I'm here as Board Chair and Medical Director of the Open Arms Health Clinic in Bellbrook, OH. This is a good group to get to know.
A room pulsing with love and caring is what I sense immediately. We had the welcome by Deb Miller, Executive Director - who knows how to help people know that they matter. Susan Labuda Schrop did the Roll Call covering the whole
state of Ohio.
Nicole Lamoureaux, CEO of the National Free and Charitable
Clinics spoke of the “Changes in Free and Charitable Clinics Nationally”. Thirty
clinics have closed. Six million patient
visits annually were increased by 100,000 after the ACA was implemented. Clinic missions changed as the “insured”
turned out to be “underinsured” and continued to come to Free clinics. The evolution was from a Free Clinic model to
a Charitable Clinic model. Now many have
a sliding fee scale, a suggested donation, a free-will donation, Medicaid,
Medicare, Private Insurance etc. They
remain flexible as the needs change.
Also many have evolved from the Free Clinic Model to a
Hybrid Model. Questions asked are “Why
aren’t you an FQHC?’, etc. Many opt to avoid
the federal connection and remain “Independent”.
Some are wearing multiple hats such as being a FQHC three
days per week and a Free Clinic two or three days per week. Mix and match, flex and evolve is the name of
the game.
Overall patient demand did not decrease with the
implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
The underserved have changed some, but the numbers aren’t diminished.
A lively discussion about variations on populations served
and evolving models of care was a who’s who of patient situations in the state
of Ohio and an eye opener for those in the jam-packed room. Screening patients for need is common. Honoring the donors was another important
fact for the free and charitable clinics in attendance.
EIghty-three percent of the patients are in the workforce
nationally. The numbers of veterans
seeking care at these clinics has increased. It is
painfully obvious that the primary care workforce is woefully inadequate.
Problems: Recruiting
Volunteers, Fundraising and Development, Cost of Pharmaceuticals, Primary Care
Volunteeer availability, etc.
Send us your stories!
Was the last message from Nicole.
You give something that our country’s missing. Caring for those in need.
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