Eastern Iowa Health Center, marking 10 years, copes with ACA, managed care
Nurse Practitioner
Lawshea of
But for Wilson, working at the clinic where she started nearly four years ago has been an eye-opening experience.
"You don't realize the amount of barriers faced by our community," Wilson said.
Lawshea is one of thousands of patients who have received care at the
It's a trend across the country -- those who do not have insurance often end up in an emergency room. Even those who receive Medicaid or Medicare coverage struggle to find a health care provider.
A decade ago, these individuals would come to the
"There was such a need for chronic disease management," she said. "It was beyond the scope of all our volunteer doctors."
Federally Qualified Health Centers is a designation given by the federal
It was through the efforts of Schmidt and several other local health care leaders that the
"Its where the most socio-economic disadvantaged people come for medical services because we will treat them regardless of their ability to pay because that is part of our federal charter," said
Today, the health center -- with a budget of
"We're really able to treat the whole family, from prenatal to newborns to geriatric care," he explained.
The ACA effect
The passage of the Affordable Care Act and the switch to managed care for the state's Medicaid system had the largest impacts on the center over the past 10 years, Lock said.
Lock said the center saw an influx of patients after the ACA was implemented, as more people obtained insurance and could have regular doctor's appointments.
The switch to private managed-care organizations for
Since the rollout in
In April of this year, the three insurers owed the
Lock added that the state of
"We don't know what's going to happen," Lock said. "What if something happens with one of the existing two (managed-care organizations)? There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's tough."
Since Lock was named president and chief executive officer in 2015, the health center has seen a boom in growth.
The center's more recent expansions including construction of a
The center employs dozens of physicians and nurses. Lock said they recently hired an oral surgeon who will start in January -- a service rarely offered at other Federally Qualified Health Centers, he said.
It also has instituted new services, such a partnership with the not-for-profit Young Parents Network to launch the
The five locations see about 50,000 visits per year, said
Ninety-six percent of the center's patients live up to 200 percent below the federal poverty level, Langdon said, adding that the vast majority of their patients are on Medicaid.
Even then, Lock said officials estimate the center serve only about 16 percent of the total
"The need is there," Lock said. "We're not done growing."
Looking ahead to the next 10 years, center officials hope to continue expanding its reach -- such as a new clinic in
"EIHC is poised for growth under (Lock's) leadership and we're excited to continue to serve that safety net and work in conjunction with (the
"It's such an inherent right."
l Comments: (319) 368-8536; [email protected]
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