News & Announcements
Packard Health broadens access to care for
West Side residents
By Sharon Graganta, Old West Side News, February 2010
The opening of Packard
Health West in the fall of 2009 marked a return to the west side roots
of Washtenaw County's only nonprofit primary care practice.
The new office at 501
N. Maple
Road is a direct descendant of both Packard Community Clinic, a southeast
Ann Arbor resource for 37 years, and Summit Medical Center, a clinic
for low-income patients located in an historically African American
west side neighborhood from the late 1960s to mid-1980s.
Dr.Jerry Walden worked in inner city hospitals
in the U.S.and Nigeria while attending the University
of Michigan medical school, and later served as medical director for
a federal penitentiary. In 1969 he joined the staff of Summit Medical
Center, founded by Dr.Edward Pierce. Originally located at 403 Summit Street, the
clinic moved to 704 Spring Street in 1971.
These experiences led
Dr.Walden
to found Packard Community Clinic in 1973 to offer high quality health
care to people of all ages, races, ethnic and economic backgrounds,
regardless of their ability to pay.
The practice, now called
Packard Health, grew steadily under the leadership of Dr.Walden
and his wife, administrator Julie Walden. When the Waldens retired in 2007, Dr.Raymond
Rion was named medical director and Kimberly Kratz became executive
director.
With 18,000 patient
visits annually, the original location had limited room for expansion. The
new west side office is being leased from Saint Joseph Mercy Health
System, which also provided support for startup costs.
Packard Health has
created a viable and sustainable model for universal access and its
reputation for quality has attracted a mix of patients. Income from the insured -
about half of the patients - helps cover costs for the uninsured and
underinsured. Charges are on a sliding scale based on family
income and size.
"It's a unique
model that integrates private and public medical care funding,"
says Packard Health board member Judith Cawhorn."I lived next door to the Summit clinic and
was a patient, and I've watched the evolution of Packard over the
years. This
new office will offer access to people who may have difficulty traveling
to our other location."
Packard Health's
marketing and development director Deb VandenBroek is another west sider
with long-term connections to the practice. She started her health care career as a nurse
practitioner at the Summit clinic. "It sensitized me to the need for accessible,
neighborhood-based care which didn't discriminate."
Both locations continue
the family practice model that has been a hallmark of Packard Health
since its founding. Packard has been designated a patient-centered
medical home. This is an approach in which patients take
an active role in their own care, working closely with primary physicians. Doctors
coordinate treatments, manage chronic conditions, track medications,
and offer preventive health care to keep patients healthy and avoid
complications.
A variety
of services are offered to help people manage their own health including
nutrition classes, pediatric care, and support for managing chronic
diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
Jennifer Green, a patient
advocate for Packard Health, has been a patient herself for ten years. She
is among west side residents who are pleased about the new location. "When
the Summit clinic closed, it left a void," she says. "Packard Health still has that community
feel to it. We help patients fill out Medicare and Medicaid
applications, find housing assistance and help from the food pantry. We
don't send you out the door without trying to help."
Packard Health West
is located in the St.Joseph Mercy Maple Health Building, 501 N.Maple
Rd.at
Dexter Ave. The original Packard Health is located at 3174
Packard Rd. Both offices offer expanded hours and doctors
are always on call. New patients are welcome; phone 734-971-1073
or visit Packardhealth.org.
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