Health-care lifeline: St. Vincent de Paul clinic aids metro Phoenix poor, uninsured

Vickie Barnes became extremely ill with food poisoning last year after eating a wrap at a Glendale restaurant. The illness grew so serious that her kidneys began to shut down.

She received emergency care at a Glendale hospital. But she was uninsured, had a low-income and suffered a host of chronic medical conditions, and she had nowhere to go once outside the hospital's doors.

"I wanted the help," said Barnes, 60. "But I couldn't get anybody to help me."

That's when a doctor suggested a small clinic in south Phoenix run by St. Vincent de Paul. The medical and dental clinic has served as a critical link in thecommunity's health-care safety net for more than three decades, taking care of people regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status.

During repeated visits to St. Vincent de Paul's clinic over the past year and a half, Barnes rehabilitated following a stroke and received badly needed dental work, mammograms and other preventive care.

The free clinic provided a dietitian who counseled Barnes on proper nutrition, allowing her to better manage her diabetes. She also gets free insulin through a separate government program.

"I wouldn't be alive if not for all the help I've gotten here," said Barnes, who lives in Glendale.

Changes to primary, specialty care

St. Vincent de Paul's clinic, 420 W. Watkins Road, treats thousands of metro Phoenix residents every year who have nowhere else to turn.

Unlike other safety-net providers such as Maricopa Integrated Health System or federally qualified community health centers that collect government funding to help sustain operations, St. Vincent de Paul relies on charitable donations from the community and a small army of doctors willing to donate their time.

The general of that army is Dr. Maurice Lee, a family practitioner who took over the clinic in 2014. He has a small staff — just 3½ employees, including himself.

The clinic historically had been staffed by doctors who specialize in a particular field of medicine, such as neurology or digestive issues. With the average patient waiting three to four months for an appointment with a specialist, Lee decided to make some changes.

For example, he noticed that people who complained of stomach cramps were waiting months to see a digestive specialist when the underlying cause of their discomfort was anxiety.

"The biggest bang we can get is better primary care," said Lee, a University of Arizona College of Medicine graduate. "You can treat most of your depression and anxiety with primary care."

Specialists who volunteer at the clinic still play a valuable role, but Lee said they're now taking care of people whose health needs are unique to that specialty rather then basic health problems that have festered due to lack of care.

The clinic's goal is to stabilize a person's health and have the individual return for periodic checkups. That allows the clinic's specialist volunteers to see more patients from other clinics and community health centers that don't provide specialty care.

This new arrangement has allowed the clinic to see more people, but each patient also has fewer visits because underlying health needs are met more efficiently, Lee said.

Expanding space and services

In the past year, the clinic has handled nearly 5,500 appointments. About one-third of the clinic's patients are children.

Lee said he hopes to boost the number of appointments next year when the clinic expands into a 20,000-square-foot space.

The extra space will be available because St. Vincent de Paul is scheduled to complete a $16 million expansion of its main campus next summer. The organization also has a shelter, homeless services and family resources. Businesses, foundations, community groups and individuals have donated to the campaign.

Lee said there is no shortage of demand for indigent medical care in metro Phoenix, and he said his clinic's services will expand next year with the additional space.

"We're the worst-kept secret in town," Lee said. "We should never have an appointment that doesn't get filled. I know there is need out there."

Clinical partnership with Mayo Med School

Part of that expansion will include a clinical partnership with Mayo Clinic's School of Medicine. Students at the new medical school will be completing their second year next year, and part of their training and education will include twice-a-week rotations at St. Vincent de Paul's clinic.

Dr. Augustine Chavez of the Mayo Clinic said the purpose of the arrangement is to teach students about providing care to the uninsured and poor.

It's also intended to give students a glimpse of gaps in the overall health-care system.

Although the Affordable Care Act has extended private health insurance to nearly 200,000 Arizonans and Medicaid to about 400,000 adults, many people remain uncovered. Immigrants who are in the country illegally are not eligible for coverage under the federal health law.

Community health centers that are funded by government grants often require residents to pay on a sliding fee scale based on their income. While care is discounted, it's usually not free.

There are other struggles for the uninsured, too, such as paying for prescriptions.

St. Vincent de Paul relies on medication that is donated to the clinic or can be purchased cheaply, such as $4 prescriptions available at Walmart and Bashas', Lee said.

The Mayo Med School students initially will be charged with taking patient histories and performing physical exams under the supervision of a doctor. As they gain more skill and experience, the students will gradually earn more independence.

In addition to learning clinical skills, Chavez said he hopes students learn the importance of providing care to the indigent.

"They can recognize in a real-world, tangible way the impact they can have for the people who need it the most," Chavez said.

Supported by Season for Sharing

Season for Sharing and St. Vincent de Paul are long-standing partners. In 2016, the agency received a $33,000 grant to support food costs for warm meals for families through its Congregate Dining Room Program and food boxes through our Food Reclamation Department. The services support working poor and homeless families and individuals in Maricopa County and throughout Central and Northern Arizona.

Season for Sharing raised $2.4 million in 2016 and gave 100 percent of it to agencies that support children and families, aid older adults, boost education and help domestic violence victims.

How to donate:

Fill out the online form at sharing.azcentral.com.

Use the coupon on 4A of The Arizona Republic and mail donations to P.O. Box 29250, Phoenix, AZ 85038-9250.

Text “sharing” to 51-555 and click on the link in the text message.

READ MORE:

Donations help St. Mary's Food Bank meet 7,000 turkey goal

Arizona high court rejects GOP lawmakers' suit to overturn state's Medicaid expansion

What St. Vincent de Paul is doing to help homeless survive Phoenix heat this summer