inspiring hope while making history

Take a virtual tour of Dayton Children's Pediatrics Northwest clinic. 

Hope is blooming at the heart of a group of neighborhoods on the northwest side of Dayton. Thanks to the work of several community organizations, there is now a place where thousands of families can access the support and resources they need to flourish from birth and beyond.  

This place is called Omega CDC Hope Center for Families (or the Hope Center), and it’s found at the center of the Hope Zone, a designated area covering 17 neighborhoods, including 45405, 45406, and parts of 45417, historically underprioritized but now receiving vital attention.

For  Brenden Wynn, service line director of general pediatrics and operational leader of Dayton Children's Pediatrics Northwest, there is a feeling of professional and personal commitment to this project. 

“The work in the Hope Center clinic and our partnership with Omega CDC reflects a commitment in Ohio to reinventing the path to children’s health and our mission at Dayton Children’s to pursue optimal health for every child within our reach. Within these Hope Zone neighborhoods, we’re focused on addressing any health disparities that impact children and families in this community while meeting them where they are,” says Brenden. 

A ground-breaking grant leads to innovative resources 

The community work in the Hope Zone and the Hope Center is being led by the Omega Community Development Corporation (CDC). This wonderful organization is the first-ever Ohio recipient of the Promise Neighborhood Grant from the U.S. Department of Education! Using the nearly $29 million awarded through this grant and $90 million in matching investment dollars from our local community investment, Omega CDC has pulled together 33 community organizations, of which Dayton Children’s is one, to make an impact on the more than 3,400 families and 6,700 children in the neighborhood.  

Inside the Hope Center for Families, Dayton Children’s is excited to be working alongside Omega CDC, Mini University, and Sinclair University, as pediatric health partners to help inspire hope while making history! 

Omega CDC is focusing on making measurable improvements for the people living in this area related to four main categories:  

• Education 
• Economic stability 
• Health & well-being  
• Community growth 

Dayton Children’s Pediatrics Northwest is an anchor partner in the Omega CDC Hope Center for families and Dayton Children’s Hospital is a partner in the Hope Zone Promise Neighborhood work.  

The primary care clinic, called Dayton Children's Pediatrics Northwest, is in the Hope Center on Harvard Blvd and is how Dayton Children's supports the health and well-being category. Dr. Zenar Yohannes, a Dayton native passionate about focusing on the health topics these families need the most, is the clinical lead for the location! 

“As a primary care clinic, there are plenty of different health topics that we discuss with families and modify to meet each patient’s need,” shares Dr. Yohannes “However, there are two topics that remain at the forefront: mental health awareness, and lactation/newborn-care support. These are areas that Dayton Children’s continues to work on and have done a phenomenal job in dedicating resources and staff to meet the needs of the community.” 

continuing the pursuit of optimal health in the Hope Zone

Since opening in November of 2021, the Dayton Children’s Pediatrics clinic has already had more than 14,000 visits and is focused on continuing to provide easy access to general pediatric care for families in the Hope Zone.  

“By being a consistent presence in the community, I hope we can help foster a sense of comfort and support for families. My end goal remains to promote preventative health care and be a reliable resource for children and families,” says Dr. Yohannes.  

Some other initiatives we are committed to supporting in the Hope Zone are:  

• Prioritizing infant and maternal health 
• Connecting families to healthy and fresh foods 
• Supporting social emotional health for young people 
• Encouraging caregivers to stick to the schedule of well-child checks and school physicals for preschool 

With the help of an entire clinic team of registration experts, lab phlebotomist, nurses, medical assistant, social worker, community health worker, healthy steps specialists, behavioral health consultants, dietitians, and doctors, we are able to do this work as a community! 

“Every single team member seems to go above and beyond at every opportunity, and I could not have asked for a better team to work with,” shares Dr. Yohannes.  

To learn more about Dayton Children’s partnership within the Hope Zone, click here.