In late 2022, Paoli-based Southern Indiana Community Healthcare will expand into Lawrence County to fill the service gap created by the closure of Ascension Dunn Hospital and several Ascension Medical Group clinics. announced the opening of a new clinic.
The new clinics in Bedford and Mitchell were designed to provide obstetric and family primary care services to residents.
On Tuesday, the nonprofit Federally Qualified Medical Center, along with industry and government partners, cut the ribbon on the Bedford clinic expansion, which CEO Nancy Radcliffe said was a great relief to staff.
“Of course, we started this location in a temporary location in Bedford, and with the wraparound services that FQHC is focused on, the current location available under Ascension as a leaseholder is sufficient to allow us to expand. “We knew we didn't have the square footage for that service,” Radcliffe said. “So we had to make a lot of adjustments to work in a small office space with four providers.”
The original temporary space was approximately 4,200 square feet. The new location is located at 629 Lincoln Plaza in Bedford and is approximately 7,800 square feet. Mr Radcliffe said it would be the first time a medical facility would be located on the north side of town and he believed there would be many benefits.
“It's walkable. There's a local grocery store and access to groceries nearby. There's also a kitchen within walking distance. We're close to housing,” she said. “That walkability is one of our priorities as an organization. Transportation is a barrier for many patients, and being in the heart of a community presents an opportunity to improve access. I look forward to that.”
In October 2022, Missouri-based Ascension announced it would close Dunn Hospital in Bedford and nine Ascension Medical Group clinics in Lawrence County.
Dr. Yolanda Yoder, chief medical officer for Southern Indiana Community Health, told Inside Indiana Business in December that the organization was opening a store in Lawrence County due to significant concerns about the loss of OB services in the community. He said he was prepared.
“It was a huge blow to the community, especially losing our only delivery location there. We deliver here, so we thought it would be helpful to provide a space for women who need a place to go.” ,” Yoder said. .
Since then, the organization has continued to care for patients in partnership with Indiana University Health Bedford Hospital, Indiana Health Center and the City of Bedford.
“Access to quality health care is an important service to our communities that helps attract and retain a critical workforce,” Shance Sizemore, CEO of the Lawrence County Growth Council, said in the News. “As such, the alternatives may have been difficult for our community.” release. “We at the Bedford Chamber of Commerce and the Growth Council commend the three medical groups for stepping up and working together to maintain health services.”
Radcliffe said the organization spent the first 90 days coordinating prescription refills for patients who weren't yet admitted. Due to the transition situation, accommodating these patients proved to be another challenge.
“As you can imagine, all of the patients coming into our system were new to us,” she said. “Even though providers and patients knew each other well, their health information and access to that information was not readily available. We did not purchase the entire practice directly; , we were not allowed access to those records unless they were directly privately disclosed by the patient.”
Radcliffe said the organization has admitted about 2,500 patients so far and is accepting more patients every day.
The new clinic in Bedford will see OB patients from 26 to 30 weeks pregnant, at which point they will receive delivery services at the nearby IU Health facility in Paoli, IU Health Bloomington Hospital and Schneck Medical Center in Seymour. You can choose.
Part of the transition included the hiring of Jodi Lawler, a former obstetric nurse and current OB outreach program manager at Dunn Hospital. In his role, Mr. Lawler ensures that facilities providing delivery services maintain patient medical record documentation while maintaining communication with patients.
The new Bedford clinic is also near the Hope Resource Center, a pregnancy care center and medical clinic that offers free pregnancy testing and other services.
Looking ahead, Radcliffe said the organization is working to provide additional mental health services at its Bedford clinic, which is part of its goal as a federally qualified health center. .
“That’s one of the things about FQHCs: Having those wraparound services in one place really increases access and lowers barriers for patients, because they don’t have to deal with the stigma of mental health. Because it's mitigated so you don't have to worry as much about accessing it 'on-site,''' she said. “We have seen a reduction in no-shows at other locations, so we expect to see the same at Bedford College and Mitchell College.”
Southern Indiana Community Health Care was founded nearly 50 years ago and achieved Federally Qualified Health Center status in 2017. The organization operates clinics in Crawford, Lawrence, Orange and Washington counties.
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