Will-Grundy Medical Clinic makes changes

The Will-Grundy Medical Clinic, which has provided free health care since 1988 to low-income patients, has begun moving clients to other community health centers for primary care.

The clinic on Cass Street will continue to provide specialty care, lab, surgery and pharmaceutical services to its clients.

The transition means patients will pay for primary care, although on a sliding scale based on income.

Shawn Marconi, executive director of the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic, described the change as a “pilot program” that so far only involves about 100 of the clinic’s roughly 1,000 clients. But the clinic plans to send more of its clients to other community health centers for primary care in the coming months.

The partnership with other local health centers should also expand the availability of medical care for low-income patients, Marconi said.

“It’s a very effective program for strictly limited resources,” Marconi said. “Right now, we have eight paid staff and primary care for about 1,000 people.”

The new program “effectively enlarges our staff,” she said.

The clinic’s partners in the program are the Will County Health Center, which is operated by the Will County Health Department, Aunt Martha’s and VNA Health.

All three organizations are Federally Qualified Health Centers, a federal designation for community-based health centers that provide primary and preventative care regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

“We don’t turn people away for inability to pay,” said Stacy Baumgartner, chief operating officer of the Will County Health Department.

Patients at the Will County Health Center may be charged a fee of $25 for a primary care visit depending on income, but the center works out a payment plan for those unable to immediately make the payment, Baumgartner said.

The new structure creates WGMC HealthPartnership, Federally Qualified Health Center as the medical home for the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic patients, according to a news release on the transition.

"WGMC will continue to provide care coordination, including securing free specialist care, labs and surgeries, patient case management and more through volunteer resources," according to the release. "WGMC has an 85% placement rate for patients in need of specialty care within
30 days with plans to expand this unique volunteer network."

The clinic will provide counseling “to ease the transition process for our patients” and “begin transitioning groups of patients by Sept. 1,” according to the release.