Neighborhood clinics: An academic medical center-community health center partnership
The number of uninsured and underinsured in the United States is growing,1 and the challenges of their care are complex. The providers and services available to the un/underinsured are limited, and financial barriers are compounded by such obstacles as lack of transportation and language nonconcordance between providers and patients.24 The result for consumers is insufficient, delayed, or fragmented care, with adverse health consequences. The result for the health care system is emergency department (ED) use for primary and non-emergent acute care needs, as well as unnecessary hospitalizations and ED visits for ambulatory-care-sensitive conditions.5 What can academic medical centers (AMCs) do to help? This chapter describes the Lyon Park Clinic, a neighborhood clinic created and run through the partnership of a federally qualified health center (FQHC) and an AMC. Since this writing began, a second such clinic has been opened through the same partnership and is operating successfully; discussions have begun about a third clinic. Because Lyon Park Clinic has had time to develop, this chapter will focus on its history, operation, finances, services, and patient base.
Duke Scholars
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