The decision came about after HPWO did a patient survey and discovered 60 percent of the population responded they were from the New Carlisle area.
“As far as funds for new facility, the company received a loan. The board approved the loan and the move to New Carlisle because they have decided this is a meaningful service and want to grow and expand the available services,” said Lorena Royer, the clinical coordinator.
Once the New Carlisle facility is open, the Tipp City facility, at 8371 State Route 202 will be closed.
“All staff and all services will be transferred to the New Carlisle site,” Royer said.
HPWO also operates a center in Lima.
Anyone in need of what Royer calls a “medical home” can utilize the center’s services.
“We see patients who are uninsured and under-insured. We do accept patients with insurance, so we see a little bit of everything. No one is turned away due to inability to pay and all fees are on a sliding scale. If you don’t have insurance, everyone is asked to pay their fair share based on the sliding scale fee,” she said.
The community health center offers medical services, behavioral health services led by Dr. Erendira Lopez-Garcia, and chiropractic care.
Dental screenings and referrals are available; a licensed independent social worker is also on staff. Referrals to medical specialists in Springfield, Columbus and Dayton are made when necessary.
At the new facility, all of those services will remain and full dental care, including an on-site dentist, will be available.
A dentist has been hired, Royer said, and will be relocating to the area.
An in-house pharmacy will open at the facility in November.
The pharmacy will provide medications for patients only; no narcotics will be kept on-site.
Staffing will nearly double in anticipation of an increase in clients served.
Last year, HPWO logged 38,000 patient visits from 14,112 patients. The Tipp City facility had 5,567 visits from 2,114 patients, which was an increase of about 18 percent from last year, Royer said.
There are 11 on staff with at least 10 new positions expected.
Hiring is in process — positions available include dental assistant, extended function dental assistant, dental hygienist, medical assistant, LPN, pharmacy technician and outreach worker.
Resumes can be e-mailed to resume@hpwohio.org.
“We’ve already hired five. We are growing quickly so we can meet the needs at the new facility,” Royer said.
For New Carlisle, the new jobs are one of the biggest benefits.
“These are good-paying jobs with benefits,” said Kim Jones, New Carlisle city manager.
Reasons for growth
One reason HPWO expects an increase in its patient rolls when it relocates is a continued influx of patients without family doctors who are seen at the Springfield Regional Medical Center emergency room.
Many patients are seen there initially, Royer said, then are told to receive follow-up care from a family doctor. When there is none, HPWO is often suggested as a viable option.
“If you don’t have a medical home, that’s what we can provide. Folks that don’t have that tend to go to the emergency room for care, which can be very costly. Our preventive services will cost a lot less in the end. It’s much more cost-effective to treat someone in a doctor’s office than in the emergency room.”
HPWO isa federally qualified health center, which saves the federal government money during the treatment process as it can reduce the need for and number of emergency room visits.
The center is also a federally-funded site for the migrant farm worker population.
“We are funded under the Bureau of Primary Health Care and receive a 330 Public Health Service Migrant and Community Health Center grant, but it’s just a small part of our funding,” Royer said.
The center serves migrant farm workers and other Latino populations, offering bilingual services for this growing population in Clark County.
Many of the staff, including Lopez-Garcia, speak Spanish and English; and interpreters are available for staff members and patients who need them.
“We have many Latinos coming here because we speak their language,” Royer said. “The language barrier doesn’t exist, so they feel more comfortable coming here.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2008, 1.8 percent of Clark County’s population identified itself as being of Hispanic or Latino origin.
In the 2000 census, only 1.2 percent of the county’s population classified itself in that category. The increase represents about 770 people.
The whole patient
No matter who decides to come to HPWO, Royer said the goal is to treat the whole person, not just a symptom or condition.
“That’s the key — it’s a patient-centered facility that offers a one-stop shopping kind of experience. You can have a medical exam, dental check-up and if a behavioral health screening shows a need for referral, we can do that, too,” Royer said. “We want to be able to treat the whole person.”
With that in mind, Royer said the center does not provide urgent care services.
“The facility is not a drop-in center for one-time care. If a patient can’t get in to see his or her regular physician. ... If we see you as a patient, then we want to be able to treat you. If you come in for a sore throat and we find you have high blood pressure, then we’ll want to treat that condition. ... The intent is to create a very comfortable, homey atmosphere where people will receive high quality care from a staff of professionals,” she said.
While the focus is on those who are underserved, anyone in need of services can use the new center.
“We’ve received many positive responses from the community. I hope there’s not a misconception that the facility is directed at one specific segment of the population,” she said. “It’s not — it’s for everyone. ... There is a large portion of our community that is in need and we’re glad this will fill that niche.
And an added bonus might be, Jones said, that with the renovated building popping up in the downtown area, other businesses might be spurred on to spruce up.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0371 or elroberts@coxohio.com.
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