Health board decides to close children's clinic

The decision came after a lengthy discussion at the board's monthly meeting and a statement from a board member opposing the closure. Five board members voted to close the clinic; one member voted against the measure, and one abstained.

The clinic, which operates out of the health department's Market Street location, will continue operating through the end of May, said Allen County health commissioner David Rosebrock. Currently the clinic serves approximately 575 children. Parents of children who attend the clinic will receive letters in the mail informing them of the closure. The letter will include a list of local doctors who have agreed to take on the clinic's patients.

According to Rosebrock, the decision to close the clinic was the result of several factors, including diminishing need for its services. Rosebrock said other local physicians and the federally qualified Allen County Health Partners could care for the clinic's patients.

"We've been doing this since back in the ‘70s, and some things have changed," he said. "There is more access in the community to health care than there was when this clinic started. It's a little different situation out there, and the safety net we've been providing we don't feel is necessary any longer. That decision can be revisited if we find there are continuing problems."

Additionally, Rosebrock said financial considerations came into play. In the past, the health department used grant money provided by the Ohio Department of Health to fund "direct care" at the clinic. In the past five years, however, ODH said grants can only be used to provide assistance to the public, like social workers or home visits. Without the grants, it would take $100,000 in supplementary funds to keep the clinic open, he said.

"That means we're pretty much relying on local tax dollars to supplement the clinic," Rosebrock said. "For the most part, the townships, villages and cities we rely on are pretty strapped for cash, and their budgets are not increasing. I can't help but also look at the financial picture and see if there are other options out there than can provide a medical home for these clients."

During the meeting, board member Wilfred Ellis read from a written statement in which he said he is "vigorously against" closure of the clinic. Ellis, who worked at the clinic for 17 years, said eliminating the clinic will be detrimental to providing health care for children community-wide.

"The children in this area need a place to go in order to receive health care," he said. "It's very difficult when they don't have health care insurance or they're insured by Medicaid where reimbursement is low. There is a need for an organized clinic to manage this population."

Ellis also said treating these children is more than a matter of physical health, and questioned whether other practices will be able to provide adequate care.

"The concern is going to be, how many children can you take into a practice where reimbursement won't reach your cost?" he said. "And the other concern is, when you have patients with social issues, who miss appointments because they have other situations, the time allotted to address these situations may not be able to be managed by practices. A lot of practices just don't have the time to do that."

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