Health Clinics See 30% Increase in Patient Visits

30-percent more patients are visiting United Neighborhood Health Services clinics this year. The economy is causing much of the increase.

United Neighborhood Health Services operates ten low- or no-cost health care clinics in Middle Tennessee. Director Mary Bufwack says they treated just over 20-thousand patients last year. This year, she’s expecting over 27-thousand.

“A lot of that increase is coming to us from people who are newly uninsured and have never used our services. They’ve lost jobs. Or perhaps the insurance at work is going so high that they can no longer afford it.”

Patients pay on a sliding scale based on income. Bufwack says about 60-percent of the patients don’t have insurance. The other 40-percent use the clinics for regular health and dental needs. Bufwack says if they establish a medical home at one of the clinics, patients will be less likely to make an expensive emergency room visit when they’re sick.

As the economy strains patients’ budgets, Bufwack says UNHS is not anticipating a big drop in funding, since grants cover most of their operating costs. However, Bufwack says she is worried they could loose state safety net funds, as the governor looks to fill an 800-million dollar budget hole. UNHS received about $600,000 in safety net funds last year.