The Indiana Health Center (IHC) will open a new location in Bedford that offers same-day and next-day appointments in April. IHC is one of two health offices in Lawrence County; there are 39 across the state.
Victoria Malichi, the practice manager, sees an urgent need for health care in a rural area like Bedford, where it can take months to schedule an appointment with a doctor. IHC provides primary care services, physicals, vaccinations and a lab on site. The center mainly addresses diabetes, substance use disorders, hypertension and weight-loss management.
“The primary care need is lacking here in Bedford, especially for the underserved,” Malichi said. “That includes people with Medicaid, even private insurance. There's just a lack of options in Bedford.”
The need increased when Ascension St. Vincent’s Dunn Hospital closed abruptly last year, Malichi said. Approximately 6,000 patients were displaced after the hospital’s closure, forcing many to go as far as Bloomington or Paoli for an appointment.
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“It goes back to us not turning anyone away who comes in,” Malichi said. “It's all about the access to the health care.”
Another provider, Southern Indiana Community Health Care, helped bring on displaced patients and has collaborated with IU Health and IHC to avoid an “OB desert,” or an absence of maternity care access.
IHC can take in patients so quickly because it is still building its patient load, Malichi said. Two providers see patients daily; the office can hold up to five providers. At the end of December, the center had around 1,200 patients.
“We realize the importance of getting people in quickly,” she said. “It's how we build our schedules. It's how we view our patients’ needs and getting them in quickly and served.”
Malichi said one of the primary purposes of IHC is to provide preventive care. She wants to help patients recover early so their sicknesses do not worsen while waiting longer for an appointment somewhere else.
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“Before the problem gets too big, where you would have to visit the hospital, or your health would take, you know, a turn for the worst, we want to get that preventative care first,” Malichi said. “Hopefully, you don't have to visit the hospital or emergency room.”
Easy access to the center cuts transportation costs and potential hospital costs, Malichi said. IHC accepts most insurances, including private ones. Most of Malichi’s patient load, 38 percent, are on Medicaid. Ninety percent of children served are also on Medicaid.
“Seeing increased funding to programs that help people who are on Medicaid at a federal level is much more important for community health centers,” Malichi said.
A sliding fee scale is available for those who are underinsured or have no insurance.
“If you bring in 30 days of income, we can fit you on that sliding fee scale where you can go from paying full price if you're over income, down to nothing as well,” she said.