The primary care clinic will provide patients with medical services on a sliding pay scale. A second clinic in Tarpon Springs is set to open next month.
By LORRI HELFAND
Published April 15, 2004
LARGO - Routine visits to the doctor's office aren't always an option for the uninsured.
They just can't justify the cost.
But that decision can be pricier and riskier in the long run.
"If they're uninsured, they wait until they have to go to the emergency room and it's very expensive for the county," said Dr. Claude Dharamraj, assistant director of the Pinellas County Health Department.
More primary care clinics that provide medical services on a sliding scale basis are popping up countywide. But some areas are still underserved.
One of those areas was Largo, according to a study that tracked community health.
But thanks to a partnership between three local agencies, Community Health Centers at Largo Primary Care Clinic opened its doors Tuesday at the Pinellas County Health Department's Largo Center.
The Pinellas County commissioners, the county health department and Community Health Centers of Pinellas have teamed up to form the Largo primary care clinic as well as a Tarpon Springs clinic that is slated to open next month.
The county will contribute a total of $1-million for both clinics.
Pinellas County Commissioner John Morroni said the commission had a responsibility to step up to the plate.
"We have to show we care about our low-income people. I think a community is based on how they treat their underprivileged," Morroni said.
The Pinellas County Health Department, which is affiliated with the state's Department of Health, is providing the facilities. The nonprofit Community Health Centers of Pinellas will provide medical services.
The idea for the clinics arose from a conversation between Pinellas County Administrator Steve Spratt and Evelyn Bethell, the county's director of human services.
Bethell suggested a need for primary care services after Spratt asked her advice on the best use of health care dollars, according to Cliff Smith, assistant director of Pinellas County Human Services.
A study commissioned by two local hospitals identified 92,000 uninsured Pinellas residents.
The new clinic will serve the poor as well as those over the federal poverty level, Smith said.
Patients at the low end of the sliding scale would pay $25 for a doctor's visit including lab tests, according to Elodie L. Wehle, vice president of Community Health Centers of Pinellas. Those who are unable to pay at all would be referred to local free clinics.
The health department's Largo Center logged about 21,000 visits last year and provides an array of services, including immunization, family planning, breast and cervical cancer screening and dental care for children.
Tuesday, the center's new primary care clinic served only four people, but officials estimate it will eventually serve about 22 patients a day.
This month, Community Health Centers at Largo Primary Care Clinic will be open Tuesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. By June, the clinic will be open five days a week. For information, call 587-7729.
