The Bloomington Health Center (BLHC), formerly Volunteers in Medicine (VIM), is three months into its second year of operations. The HealthNet mission is “to improve lives with compassionate health care and support services regardless of ability to pay.” Despite the pandemic, BLHC served over 1300 patients during its first year.
As a federally qualified health center, HealthNet has expanded the scope of services in Bloomington well beyond what was previously offered by VIM. The center now serves all ages – from newborns to seniors – from all geographic areas regardless of age, income, citizenship, or insurance status.
Like all HealthNet centers, HealthNet Bloomington welcomes people both with and without insurance. The center accepts Medicaid, Healthy IN Plan, Medicare, and most commercial insurances. Patients are given a sliding scale fee based on income and family size. On-site navigators help eligible people enroll in insurance plans as well.
The center is now fully staffed with providers Dr. Greg Sutliff, Theresa McClure NP, Nubia McVey NP, and Kristin Bunch NP. In addition, a full- time pediatrician is scheduled to join the center in July. The dental clinic reopened in June for dental emergencies and in the fall opened its full-service operations. Pediatrics and a focus on women’s health and pre- natal care began mid-year as well.
In addition to our primary care services, social work and support services continue to be available to our patients to address the many social determinants of health that exacerbate medical conditions. Grants and other funding allow us to offer financial assistance for people experiencing barriers to healthcare due to affordability or transportation.
In this time of COVID-19, telemedicine and virtual care have quickly become important tools in caring for our patients. Established patients at HealthNet Bloomington can schedule medical appointments using virtual tools. This approach is particularly important to help provide routine care for patients vulnerable if exposed to the virus.
We couldn’t have predicted the turbulence and uncertainly the pandemic caused during our first year of operations. However, HealthNet closely follows CDC guidelines, and we have taken every precaution at the Bloomington Health Center to provide excellent patient care while minimizing risk of exposure to the virus for our patients and staff. For more information call Shelley Sallee, Bloomington Health Center Manager, at shelley.sallee@indyhealthnet.org, or 812-333-4033. To schedule an appointment, call 812-333-4001.
