Mercy Health Heartside Health Center is located along South Division, and has been operating since 1988 but at the end of this year the clinic will be closing its doors and Dr. Kristen Brown from Mercy Health Physician Partners says that’s because the clinic could not meet the compliancy requirements from the Health Resources & Services Administration.
“Has to have its own governing board that is comprised of 50% of the patients that use that clinic.”
To keep the clinic open it meant that at least half of Mercy Health’s board of directors needed to be replaced by patients of Saint Mary’s five Federally Qualified Health Centers.
“They just can't give us a pass on that anymore despite the high-quality care that we deliver. We have to realize that we can't meet that one required that particular requirement and that we would need to relinquish our funds.”
Although Brown says the loss of funding is significant, they are working to ensure every patient serviced by the clinic continues to receive access to health care by partnering with organizations in the Heartside Neighborhood.
“Mel Trotter, Catherine Health Center, Cherry Street Clinic, Grand Valley State University and they have come forward willing and able and ready to partner with us so that we can help transition these patients into the right setting.”
Heartside is one of five clinics operated by Mercy Health serving underinsured or uninsured communities that will be affected by the loss of funding…but only Heartside will be closing its doors. December 20 the last day the clinic will see patients.
Michelle Jokisch Polo, WGVU News.