Published: Sept. 17, 2013
Sparrow is collaborating with Volunteers of America Michigan (VOAMI) to open a new medical clinic in Lansing to serve the area's homeless, the first such project between a health system and VOAMI in Michigan.
The clinic will be on-site at VOAMI, 430 North Larch St. in Lansing, and each year will serve an estimated 3,400 underserved Patients, 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.
"We're very proud to be a part of this project and to take the lead in fundamentally transforming care in Michigan," said Joe Ruth, Sparrow Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "Our mission is to improve the health of people in our communities by providing quality, compassionate care and that's exactly what this clinic will do for thousands of Patients in mid-Michigan."
"Many of these Patients are medically underserved in the community," said Patrick Patterson, Executive Vice President of VOAMI. "Working with Sparrow, we can do a better job of helping 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 a Physician, and other medical and office personnel. The $800,000 project will be partially funded by a federal grant, with Sparrow providing the balance of the cost. The clinic is scheduled to open in early 2014.