New south-side clinic aims to fill medical service void
Nonprofit Santa Fe Family Wellness Center strives to help families that don’t have insurance, can’t afford copays
For almost a half-century, Presbyterian Medical Services has brought health care to areas of New Mexico where other providers would not go. Today, it offers 200 health care, counseling and other wellness programs in 40 communities — places such as Cuba, Jemez, Ramah and Thoreau.
In opening up its first primary care center on Santa Fe’s south side, the nonprofit hopes to serve families that may not have insurance or can’t afford copays but still need primary care or integrated behavioral health services.
The Santa Fe Family Wellness Center, 2504 Camino Entrada, already is accepting appointments for general medicine, but was awaiting a final health inspection before officially opening its doors. That is expected to happen by the end of the week, said Larry Martinez, the north-central regional director for Presbyterian Medical Services.
“We’ll take anyone and everyone; we won’t turn anyone away,” said Martinez, who said the organization received a $650,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to better serve the community.
On one level, health care services have been expanding in Santa Fe with the growth of Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center and its specialty and urgent care clinics; the addition of Railyard Urgent Care; and the
construction of the full-service Presbyterian Medical Center, expected to open in October.
Still, a needs assessment by Presbyterian Medical Services showed there is an underserved population on the south side — especially patients on Medicaid or not connected to a provider. In other words, the increase in providers has not kept pace with the boost of insured patients, so many have to wait weeks for an appointment.
To get around that, those with needs are still going to the Christus emergency room for primary services best sought at the office of a doctor or nurse.
The other issue in Santa Fe is the population of undocumented residents who can’t afford health insurance on their own and do not quality for assistance on the healthcare.gov platform.
“We’ll take noncitizens if they have health care needs,” Martinez said. Presbyterian can discount payments for those who prove they can’t afford the services, and it can bill insurance companies or Medicaid but waive other charges for low-income patients.
Though Presbyterian Medical Services is a nonprofit, it is not affiliated with Presbyterian Healthcare Services, the largest health care company in the state that also operates the Presbyterian Health Plan.
The smaller Presbyterian Medical Services has always served a more niche market, offering services in schools and community centers as well as early childhood Head Start and nutrition programs.
The new Santa Fe clinic was added onto a building that provided behavioral health services for years with Presbyterian and previously with Zia Behavioral Health.
Tony Osborn, a nurse practitioner, said he came to Santa Fe from the Presbyterian Medical Services clinic in Gallup because he sees the project here as having real potential for integrating all the needs of families in one location.
He hopes to offer same-day appointments and walk-in services.
“This is a great project, a brand new clinic in a neighborhood where we can reach out to families with limited resources,” he said.
Contact Bruce Krasnow at brucek@sfnewmexican.com.