental
health counseling services through employing a full-time licensed mental health professional.

“Central to the clinic’s model is the ability to offer a confidential and non-judgmental
space where youth feel safe,” said Dr. Lisa Sanders, executive director of the USF
Health Ybor Youth Clinic and assistant professor at the USF Health Morsani College
of Medicine. “It is through earning their trust that we are able to increase their
confidence in the health care system and connect them to services that can further
address the social determinants of health influencing their health outcomes.”

“Our partnership with the Ybor Youth Clinic has provided a unique opportunity for
our peer navigators to deliver services in a youth-centered and innovative environment,”
said Marisa Mowat, executive director of Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County.
“We applaud the YYC for this well-earned certification and for serving as a valuable,
trusted resource for adolescents in our community.”

During adolescence, youth experience disproportionately high rates of sexually transmitted
diseases, mental health issues, substance use and unintentional injuries that can
lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Consequently, the health care needs of
adolescents are unique from other patient populations. Young people may avoid accessing
the services they need for various reasons including concerns around confidentiality,
fear of judgment and inconvenient hours and location (National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine, 2020). 

Adolescent-centered environments effectively provide comprehensive services for adolescents,
ensuring that they feel well cared for. An adolescent-centered environment is inclusive
of, informed by and responsive to the needs and values of adolescents. 

Connecting Teens to Health Services and Resources.

Through the Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County’s Adolescent Health Initiative
in partnership with USF Health and youth-serving organizations, like the Ybor Youth
Clinic, Teen Connect Tampa Bay was created to improve teen access to health services
and community resources. Teen Connect is an online resource directory and referral
database for teens and young adults that provides personalized services based on their
individual needs.  

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About USF HEALTH

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the
partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing,
the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical
Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral
Programs, and USF Health’s multispecialty physicians’ group. The University of South
Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success.
Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster
in U.S. News & World Report’s national university rankings than USF. For more information,
visit health.usf.edu.

About Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County

The Healthy Start Coalition (HSC) of Hillsborough County is a private, non-profit
maternal and child health organization dedicated to reducing Hillsborough County’s
infant mortality rate and improving the health of pregnant women. The mission is to
improve the health and well-being of pregnant women, children and families in Hillsborough
County. The Coalition works with community organizations and individuals with a vested
interest in maternal and child health to maximize community resources, and offer a
variety of programs and initiatives to meet the needs of women, children and families.