B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 17 16 S G M A G A Z I N E | FA L L 2 0 1 7 Partnership Creates Cost-Efficient Solutions for Community Healthcare Partnership Health Center staff members Hannah Cheek, Lashaun Vetzel, and Doretha Burton. PHOTO: PAT GALLAGHER In Georgia, 13.9 percent of the population is without health insurance coverage, according to U.S. Census Bureau data for 2015. As federal and state leaders continue to discuss the U.S. healthcare crisis, communities across Georgia are relying on free and charitable health clinics to provide primary care for uninsured and underinsured patients. According to the Georgia Charitable Care Network (GCCN), Georgia has 96 free and charitable clinics, with more in development. In addition to the free and charitable clinics, the state has hundreds of physicians, dentists, and other healthcare professionals that provide free and reduced-rate services. Located in Lowndes County, the Partnership Health Center (PHC), a program of the South Georgia Partnership for Health (SGPH), is a free clinic that serves the primary medical needs of uninsured adults (18 to 64 years old) with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level guidelines. “When we first started in 1997, we focused on chronic disease prevention and overall wellness,” said SGPH Director John Sparks. “In 2007, we opened a small clinic that served the working uninsured who lived in Lowndes County.” Earlier this year, with a grant from South Georgia Medical Center (SGMC), the clinic relocated to a larger facility, the Ralph Council Medical Building in Valdosta. The grant also provided the number of paid medical and support staff to increase. With these changes, the PHC now accepts uninsured patients regardless of employment status and where they live. “We have expanded to 12 hours per day,” said Sparks, who started with SGPH in 1999. “The longer hours and the larger clinic provides us with an opportunity to see more patients.” Sparks said with the new facility and personnel, PHC is transitioning from a free to a charitable clinic, which will have sliding scale payment and accept Medicaid and Medicare, as well as private insurance next year. “Our purpose is to provide healthcare to those who don’t have access,” Sparks said. “We don’t want the payment to be a stumbling block. For those who can pay something, we will use a sliding scale based on income to determine the cost.” With the acceptance of Medicaid and Medicare in early 2018, the age restrictions will be removed; however, the clinic will not provide pediatric services. “Becoming a charitable clinic only means that we will move from being free to charging a fee,” Sparks said. B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 17 HEALTHCARE 16 S G M A G A Z I N E | FA L L 2 0 1 7 John Sparks Director South Georgia Partnership for Health Lashaun Vetzel, physician assistant at Partnership Health Center PHOTO: PAT GALLAGHER PHOTO: PAT GALLAGHER