Watch CBS News

New Health Center Provides Affordable Care For All

All are welcome at the Covenant Community Health Center in Royal Oak from infant to elderly patients with a range of health care coverage statuses.

WWJ's Pat Sweeting spoke with Dr. Lydia Best, the medical director at the facility.

 "We take all comers with insurance, without insurance, we take Medicaid, Medicare, and then we have a sliding scale for those who don't have insurance, and we would require proof of income so we can put them on the proper slide," she said.

The fee scale would generally range from $20 to $50.  Best says they are able to keep the cost down because of their partnership with William Beaumont Hospital.

 "That's why we're so grateful for our partner with Beaumont. They're actually providing our labs for our patients, and they've done that for our patients in our other clinics as well — they've been doing that for quite a while," she said.

According to Chris Allen, CEO of Detroit Wayne County Health Authority, the clinic and others like it will cut down on the practice of using the emergency services, which can cost around $600, in place of a primary care physician.

"The cost of emergency room care is very expensive, but an office visit at this facility is about $40," he said.

Beaumont CEO, Gene Michalski, says various sources will direct patients to the new clinic.

"Walk-ins, self-referrals are welcome. Word-of-mouth and family referrals are also welcome. There are a number of community and civic organizations that are all partnering together to make people aware of how they can get plugged-in, and then of course the hospital, through its outpatient clinics and the emergency center, will be a source of referral," he said.

The Covenant Community Health Center, located on Woodward Ave., is the second federally qualified health center in Oakland County. Over the next 15 months, as many as ten new community health centers will be opening in Wayne County.

(Copyright, 2010. WWJ Newsradio 950, All Rights Reserved.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.