“Our” HealthNet is right! They have become such a big part of our lives, our families, and our community. HealthNet is growing and changing (for the better) in the most conventional ways but keeping with the same timeless values.

To me it’s like, I’m the adult watching a kid grow and mature right before my eyes.

That’s probably because HealthNet has been a part of my life since I was a kid. Whoa, that makes me sound really OLD! It’s like the funny old man voice…”well back in my day.” But seriously, my mom brought me to Barrington Pediatrics. Later on, I hung around to get to know the OB team through both of my pregnancies, then right back to Pediatrics where DR. DICKERSON SAVED MY SON’S LIFE!  And what do ya know, now I work for HealthNet, and my 2 month old grandson is a Barrington patient too. How ya like them apples?!

It’s truly AWESOME!

HealthNet is growing and nurturing the people of Indy while developing lasting and quality relationships. IT’S TRUE! I’ve asked around. I’ve been told by others that HealthNet is:

• Innovative

• Helpful

• Caring

Our HealthNet is full of different personalities, stories and services, and I think this is what makes life so intriguing!  Hopefully we keep growing and serving all of those who need it in the Indianapolis community.

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Editor’s note: This month’s theme is “Our HealthNet”!  Our bloggers have taken on this topic and are talking about how it takes a community for us to provide quality health care and support services.  Click here to find out more about our topic this month.

The past few weeks, we have been asking health center patients, community supporters, and YOU (our online community) to sign a petition supporting community health center expansion and continued funding for Medicaid.

(You can believe our reaction when seeing this article now, can’t you?)

If you want to get a good take on the who, what, when, where, why and how of community health centers, then the article titled – “Community Health Centers: The Challenge of Growing to Meet the Need for Primary Care in Medically Underserved Communities” is a great start.

The two most important findings (both on page 8.) reported in this article are…

•  “Patients receiving a majority of their ambulatory care in CHC settings had 25 percent lower ambulatory care expenditures, and 24 percent lower total annual medical expenditures, compared with patients who receive most of their care in other primary care settings.
• “Economic analyses indicate that, in terms of the employment and the economic activity they generate, health centers produce an 8:1 return on investment”

The second article, titled – “Medicaid and Community Health Centers: the Relationship between Coverage for Adults and Primary Care Capacity in Medically Underserved Communities” – compares the status of community health centers in states with expanded Medicaid coverage to health centers in states with limited coverage.

Three takeaways from this article?

•  “Health centers in expansion states had more patient care sites and saw more patients than health centers in more limited states.”
• “Health centers in expansion states received more total revenue and a greater proportion of revenue from Medicaid than health centers in more limited states.”
• “Health centers in expansion states employ more medical staff, across almost all specialties, than health centers in more limited states.”

But, we can’t just leave you with that.  You could’ve had read that yourself. (and we really appreciate the studies done by those at George Washington University).

From the studies done, health centers ARE cost-effective.  Health centers do save individuals money because of the preventative and wide array of care they receive.  Health centers do have a great economic impact on the neighborhoods where they are located.

Our new People's Health & Dental Center when it was under construction.

But, health centers are more than that.  Health centers are run BY the community.  In case you didn’t read the first article yet, in order to be a Federally Qualified Health Center, you need 51% of your board to be made up of patients from your health center.  In most cases, the entire reason a community health center is built is because community groups see a need in their OWN neighborhood.

So, not only do health centers save the country money, generate money for the community and individuals, but they also take on the personality of the community and are there for the residents in any situation that occurs in their life.

Help to save community health centers.  Sign our petition asking our legislators to not only prevent cuts in funding but increase the appropriated funds for community health centers as well as prevent ANY cuts in Medicaid, the key to strengthening the capacity and operations of community health centers.

(and don’t forget to ask your friends and family to join you in signing! Share this on your Facebook and Twitter pages)

HealthNet staff members are those who carry out our mission of improving lives by providing compassionate health care and support services on the front lines. Everyday they take on new challenges to increase access to care for all in the Indianapolis community. So, from the cashiers at our health centers to the directors of our outreach programs, we want to thank you for your work!

In our health centers…

Our staff work hard to serve over 50,000 patients per year. With services including pediatrics, family practice, internal medicine, OB/GYN and nurse midwifery services, foot care, immunizations, x-ray, dental care, vision care, health education, social services, behavioral health, family planning, free HIV testing, free pregnancy tests, interpreters, breast & cervical cancer screening assistance, financial planning, Medicaid and Medicare enrollment, and even more, our staff works together as a team to treat the entire person.

Fitting all of those services together can be tough at times because of the constant need for communication, but our staff makes it work and continues to increase access to care while maintaining a fantastic level of efficiency and service. THANK YOU!

In our outreach programs…

Our Homeless Initiative Program (HIP), Better Indy Babies/Healthy Families Programs (BIBs/HF), and School-Based Services are an awesome extension of what happens in our health centers. Over 3,200 homeless individuals are served by HIP to help them get on track to reaching housing, employment and self-sufficiency. Each year, our BIBs/HF programs have over 12,500 encounters with pregnant mothers and their families to promote healthy growth and development for the child through a variety of services. And, our School-Based Services reach over 3,000 students each year, to provide them with much-needed primary care, preventive care and educational health services.

Valentine’s Day is a day to show love to the special people in your life. Here in the Admin. building, our staff that serve patients and clients directly on a day-to-day basis are the special people in our lives. Our jobs are made easier because of their hard work, and we appreciate everything they do!

You can join us in showing love to our staff by subscribing to this blog to receive weekly news about everything going on or by signing up to receive our monthly e-newsletter that is delivered every 3rd Tuesday of the month!