UnityPoint Clinic in Jefferson will transition to Greene County Family Medicine Clinic effective April 1, 2019.
The change comes through agreement between Greene County Medical Center leadership, the board of trustees, and UnityPoint Clinic leadership. Greene County Family Medicine Clinic will be under medical center ownership and leadership.The public will see little change at the newly named clinic, with all current providers – Dr Thomas Fagg and ARNPs Sara Fleecs, Jen Pudenz and Diana Smith – having signed contracts with the new clinic.
“As we maintain the current slate of providers, the public can rest assured that care at the clinic will not be compromised,” medical center CEO Carl Behne said. “We have an excellent working relationship with the providers of UnityPoint Clinic who see this as a positive move for them and their patients.”
The medical center, an affiliate of UnityPoint Health, entered into a partnership with UnityPoint Clinic in 2014. The strength of name recognition of a highly reputable organization helped the medical center bring patient-centered, physician-driven care to the community. The relationship has been successful and has been a good fit for patients, the medical center and the clinic.
In 2017, Gov Kim Reynolds designated Greene County as being eligible for rural health clinic status, making the rural health clinic a possibility for the medical center.
With the ever-changing healthcare climate, both leadership teams have determined that bringing the clinic under the medical center umbrella as a rural health clinic is the next step in doing what is necessary to positively impact patients, the medical center and the community.
Behne explains more about rural health clinic status, which provides greater Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates. With improved reimbursement, the medical center will have greater ability to expand access to primary care through recruiting additional providers. That may include additional staff in key areas that are often not cost effective in traditional payment models.
“When we looked at this decision, the ability for improved access, greater reimbursement and access to other programs such as the 340b (federal drug discount program) made out decision for the long term success of the medical center very clear,” Behne said.
The name change and leadership transfer will occur on April 1, 2019, with final rural health certification anticipated around July 1, 2019. This changeover in no way changes or impacts the 30-plus year relationship the medical center has as an affiliate of UnityPoint Health.
“We are very proud to have partners in UnityPoint Health and UnityPoint Clinic who see the collective benefits for the patients and our organizations and do not want to stop progress in local communities, where we all believe healthcare is best delivered,” Behne said.
The announcement comes on the heels of the medical center hiring fulltime general surgeon Dr Josh Smith and new pediatrician Dr Holly Van de Voort. These two providers will join the medical center beginning March 1 and April 1, 2019, respectively.
