Fayette County Medical Center to transition to new ownership
As of August 22, 2022, Reid Health Primary and Specialty Care Virginia Avenue will begin operating as Fayette County Medical Center under the umbrella of Neighborhood Health Center, Inc, a not-for-profit corporation that operates as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Federally Qualified Health Center is a designation from the federal government that provides enhanced reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. As an FQHC, patients are cared for regardless of ability to pay and fees are based on family size and income.
The site will continue to provide family medicine care with mental health to be added in the future. The center will operate in its current location with similar hours.
Carrie Miles, Chief Executive Officer, shared “Our mission is to ‘promote health and wellness through access and affordability for all members of our community, especially those who need us most’,” Miles said. “The primary reason for transitioning the center is our ability as a FQHC to provide additional, essential services for members of the community that otherwise cannot afford services. The additional funding is essential and allows us to offer better access and services and to ultimately, promote better health outcomes for the community,” Miles said. “Almost 10% of Fayette County residents are uninsured. We are planning to provide onsite eligibility services to help more residents obtain insurance coverage. We look forward to working with all community partners to help meet the needs of our community and that collaborative will improve the health of Fayette County.”
The practice has been owned and operated by Reid Health since July 2019. The transition will allow a more focused approach to improve the health of low-income patients. Forty-two percent of Fayette County residents are at or below 200% of federal poverty limits with 19% below 100%. “This is great news for patients served by the Fayette County Medical Center,” said Billie Kester, Reid Health Vice President/Executive Director of Reid Health Physician Associates. “From the patient perspective, this change will be seamless and increase their options for care.”
The existing providers and staff will make the transition and continue to provide quality healthcare at the facility. Providers include Dr. Andy Tran, Venassia Howard, Nurse Practitioner, JoAnna Reisert, Nurse Practitioner and Denise Smith, Nurse Practitioner.
Neighborhood Health Center offers on-site assistance with financial paperwork, transportation assistance and additional connections to community services. Dr. Andy Tran, who will also serve as the Chief Medical Officer for the organization, shared that “Everyone has a right to health care and Neighborhood Health Center is the best approach to ensuring everyone has access because there are more resources available to Fayette County residents. In continued collaboration with the Reid Health, residents will have care right in their backyards. This is a significant step forward in ensuring residents have the care they need and want from birth through aging. The staff at Fayette County Medical Center are excited about this transition. We see it as an opportunity to provide more health services to the people we care very deeply about. We're looking forward to welcoming new patients to our care as we continue to grow.”
The center is accepting new patients and will continue to be in network with most insurance plans and will add plans as the need arises. The center is governed by a board of directors made up of community members with a strong commitment for the health and well-being of the community and includes individuals who are served by the center.
For more information, contact Carrie Miles at carrie.miles@neighborhoodhc.org or by calling the Neighborhood Health Center at 765-598-4300.
January 2022 Newsletter
Despite challenges, Neighborhood Health Center continues growth
Neighborhood Health Center in Richmond and Liberty continued to expand its patient base and add services in 2021, with even more changes and improvements coming this year.
“Our staff has continued to connect with patients and overcome barriers to bring care to hundreds of additional patients who were not receiving the regular services they needed,” said Carrie Miles, CEO. She said the two locations welcomed over 1,000 new patients between them.
As the patient base has grown, so has the need to increase administrative support, she said. That includes adding a space soon dedicated to a growing human resources department, billing, coding, information technology, quality, accounting, and a classroom training space. We are excited to see our employment grow and improvement in our onboarding and orientation of staff.
The Richmond location celebrated three years in 2021, and the Liberty office celebrated two years of serving patients in the region.
Miles said the 10th Street Clinic in Richmond saw “tremendous growth” in family planning services, along with welcoming 589 new patients and completing 6,112 patient visits. Union County Medical Center provided over 7,130 patient visits for primary and mental health services and welcomed 464 new patients. Additionally, since opening, Union County helped nearly 400 patients obtain insurance coverage.
The center’s governing board will add new members in 2022 after saying goodbye to several founding members – Delia Clark, Margaret Hampton, Dianne Reed, Caleb Smith and Jason Troutwine. “These members are a special group of people who are dedicated to our mission,” Miles said. “Their perspectives have been invaluable. Their voices at our table will be missed.”
Other highlights of the past year included:
• Purchasing a van to provide mobile care
• Adding staff including a bilingual registered nurse to assist the Latino population
• Hosting a Naloxbox to distribute naloxone to the public
• Increasing Medicare wellness exams
• And opening a clinic at Earlham College to provide family planning services to students and faculty.
“This past year was a busy one for our centers. We expect 2022 to continue at a similar pace,” Miles said. She said the growth and ability to serve more patients came while coping with the COVID pandemic and other challenges affecting healthcare delivery. “This remains a very challenging time in healthcare and the days can be weary. Our teams have continued to show up every day and care for our patients and each other. Our staff has done whatever it takes to ensure our patients are cared for throughout this entire pandemic. They are the true heroes in all this. They are what NHC a special place.” she said. “I am filled with both pride and gratitude for everything our team has accomplished together. We have faithfully provided care to our patients despite the many challenges while encouraging and supporting each other at each step. The dedication of our staff, community partners, providers, and governing board has been inspiring. I do not say lightly what an incredible impact everyone has had toward the positive outcomes we have seen this year, despite the hardships.”
The centers accept all patients, regardless of ability to pay, and offers assistance in finding coverage for patients when possible. A sliding scale for payment allows fees to be based on family size and income.
NHC providers offer extended hours at both clinics. NHC 10th Street offers extended hours on Mondays and Tuesdays until 7 p.m. Union County Medical Center has extended hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 7 p.m.