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Becoming a Packard Health Patient |
News & AnnouncementsPackard Clinic’s medical mission goes onThe Ann Arbor News – Saturday, Feb 24, 2007 For Elina Jerrell, medical care is a family affair that includes her three children and her six brothers and sisters. All are primary care patients at the Packard Community Clinic and are fiercely loyal to the place that has provided their medical care since they were babies. “I love the clinic. The doctors and nurses are always there with an answer; always willing to help,” said Jerrell, who lives in Ypsilanti Township. “When you call for an appointment, they know who you are and what you need – usually before you do. You get treatment whether you can afford to pay or not, and if you can’t afford medicine, they make sure that you get it.” Such testimonials are commonplace among the nonprofit clinic’s 6,000 patients, about 40 percent of whom are low–income, uninsured or Medicaid patients. “Our mission is to provide high-quality health care to everybody, regardless of their ability to pay,” said Jim Frenza, chairman of the clinic’s board of directors. “I don’t believe we turn anybody away. We help people manage their health.” The clinic provides ongoing, rather than episodic, primary care services. “This is not a walk–in clinic,” Frenza said. It was founded in 1973 by Jerry Walden, a University of Michigan-trained physician from Cairo “My motivation for opening the clinic goes back to my parents, who had always rooted for the underdog,” Walden said. “I was invested from an early age in trying to do something for someone else.” His search for a place where he could use his skills to make a difference in people’s lives took him from Ann Arbor to Nigeria and back again, with stops in between at Philadelphia’s General Hospital and the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, IN, where he provided medical care to prisoners. After founding the clinic, Walden spent 33 years running the place, assisted for most of that time by his wife, Julie. Walden served as medical director and Julie, who has master’s degrees in business and social work, as clinic administrator. “We’ve seen tremendous change,” Julie Walden said. “Last year we did about 18,000 patient visits. We’ve had growth in our patient base every year.” Additionally in line with Jerry Walden’s vision to treat the whole person, Julie Walden has been instrumental in developing the clinic’s integrated health care program, which includes social work and psychiatric serves, nutritional counseling, health education programs, a walking club and even a book club. The clinic also started partnerships with other health-related organizations, including the Washtenaw Health Plan, through which the county provides health insurance to residents based on income. Ellen Rabinowitz, executive director of the Washtenaw Health Plan, said Packard provides primary care services to about 20 percent of the plan’s membership. “There are a couple of other ‘safety net’ providers in the community, but Packard is certainly chief among them,” Rabinowitz said. “They provide incredible care for people in need. Our program could not be as large as it is without their help.” Jerry Walden said one of the reasons the clinic has been able to carry out its mission is that its clinical staff work for 35 to 40 percent less than market rate. Some 60 percent of the clinic’s patients are fully insured, and a strong contributor base accounts for nearly 10 percent of the clinic’s budget. Some 85 percent of its operations are funded by patient fees, including insurance and per–patient stipends from the county health plan. “It’s been a pleasure to treat medically underserved patients,” Jerry Walden said. “There are 38,000 uninsured people in Washtenaw County. It wouldn’t be that difficult for every physician in this area to take 5 percent of these patients. It would be spread across the system and Packard would have to be practically the sole provider: We could do it.” Julie Walden said she and her husband love the clinic, but decided it was time to step down. “It’s important to develop new leadership,” she said. So, on Jan. 21, they both retired. Ray Rion, a clinic physician for the past four years, has been named medical director, and the clinic’s new executive director is Kimberly Kratz, who came to the clinic from the Saline-based National Migrant Health Promotion. “We knew the medical director had to be someone who understood the mission … and Ray had consistently demonstrated his commitment to our goals,” said board member Sharon Moore. Rion and Kratz, along with the board members, will be earning their stripes soon, as the clinic mounts a capital campaign to raise money for its upcoming expansion. “It’s a need–based expansion,” Frenza said. “There are days … when people are waiting outside the door to get in.” Frenza said the board hopes to double the clinic’s space, to 12,000 square feet. The clinic’s annual budget was 1.3 million last year, barely enough to cover expanses, much less underwrite an extensive program of growth. “We’re realistic; we know the climate fore philanthropy has begun to dry up in this area,” Frenza said. Community support has historically been strong, he said. “Without even asking for it, we’ve gotten some fairly significant gifts already.” On the day of their retirement, the Waldens were honored at a recognition program that drew several hundred of their staff, patients and medical providers from throughout the community. Held at Washtenaw Community College, the party, said Julie Walden, “was absolutely fabulous.” Even news that a malfunctioning sprinkler system caused a major flood in the clinic offices that same day could not dampen the festivities. “Everywhere we turned, there were patients, contributors, friends, government officials,” she said. “It was overwhelming.” The Waldens were particularly touches when they learned that the new building will be named for them. “I have lots of great memories,” Jerry Walden said. “Quite a few of the kids I delivered were there, although they aren’t kids anymore.” The Waldens said they will continue to be involved in the clinic “in some way.” Jerry Walden said he will have more time to devote to another passion – serving as a medical expert in cases relating to prisoner health care. The two also intend to write about their experiences providing care to the medically underserved at the clinic. “We’ll miss the responsibility of ‘leading the charge,’” Jerry Walden said, but the pair will have no problem finding ways to fill their time. “We like to dance and travel and read.”
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