LAURIE, Mo. — Westlake Medical Center needs a transfusion and the community is reaching out to help.
The not-for-profit community medical clinic has faced a host of challenges in recent months. Among them: the loss and hiring of a doctor, a decrease in Medicare payments to physicians, and a further decrease in income because of the congressional sequester. Located on the Lake’s west side, Westlake Medical Center serves a large patient population, 90 percent of which are senior citizens on Medicare.
Located in Laurie, it is the only physician-based clinic on the west side of the Lake. Kenneth Derrington, MD, and Michael Henry, D.O., are the clinic’s two physicians. Dr. Henry was recruited to join the clinic in March after a physician at the clinic left to seek more secure employment.
Founded in 1992, the not-for-profit clinic is overseen by a volunteer board headed by Laurie resident Jess Wadle.
Osage Community Elks Lodge 2705 in Laurie was a major benefactor of the clinic when it opened. In May, the Elks Lodge will host a major fund-raising event with dinner and live entertainment to help defray some of the recruiting costs for Dr. Henry and guarantee his salary for the first year.
“With so many patients on Medicare, low reimbursement rates from the government have caused financial hardships for the facility,” says Wadle. “Ironically, this situation is not unusual. All over the US, physicians are finding that they can no longer afford to see Medicare patients, which has left many seniors scrambling for medical care. So far we are lucky, and we are hoping that the community will come together to help assure the clinic’s future.”
The upcoming dinner and other fundraising events are the result of a town hall meeting in February during which members of the community brainstormed ways to support the medical center.
On another note, Wadle stressed, “The hunt for providers is not over. The board’s goal is to bring the clinic back to the four practitioners that we envisioned in the beginning. The west side of the Lake is growing, and we need to have high-quality medical care close by.”
All over the country, medical providers, especially those in private practice, are feeling a financial crunch. Government requirements to convert to electronic medical records systems have been a financial burden, as have other uncertainties associated with health system reform.
The situation is particularly difficult for independent clinics in areas with high senior Medicare populations. Over the past decade, Medicare payments to physicians have significantly lagged while the costs associated with running a physician's office have increased. Additionally, in Missouri and other states, questions linger about the future of Medicare.
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks has established an account for Westlake Medical Center. All donations made through the organization are tax deductible and can be accessed online at www.cfozarks.org.
The fundraising dinner and live entertainment will be held from 5 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. on May 18 at the Elk’s Lodge in Laurie. Tickets are $50 each and may be purchased at the Westlake Medical Center, 401 North Main, in Laurie Terrace Mall until May 10. Individuals may also call the Westlake Medical Center at 573-374-5800 to make a reservation. Tickets will not be available at the door.
Any donations sent to the clinic will be forwarded to the Community Foundation. The Westlake Medical Center address is PO Box 1519, Laurie, MO 65038.
