Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / March 25, 1993, edition 1 / Page 9
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EXPECTED TO BE COUNTY'?; FIRST Rural Health Center Expected To Open April 19 In Bolivia HV SUSAN USHKK Two Shallolle medical practition ers have announced plans to open a health scrvicc in Bolivia they expect to be certified as Brunswick County's first rural health center. Jon Langston, a physician's assis tant, and his brother, Dr. Lee Langston, arc partners in Bolivia Medical Clinic Inc., scheduled to open April 19 at the comer of U.S. 17 and Knox Street. Like most mcdical offices, the ccnter will offer a full range of pri mary health care services, including well baby and blood pressure screenings to family planning ser vices and treatment of infectious and sexually transmitted diseases. "It will run just like a private doc tor's office," said Dr. Langston. The center will be staffed by Em ma Alley, a full-time family nurse practitioner who is relocating from Tennessee, and Jon Langston P.A.C., who will serve half-time as center director. They will work un der the supervision of Chicora Medical Group, with Dr. Langston as the center's medical director. La Bommic Saunders, whose husband George is a physician with Chicora, will staff the office. While the clinic cannot be certi fied until after it opens for business, the Langstons anticipate it being designated as a rural health center. Rural health centers operate like any other medical office. They arc intended to serve areas that do not have enough physicians and to en sure that more people have access to mcdical care. To that end, they utilize "physician extenders" such as family nurse practitioners and physician's assistants and arc locat ed in medically undcrscrved areas. Based on the last review, all of Brunswick County is considered medically underserved. And, ac cording to the 1990 U.S. Census, 15.41 percent of its population was living in poverty at that time. The Langstons said they hope the center will fill multiple needs?pro viding mcdical care to residents of Bolivia and surrounding areas from Town Creek to Boiling Spring Lakes, serving Medicaid arid Medicare patients whose health care needs are not being met locally, and helping local caregivers, the med ical community. Medicaid is a federal-slate pro gram that helps fund health care for the needy, aged, blind and disabled, and for low-income families with children. Medicare is the federal health care insurance program for people age 65 and older and for the Brunswick County Democrats Slate April 1 7 Convention Rep. E. David Redwine will be ward to a great year ahead for the the keynote speaker at the Bruns- Brunswick County Democratic wick County Democratic Party Con- Party," he said. vention Saturday, to be held April Stanley said resolutions to be pre 17. at 1p.m. at the party s hcadquar- a, lhc convcnlion mus(l ^ tersbtuldmgnearSupply. , ^ submitted to the rules and rcsolu Heading the agenda will be elec- commjtlee by April 12 at 1 lion of county officers to serve p m vemon Ward, an announced through the 994 election cycle. candidalc for party chaimiant is Convention, delegates will also elect chairman of ^ committcc. Other three members to serve on the par- mcmbcrs ^ lMary Slanlcyt Cath. ty s State Executive Committee. The crine Clark, Rufus Gore, Pearly new chairman serves on this com- Verecn and Bi? Cancr mittee automatically, said W.A. "Bill" Stanley, outgoing chairman. Appointed to the credentials com Thc convention will also elect 38 mittee are Donna Baxter, a school local Democrats to serve as dele- board member, and Janis Simmons, gates to the Seventh Congressional Democratic Ladies president; Philip District Convention. Stout, Democratic Men's president; In addition to Redwine, Stanley and Tracy Franks of Oak Island, a said other elected officials and can- member of the slate Young Demo didates are expected to attend. crats. "We are expecting a good turnout The Democratic Headquarters of Democrats from across the coun- building is located on U.S. 17 Busi ly to be in attendance and look for- ncss north of Supply. SAVE S SAVE S SAVE S SAVE S SAVE S SAVE S SAVE S SAVE $ SAVE $ O^' Check Out Our Everyday Low Prices! IN STOCK!! Over 50 Dinette Sets On Display & Ready for Delivery Complete Set As Low As lOO *139' Warehouse Furniture .SfSTORE FINANCSlG Hwy. 90 Nixon's Crossroads (803)249-8874 Direct Outlet For , Highpoint Bedding | < SAVE $ SAVE $ SAVE $ SAVE $ SAVE $ SAVE $ SAVE $ SAVE $ SAVE $ "We really need it bad. We have 6,412 clients on Medicaid. It doesn't do any good because they don't have anywhere to go." ?Lillie Barnes, Intake Management Supervisor At Brunswick Health Dept. disabled, with eligibility for it based mainly on eligibility for Social Security. Price said that under the reim bursement formula available to them, most doctors lose money when they accept Medicaid or Medicare patients. After those pa tients make up a certain percentage of their practice, it becomes finan cially difficult to accept more. Because designated rural health ccntcrs arc allowed reimbursement for Medicare and Medicaid patients under a different, more favorable formula than is available to physi cians, Dr. Langston said the center should break even by recovering all costs directly associated with care provided to those groups of pa tients. "There is a limit on the fee paid, but it allows you to serve those pa tients as part of your practice and not lose money," said Dr. Langston. "We think we can make some mon ey and take good care of people too." The Bolivia Medical Center is privately owneu and privately fi nanced without any local, state or federal funding, Dr. Langston said. While it expects at least a third of its patients to pay for services re ceived or to have thirty party insur ance coverage, Langston anticipates another one-third each will have Medicare or Medicaid coverage. "We think it's going to work; we're committed to it," said Dr. Langston. "Somebody needs to sec those patients," said John Price, a rural health consultant with the N.C. Office of Rural Health. "They'll be inundated widi patients. Thai's what usually happens." In Brunswick County 12 doctors are Medicaid providers, according to the Brunswick County Depart ment of Social Services, but few if any are accepting new Medicaid pa tients. "1 don't know anyone outside of Dr. (Robert) Hassler who is accept ing new patients," said Lillic Barnes, intake management super visor with the department. "And he's the only gynecologist/obstetri cian in the county." "We really need it bad. We have 6,412 clients on Medicaid. It doesn't do any good because they don't have anywhere to go." She agrees with Price that the center will not lack for patients. "If people learn there is a center, they will flock to it," Barnes said. She also hopes the center oper ates as successfully as anticipated. "If they get it started and people see how it works, it may prompt more to open," she said. "It looks like it would help bring doctors into the county." The Brunswick County Health Department encounters the same frustration when Medicaid clients ask where they can go for services, said Jan Reichcnbach, health educa tor. "We refer them to the outpatient clinics at New Hanover Regional Medical Center." Langston said he hopes the cen ter's central location will help re lieve another problem local health consumers and providers must con tend with?a lack of transportation. Bolivia Mayor Ina Mac Mintz said she's excited at the prospect of the clinic, both in terms of its ser vice to the community and what it could signal for the small town's economic future. "That's a step for here," she said. "It's a good omen. And it's needed here. There arc no doctors nearby." Dr. Langston has had a medical practice in Shallottc 10 years this July. He received his mcdical de gree in 1972 from the Mcdical Uni versity of Charleston and completed a rotating internship in Savannah, Ga., before entering private prac tice. He has also had four years of experience in a health maintenance organization in Georgia. His brother, Jon, graduated from the University of South Carolina's physician's assistant program in 1975. His experience is varied, in cluding stints in a state mental facil ity, an Indiana prison, a regional hospital's emergency room, three years with a health maintenance or ganization and three years as direc tor of a health center at Lake Wac camaw prior to joining the Chicora Group. | Adrianna Edge Sidelinger, CPA | Michael W. Sidelinger, CPA ?Tax Planning and Preparation ? Financial Statement Preparation ?Bookkeeping and Payroll Services ? Computerized Accounting Systems 1 ? Small Business Consulting ? Loan Proposals i % Brunswick Square Village, 5211 South Main St., Unit 507 P.O. 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The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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March 25, 1993, edition 1
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