History
The Clay City Center for Family Medicine was established in a 2,000 square-foot building with three exam rooms, an office area, a large reception room and a small laboratory. The offices were moderately equipped for ambulatory patient care. In October 1996, Clay City Center for Family Medicine moved into a new facility. The expanded facility encompasses approximately 7,000 square feet to accommodate an advanced family medicine clinic and a significantly increased area for training residents, medical students, mid-level providers and mental health students. The facility also includes a mental health counseling room, an eye examination room and a medical laboratory designed to support an advanced range of health care services.
What is a Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and why are they important to rural health care?
To address rural health disparities, the U.S. Congress passed legislation in 1977 that set criteria for the establishment of federally certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). Because Rural Health Clinics receive cost-based reimbursement, providers are turning to RHC programs to provide services to the rural poor and elderly. The Clay City Center for Family Medicine (CCCFM) is an independent RHC that is part of the Union Health system. Clay City Center for Family Medicine is managed by the Lugar Center for Rural Health due to the Lugar Center's focus on addressing barriers to health care access and availability for rural and underserved patients and families.
Health care providers to rural populations through Rural Health Clinics like the Clay City Center for Family Medicine:
- Allows access in areas that otherwise would not have sustainable health care
- Encourages mid-level providers (Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners) to be an integral part of the health care delivery system
- Allows rural citizens to learn about and accept the skills of mid-level providers
- Allows for additional services in rural areas that might otherwise not be available in a private practitioner's office, such as psychological, social work, and allied therapy services.
- For more detailed information about Rural Health Clinics, contact the National Association of Rural Health Clinics at www.narhc.org.
ADVISORY BOARD
All Rural Health Clinics must have an Advisory Board made up of community stakeholders to drive the vision and future of the clinic. The advisory board also ensures community leaders have a voice in their healthcare.
The Lugar Center for Rural Health helped establish the Clay City Center for Family Medicine in 1993. Since then, the Lugar Center has been involved in various capacities, including measuring quality indicators, administrative work with funding agencies and piloting innovative practices that are replicable in other Rural Health Clinics.