The LIFT Center in Roanoke Is Now Open!

The Local Impact for Tomorrow (LIFT) Center building opened its doors on Monday, Feb. 28, at Fallon Park Elementary School. The opening concludes many years of work by a partnership that includes Community Health and Outreach and Carilion Children’s.

With LIFT’s doors open for business, Fallon Park students receive pediatric services every day, with a nurse navigator on-site throughout the week and a nurse practitioner conducting morning telemedicine visits as well as being on-site on Wednesday afternoons.

“Our team looks forward to managing LIFT’s clinical components to serve the students of Fallon Park and the surrounding community,” said Heather Kissner, our LIFT practice manager. “This is Carilion’s commitment to LIFT–to provide access to health services to children and keep them in school,” she added.

LIFT has already served the community’s health needs through students’ asthma treatments and mental health support for students and their family members.

LIFT's community health worker will help students and families address other needs. “We look forward to developing programs and support services that make good health and well-being possible for children and their families,” said Heather Millar, our project consultant for LIFT. “We’ll offer health screenings, how to set health-related goals, financial counseling, education and coordination for other community services.” Peer recovery support specialists will be part of the LIFT team, too.

We partnered with the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation, Freedom First Credit Union and Roanoke City Public Schools to create the LIFT Center. The Roanoke Women's Foundation also provided funding for the partnership. In 2020, The Roanoke City School Board provided funding to start construction.

LIFT’s partners will celebrate with a formal ribbon-cutting and tours of the center on Thursday, March 24, at 3:30 p.m.

“There is so much excitement around the LIFT Center being ready to serve Fallon Park students and our southeast Roanoke community,” said Shirley Holland, vice president for Planning and Community Development. “Our partnership is committed to continuing to offer ways to improve health care access and wellness.”

Are you interested in supporting the LIFT Center’s mission? You can donate online by using the Donate button at the bottom of the LIFTVirginia.com homepage. If you’d like to provide additional assistance to the LIFT Center, contact Shirley Holland, Planning and Community Development, at sbholland@carilionclinic.org.