Read more: Local, State, Health, Youth, Clinics, Health Department, Lansing, Budget Cuts, Healthcare, Teens, Marc, Schollett, Fact Finder, Keeslar, Grand Traverse County, Fact Finder
Six months ago Fred Keeslar with the Grand Traverse County Health Department was dealing with a very bleak outlook when it came to the future of the youth medical clinic in Traverse City. There was no shortage of minors coming through the doors looking for care, rather a lack of funds coming in from the state to cover expenses. As Keeslar remembers, "during the budget situation in Lansing, the Senate had passed the budget with no funding for adolescent health clinics which means we would have lost $175,000 which would have been crucial for keeping the clinic going."
Its costs tens of thousands of dollars to keep this clinic running but the health department points out, that investment impacts hundreds in need. According to Keeslar "We have over 1100 adolescents that are 10 to 21 years old who used this clinic last year, averaged around 3 to 4 visits, so its 3000 to 4000 visits a year coming in for a variety of illnesses, injuries, sports physicals. This is there medical home."
At this "medical home" patients essentially pay what they can afford. Services are rendered on a sliding scale or the clinic can bill insurance if the patient has it. If they don't have insurance, and don't turn to the clinic for care, Keeslar says they often go to the emergency room for routine visits, which not only clogs an already crowded service, but also adds to the expense. Financially and physically, supporters say the clinics made sense. But due to a shrinking state budget, the outlook for clinics around the state like those in Traverse City, Cadillac, and Mancelona had long been grim and only getting worse. As Keeslar recollects "it's just gotten worse the last few years, there was a period in the early 80's, when it was very uncertain funding time, and then it got better. We still face these challenges right now it's about the worse I have ever seen it."
With that in mind the clinics around the state made preparations for the possibility of shutting down. Then, out of nowhere, a sudden reversal of fortune from Lansing. In a recent budget move the clinics around the state had their funding cut but not eliminated. According to Keeslar "we didn't learn until recently that it was restored and that we received a 10% cut. We lost $17,500 but that's sustainable and we have applied for a number of grants and gotten some money to help carry us through another year. We were elated this is very good news. The schools are happy, the students are happy. I think this was a real Christmas treat for us."
So six months ago, it looked as if clinics like the one in Traverse City, which serve those who otherwise might not get care, would be closed for good. Today they are not only open, but the program is looking to actually looking to expand. On Wednesday Keeslar announced "we were notified that we have gotten funded for a 3 day a week clinic in Kingsley and we hope to start that in March." This comes after a feasibility study found that Kingsley is, by federal standards, a medically underserved area.
A dramatic turn around for the state funded youth clinics in Michigan. So what do you think? Should funding the youth clinics be a priority for the state? I want hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below.
