Published: Feb. 27, 2014
Sparrow and Volunteers of America Michigan today held a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration for a new joint medical clinic to serve homeless Patients and others. The clinic is only the second of its kind in the nation and the first in Michigan.
"We're very proud to bring Sparrow's quality, compassionate care to an underserved population in the region," said Joe Ruth, Sparrow Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "In developing just the second clinic of its kind in the country, Sparrow is fundamentally changing the way we provide care to our Patients."
The clinic will be on-site at VOAMI, 430 North Larch St. in Lansing, and will serve an estimated 3,400 Patients each year, many of whom are physically disabled and/or suffer from mental illness. Most are not able to access government health benefits to which they are entitled. The Sparrow Emergency Department currently gets as many as 400 ambulance calls and visits annually from VOAMI.
"Many of these Patients are medically underserved in the community," said Patrick Patterson, Executive Vice President of VOAMI. "This new clinic will help these individuals get access to quality, preventative care and give them a realistic chance of escaping homelessness."
Sparrow will provide staff for the clinic, including Physician Lynn Nevin, M.D., a Physician Assistant, and other medical and office personnel. The $900,000 project was partially funded by a federal grant and private donations, with Sparrow providing the balance of the cost. The clinic officially opens to Patients on Monday, March 3.