A new nonprofit health clinic that aims to provide primary care to uninsured patients will celebrate its grand opening Thursday.
The Leflore County Health Center will hold a ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. outside its building at 706 U.S. 82 W. Tours will be conducted, and light refreshments will be served.
The clinic, which has been open for about six weeks, only charges patients a $10 administrative fee.
A board from Leflore County oversees the clinic and is receiving funding from the Delta Health Alliance.
Several members of the health center’s board declined comment about the grand opening, saying Delta Health Alliance rules don’t allow them to speak to the press.
Efforts to open a clinic for the working poor in Greenwood date back to at least 2003, when Dr. Anita Batman led a group that tried to open a federally funded community health center.
The current group came together in 2007, but it lost a bitter political struggle for federal funds to Mallory Community Health Center Inc. Based in Lexington, Mallory opened its Greenwood clinic in 2009 on Washington Street.
But the health center began partnering with the Delta Health Alliance in November 2010.
The Stoneville-based nonprofit aims to improve the Delta’s health conditions, which are some of the worst in the nation. It partners with universities and community groups and receives federal grants for a broad-range of health improvement projects.
The health center agreed to change from traditional primary care to a more “patient-centered” approach after contracting with Delta Health Alliance.
Sarah Jackson, a spokesperson for the center, said it’s an attempt to get patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes on track to a healthy lifestyle.
The center currently has two full-time employees — Nurse Practitioner Rhonda Boles and a social worker — and four part-time employees. Jackson said they’re “definitely in the growing phase” and could add more employees.
A registered dietitian and clinical pharmacist will support the center, along with three additional clinics affiliated with the Delta Health Alliance in Humphreys, Sunflower and Washington counties, according to a press release.
The clinic began slowly ramping up operations almost six weeks ago and has built up to seeing about 20 to 30 patients per week, according to Jackson. She said that number is growing every week.
Jackson referred questions about the financial agreement between the Leflore County Health Center and Delta Health Alliance to Clifton Williams, chair of the health center board. Williams could not be reached for comment this morning.
The press release said Greenwood Leflore Hospital, Viking Range Corp., Trustmark Bank, Jones Signs and other donors also helped open the center.
The clinic is being subsidized by local taxpayers as well.
The city of Greenwood and Leflore County co-own the building on U.S. 82 — a former vocational education facility. The county spent more than $60,000 repairing it.
The two governments are renting the building to the Leflore County Health Center for $500 per month. The center is then subleasing half of the building to Greenwood Leflore Hospital, which the city and county also co-own.
The hospital is running a walk-in clinic for patients with insurance in half the building, and patients without insurance will be directed to the Leflore County Health Center’s side.
The center is using the money from the hospital’s sublease to cover its overhead.
The hospital’s walk-in clinic opened in February, and its hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Leflore County Health Center is open Mondays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Patients are encouraged, but not required, to make appointments in an effort to minimize wait time. Appointments can be made by calling 459-2183.
• Contact Charlie Smith at csmith@gwcommonwealth.com.
