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HOME > ABOUT > PRESS > SUTTER'S CLOSURE A CHANCE TO EXPAND
Article published - March 11, 2007
Credit: PRESS DEMOCRAT
Sutter's closure a chance to expand community services
STAFF WRITER
There are an estimated 40,000 people in Sonoma County who don't have medical "homes," according to the Redwood Community Health Coalition. These are uninsured people who aren't being treated at community clinics - and who likely don't have relationships with private practice doctors.
Many of these folks show up at the door of the place that won't turn them away: The local emergency room. As Dr. Kelly Pfeifer points out in today's Close to Home column, this is an expensive way to provide care. "For every $1 million lost in uncompensated emergency room visits, a community clinic could address the primary care needs of almost 3,000 people for an entire year," writes Pfeifer.
Emergency room treatment is also a Band-Aid approach to health care. Patients don't receive follow-up or preventive care that could help them avoid future ER visits.
Clearly, one answer to the complex question of "What should happen when Sutter closes?" is to expand community clinics.
Three recent developments provide hope.
First, is Sutter's decision to give an entire medical office building to Southwest Community Health Clinic. The building will allow the popular clinic to see an additional 5,000 patients.
The second development is Southwest's plans for a new building on Fulton Road, which will allow the bustling clinic to see 10,000 new patients.
The third hopeful sign is occurring a few miles north, where a committee of Windsor residents has been actively working with Alliance Medical Center in Healdsburg to secure a family clinic in their town.
According to the Alliance clinic, about 40 percent of its patients live in the Windsor Zip code - but are traveling several miles north for care. As always with clinics - which operate on a shoestring - the challenge is finding low-cost space.
The town government appears prepared to help: On Wednesday, council members asked staff to explore how the town might help subsidize a clinic through redevelopment funds, securing land or other options.
If successful, the Windsor and Southwest efforts will allow thousands of additional patients to be seen - but county and health care officials must continue to look for ways to help local folks find a place they can call their medical "home."
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