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For the First Time, a Healthcare Clinic in Pratt City Clinic is part of a multi-use community facility By steVe sPencer
When Elaine Colby, MD first attended The MoveMent Fellowship Church (TMFC) for her medical receptionist’s baptism, she was inspired. “I was so welcomed and bowled over by the service that I knew this was a relationship I wanted to pursue,” she said. That relationship has been a factor in leading to the May opening of MoveMent C.A.R.E. (Comprehensive Aide Reaching Everyone), the first health center in a community, Pratt City, that’s been described as a healthcare desert. “I’m 53 years old and I’ve never heard of a healthcare facility here,” said Kris
Erskine, who serves as Senior Pastor of The MoveMent Fellowship Church (TMFC.) The first step in turning Erskine’s vision into reality came earlier this year when TMFC was able to buy the G.W. Scott School building from the city of Birmingham. The abandoned school, which sits at the intersection of U.S. Highway 78 and Hibernian Street, was built in 1891. The city originally wanted $475,000 but because the building, vacant for 25 years, was in desperate need of repair with busted windows, debris, and overgrown vine, the parties settled on a price of $25,000. Funding for the project has come from philanthropists,
(L to R): Rachael Lindmark, NP; Loretta Erskine; Elaine Colby, MD outside the clinic building.
government officials, as well as county, city and state funding. MoveMent C.A.R.E., the health clinic, is part of what will be a multiuse community resource facility that will include senior living, a school for children and adults who want to pursue life-long
learning, as well as a credit union, all on the ten-acre campus. “One of the major four components that we believe every community needs is education, economics, housing, and health care,” Erskine said. “This project is (CONTINUED ON PAGE 3)
Managing Chronic Care More Effectively And Getting Paid For It By laUra freeman
Chronic Illnesses take a toll. The price patients pay can be years of pain, diminished quality of life, damage to other organs, early death and the burden of medical bills and medication. There is also a cost that providers pay. Chronic conditions increase the demands on staff time that in the past were usually written off as overhead. Someone has to set up referrals to specialists, rehab and other allied health support, deal with requests for medication refills and check to see that post-discharge patients are doing well and their needs are being met after hospitalization. Getting prior approval for
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procedures and specialty medications can take a while. After returning patient calls, delivering routine test results and answering questions, it can be difficult to find time for proactive efforts to help patients get ahead of their illness and get better control of their condition. The tendency of some chronic conditions to increase the risk for others multiplies the problem and the staff time required to manage care for each patient. Fortunately, providers can now recover some of these costs for Medicare patients who meet approval criteria. “When Medicare patients have two or more of the high risk chronic conditions on the list, (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)
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