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The Indianapolis-based not-for-profit Jane Pauley Community Health Center Inc. is nearly doubling the number of practices in its portfolio with the addition of seven practices previously operated by Community Health Network, the two groups announced Thursday.
The locations include six pediatric practices and one OB/GYN practice in Anderson, Greenwood, Indianapolis and Kokomo. Financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.
The JPCHC said the transition will enhance services for patients, regardless of insurance status, because of the not-for-profit’s status as a Federally Qualified Health Center.
“We provide behavioral services that’s integrated right in with the primary care visit,” CEO Marc Hackett told Inside INdiana Business. “We also offer dental services. We’re about to open up our first pharmacy next week. So that’s a big satisfier for the patients.”
Additionally, patients at the new locations will have access to JPCHC food pantries and community resource navigation assistance, the organization said.
“We see this as a net gain for both the community and the dedicated healthcare providers who want the best options for patients,” said Hackett.
The practices that are transitioning to JPCHC control are:
- Pediatrics, Anderson – 1629 Medical Arts Blvd. Suite 200, Anderson
- Pediatrics, Castleton – 7525 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis
- Pediatrics, Community Health Pavilion County Line – 333 E. County Line Rd., Greenwood
- Pediatrics, Community Health Pavilion Washington – 7910 E. Washington St., Indianapolis
- Pediatrics, Community Health Pavilion East – 10122 E. 10th St., Indianapolis
- Pediatrics, Howard – 3611 S. Reed Rd, Kokomo
- OB/GYN, Howard – 3510 S. Lafontain St., Kokomo
The transition of the sites is expected to take about six months to complete. About 85 staff members will become JPCHC employees. Only the physicians and nurse practitioners will remain Community employees contracted by the health center.
A JPCHC spokesperson told IIB the organization expects minimal disruption for patients and all existing appointments will remain on the books.
The move builds upon the longstanding partnership between Community Health and the JPCHC, which dates back to 2009 and the founding of the first JPCHC location in Indianapolis.
“Community is always looking for the best and most sustainable ways to serve the needs of our patients and enhance health and well-being,” Community said in an email to IIB. “These practices have unusually high populations of patients who historically have had trouble connecting with health and social services. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Jane Pauley Community Health Center has access to generous extra financial resources and support opportunities to help meet the needs of these patients.”
Hackett noted that the addition of the new locations presents additional opportunities for collaboration, especially in Kokomo, where the organization didn’t previously have a presence.
On a recent visit to the city, Hackett met with the CEO of Indiana Health Centers, another Federally Qualified Health Center that has a location there, and said they’re both excited about the move.
“There’s so much unmet need in the community here, and so she knows that we could possibly even work together to see what we can do to provide services to the people in Howard County here,” said Hackett.
He noted a possible memorandum of understanding could be in order whereby the JPCHC practices could refer patients to the IHC location for dental care.
The Jane Pauley Community Health Center currently operates 10 locations in Indianapolis, Alexandria, Anderson, Greenfield and Shelbyville. Hackett said they had 100,000 visits in 2023, and they expect to double the number of patients served per day from 400 to 800 with the addition of the new locations.
“I always remind staff that every day we open the doors, you know, we have 800 patients that we’re changing somebody’s life, and we hope we’re making that in a positive way.”
The transition of ownership of the sites remains subject to approval from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.
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