Sozo Clinic
Alumna Amy Provenzano followed her dream to create a clinic for underserved rural children
by Victoria Ellwood
“We do healthcare differently.”
That, says Amy Provenzano, sums up her philosophy at Sozo Pediatrics, the clinic she opened in Lancaster, a small town nestled amidst Ohio’s Appalachian foothills.
Provenzano, APRN-CNP, CPNP-PC (MS ’17), grew up in rural eastern Kentucky, and says the area makes her feel right at home. She and her clinic have quickly meshed with the community, too, by caring for patients from birth through 21 years old and helping to meet the needs of their families.
After earning her master’s degree from the College of Nursing, she worked in a federally qualified healthcare center in another small town. “I absolutely loved providing care for the patients but realized their broader needs weren’t being met. Children would come in for an appointment and sometimes they would not have on shoes, or they wouldn’t have a winter jacket and it would be snowing outside. I noticed that many families dealt with food insecurity.
“I knew I wanted to do more; I knew I wanted to do healthcare differently.”
So with a huge leap of faith, her husband’s support, a lot of donated equipment and supplies, and a surprising $5,000 scratch-off lottery ticket win, Provenzano quit her job and opened the non-profit clinic. She chose Lancaster because of opportunities to collaborate with other local organizations there.
Sozo (a Greek word that means “to heal”) Pediatrics opened in August 2019 in Lancaster’s Connexion West – a church-owned community center in a former elementary school. There, she’s part of a wider cooperative that offers resources – from food to clothing to mentoring – all under one roof.
“For me, it’s a different structure, a different nursing model,” she explained. “We try to meet the broader needs of families by partnering with many resources in one facility.” That way, she doesn’t have to point people elsewhere. “Instead of telling a family they need to drive across town to a food pantry, I can get them a box of food right here, or if they need a warm coat or a pack of diapers we can also provide those,” she explained.
Partners including Victory Hill Church, Connexion West, Operation Warm, Bottoms Up Diaper Drive, Sozo and others have given away more than 15,000 boxes of food, 1,200 coats, 850 pairs of hats and gloves and 3,580 diapers. They’re open Saturdays with a community outreach program that provides hot meals and an array of community resources to help link individuals with housing, employment, and addiction and mental health services. The facility also offers onsite parenting classes, mentoring sessions, computer help and more.
At Provenzano’s clinic, it all starts with taking the time to listen. “All of our new patients get a one-hour appointment to make sure their concerns are addressed and they have time to ask questions,” she said. “It also gives me a chance to look for clues about what else they may need.” Often, just providing some extra time and attention is key. “I remember a teenager came in; his mom was concerned about depression. So I sat with them for one and a half to two hours. We really talked about what was going on, and I was able to link them to resources the same day,” Provenzano said. “When they left, the mom was in tears and said, ‘Thank you so much for listening to us. We just had no idea what to do or where to go.’
“It’s those kinds of moments that let me know I’m doing what I’m meant to do.”
Provenzano has a standard care agreement (SCA) with a collaborating physician and can make referrals as needed. She hopes to expand the scope of the clinic and plans to add a family practice nurse practitioner soon and a psychiatric nurse practitioner later.
In the meantime, she carries on solo, relying on volunteers to staff the front desk and help with paperwork. “The community of Lancaster has been so welcoming and very kind,” said Provenzano, who lives with her husband and two sons in nearby Lithopolis. “I’m just honored and grateful to be there and to be able to help the children and their families.”
