BEDFORD, Ind., Dec. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lawrence County is undergoing a massive change in its healthcare landscape with the closure of Ascension St. Vincent’s Dunn Hospital, and three healthcare groups are working to ensure continued access to quality healthcare for the community.
IU Health and two new Federally Qualified Health Center teams in Lawrence County, Southern Indiana Community Health Care (CHC) and Indiana Health Centers (IHC), stepped up after the Ascension announcement to focus on the future needs of Bedford and the surrounding areas. The teams are happy to announce that progress is being made and thank the community leaders who have engaged in discussions concerning healthcare in this region.
IU Health
“The closing of Dunn Hospital is going to be a big change in the healthcare landscape for Lawrence County, and we are all working together as quickly as possible to ensure our community continues to have access to the care they need,” said IU Health South Central Region President Brian Shockey.
IU Health Bedford Hospital President Larry Bailey continued, “These groups have put in a lot of time and effort over the 90 or so days since the Dunn Hospital announcement, and while the closure will change our local healthcare, I can say with confidence that we have a great support system to care for our neighbors, friends, family, and community.”
IU Health Bedford Hospital has seen an increase in patients in the emergency department, lab, surgery, and walk-in as the community’s second hospital counted down to closing its doors. Their efforts to assist with this increase include adding Sunday hours for its walk-in service from 1 – 7 pm, adding a provider to the walk in, and increasing staffing for the emergency department.
IU Health LifeLine’s recent contract with the City of Bedford is also aimed at assisting the community with their emergency medical assistance needs via an increase in ambulance services in the area, which start in 2023.
Indiana Health Centers
Indiana Health Centers, Inc. (IHC) will now be adding Lawrence County to their community health center network. The Indiana Lawrence County Women Infant Child (WIC) program will transfer from Ascension St. Vincent to IHC by Tuesday, Jan. 3, and their goal is for the office location to remain at 2415 Mitchell Road.
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“IHC was founded specifically to provide high quality, affordable, patient-centered health care to underserved areas of Indiana,” said IHC President and CEO Ann Lundy.
IHC is also working closely with Lawrence County leaders to remain at 2415 and 2409 Mitchell Road and bring forward Integrated Primary Care with previous Ascension providers.
IHC is pleased to announce that the primary care team of Dr. Becky Leigh Allmon, DO, Lisa A. Kleindorfer, MSN, APRN, BC, and Kate McCalla-Gilliatt, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, ANP-C, will all be joining their organization. Their goal is to be open by February 2023 to ensure continuity of care and to provide patient-centered medical home services to the residents of Lawrence County.
Southern Indiana Community Health Care
“It’s a privilege to have this new opportunity to bring our OB and primary care services to Lawrence County, and we appreciate the collaboration IU Health and others have demonstrated in addressing this critical need,” said Yolanda Yoder, M.D., medical director of Southern Indiana Community Health Care. “We are grateful to be working toward a smooth transition for Lawrence County residents to have an option to continue local health care services.”
The CHC team has been focusing on supporting the primary care and obstetric needs of the community. Five former Ascension providers have joined CHC and will staff the new CHC offices in Bedford and Mitchell, fostering continuity of care for Lawrence County patients. Beginning in February 2023, the CHC Mitchell office will open in the former Ascension facility at 2759 State Road IN-37 in Mitchell. A temporary CHC Bedford office will open in the former Ascension office at 2512 Q Street in Bedford (CHC will move to a permanent facility in Lincoln Plaza later this spring).
In addition to prenatal and obstetrics services, CHC providers will offer a variety of primary care services, including addressing multiple health challenges, chronic and long-term disease care, diabetes and heart disease issues, treatment and care of injuries, and a broad range of other health care services.
CHC is proud to announce that the following providers are joining their team: Amanda Bowman, FNP, Caroline Browne, MD, Lori Day, FNP, Kristi Nissley, FNP, and Trisha Spoonmore, FNP.
Providers in Lawrence County
As shown above, there are a lot of moving parts in ensuring Lawrence County has the healthcare services it needs. The good news is that a number of Ascension providers are remaining in the area by joining IU Health, IHC, or CHC.
If you need to establish care with a primary care provider, please contact a local office:
- IU Health: 812.278.8800
- IHC: 812.652.1700
- CHC: 812.675.4470
About Indiana University Health
Named among the "Best Hospitals in America" by U.S. News & World Report for 23 consecutive years, Indiana University Health is dedicated to providing a unified standard of preeminent, patient-centered care. A unique partnership with Indiana University School of Medicine – one of the nation's
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leading medical schools – gives our highly skilled physicians access to innovative treatments using the latest research and technology. Learn more at www.iuhealth.org.
About Indiana Health Centers, Inc
Indiana Health Centers, Inc. (IHC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that has provided high-quality, affordable, patient-centered health care to underserved areas of Indiana since 1977. IHC operates nine Indiana community health centers and provides care to the medically underserved in seven different counties. IHC provides medical, dental, and behavioral health care to all who seek care, regardless of their ability to pay. IHC health centers serve people who have Medicaid, Medicare, HIP, most commercial insurance companies, and provides a sliding fee scale for those without insurance. Learn more about Indiana Health Centers, Inc. at www.indianahealthonline.org or call 317.576.1335 (corporate) or to establish care: 812.652.1700.
About Southern Indiana Community Health Care
Well-known as a high-impact health care provider committed to continuity of care, the nonprofit Southern Indiana Community Health Care organization is committed to providing high-quality, comprehensive, community-sensitive health care utilizing Christ-centered principles to medically underserved, rural communities. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Southern Indiana Community Health Care serves as a “safety net” provider for vulnerable populations and focuses on increasing access to primary care services for Medicaid and Medicare patients in rural communities. Southern Indiana Community Health Care offers medical care in medically underserved areas of Crawford, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington counties. Southern Indiana Community Health is a member of the National Health Services Corps and receives program funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Southern Indiana Community Health Care offers services to all persons, regardless of the person’s ability to pay. For more information, please visit https://sichc.org/
