August 30, 2009

Health services work together to serve community

Purdue University's School of Nursing and Riggs Community Health Center are actively working together to ensure that the underserved in our community have access to health-care services. 

The school's downtown Trinity Nursing Center for Child Health, 509 North St., will be closing on Sept. 30. The center started in 2006 in collaboration with Trinity United Methodist Church. Open 20 hours a week, the center has provided pediatric health care for a total of 705 patients over the past three years. However, the high cost of providing this care over the long term has caused the Purdue School of Nursing to consider other options.

Trinity Center has served as a clinical practice site for Purdue students studying to become nurse practitioners and for undergraduates majoring in nursing; child development; and speech, hearing and language sciences. The nurse practitioners worked under a collaboration agreement with local pediatrician Dr. James Bien.

The Riggs Community Health Center and the North Central Nursing Clinics Inc.'s two sites at Delphi and Monon are available and have the capacity to meet the needs of the Trinity patients. Trinity patients will be able to choose from these community health centers or other available providers for their health-care needs. 

Mental health services provided at the Trinity site will continue to be available in Tippecanoe County through a new collaboration between the School of Nursing and the Riggs Community Health Center. Mental health services also will be available at Delphi. Pediatric nurse practitioner Jennifer Coddington, who served as coordinator of the Trinity Center, will see patients at Delphi on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

"It's been very rewarding to see everyone collaborating to improve health care and access in our community," said Veronique LeBlanc, president and chief executive officer of the Riggs Community Health Center.

LeBlanc predicted more collaboration in the future.  

"While Riggs Community Health Center has always welcomed Purdue nursing students, we have reaffirmed the value of this collaboration," LeBlanc said. "We anticipate some of the Purdue doctor of nursing practice students will complete projects at Riggs that are in concert with our quality improvement initiatives."

Jane Kirkpatrick, interim head of the Purdue School of Nursing, added, "These students will gain the learning experience, and Riggs will receive help on projects."

In 2008 Riggs, a federally qualified health center, provided health care to 9,349 patients, for approximately 35,000 patient visits.

The North Central Nursing Clinics, affiliated with Purdue, also were recently designated as federally qualified health centers and received stimulus funding allowing them to expand services. Before the recent funding increase, Delphi and Monon combined handled 4,406 patient visits last year and anticipate an increase this year. Both sites utilize nursing students who practice under the supervision of advanced-practice nursing faculty to provide primary health-care services, wellness screenings, education, and acute and chronic disease management for patients. They serve all ages, from infants to seniors, regardless of income.

"Having a means for patients to secure long-term, sustainable access to a health-care home was a priority in making this decision," Kirkpatrick said. "Although the Trinity clinic received financial support from a variety of sources, the very nature of the specialty clinic meant that we could not independently qualify for high enough Medicaid reimbursement rates to keep the clinic financially sustainable over time."

Kirkpatrick added that all three clinics offer services for the entire family, including:

* Extended office hours for patient access

* Nutrition counseling

* More exam rooms

* Dental care at Riggs.

Several agencies have provided support for the clinic, including the Indiana State Department of Health. The clinic also has received donations from many local organizations, including the Marquis Foundation, Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Kiwanis Club of Lafayette and others.

The school provided the nurse practitioners, nurses and health-care equipment while the church provided a renovated building and utilities. Church members also volunteered many hours staffing the front desk at the clinic, and supplied diapers, clothes, blankets and food for the families served.

"We are very grateful for the steadfast support from Trinity Church and the partnerships and leadership that created this innovative clinic," Kirkpatrick said. "But we also celebrate the expanded collaboration with Riggs Community Health Center, its board and staff.

"We also owe a debt of gratitude to former head of nursing Julie Novak. Although she no longer is associated with the programs, she was the one who initiated the school's efforts with Trinity and Monon and also had the vision and wrote the proposal with Professor Libby Richards that brought in the federal funds for Monon and Delphi. This funding helped create new opportunities for patients."

For Trinity Church, this is yet another chapter in its ongoing outreach service.

"We are pleased to have been able to seed this and other efforts," said the Rev. Jacob Williams, senior pastor. "The congregation now will take time to see what other needs in the community we can address."

Community organizations such as Meals on Wheels and Trinity Mission can trace their starts to space provided by the church.

Matthew Oates, chairman of the Trinity Center's advisory board since December 2008 and a member of the church, said the new partnership is a step forward for the community and patients.

"Through this entire process, the church leadership team has been committed to making sure that all patients are accounted for and no one is left behind without access to services," Oates said.

"I am grateful to the Riggs board and staff, as well as to representatives from Purdue, Trinity Church and the community. We have had the opportunity to learn from one another and to find how we can advocate for a healthier community - especially for those within our community who are in the greatest need."

All patient medical records will automatically be transferred to the Family Health Clinic of Carroll County after Trinity Clinic closes. Parents can write or call the Family Health Clinic of Carroll County at 765-564-3016 to secure an authorization form to transfer their child's records to their new provider.

Riggs Community Health Center is located at 1716 Hartford St., Lafayette; Riggs Annex is located four blocks away at 1324 Tippecanoe St. The Family Health Clinic of Carroll County is located at 901 Prince William Road in Delphi. The Family Health Clinic of Monon is located at 420 N. Market St.

Writer:
Jeanne Norberg, director of public information, Purdue University, 765-494-2096, jnorberg@purdue.edu

Sources:
Jane Kirkpatrick, 765-491-9222 (cell), 765-463-0251 (home), jmkirk@purdue.edu

Matthew Oates, 765-423-6565 (office), 765-586-7496, Matt.Oates@ssfhs.org

The Rev. Dr. Jacob Williams, 765-742-1288

Veronique LeBlanc, 765-429-2776 (office), 765-429-2776, veroniquel@riggshealth.com

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

To the News Service home page