Jordan Valley health center expands to Taney County

Springfield’s Jordan Valley Community Health Center is expanding its services as the result of a $148,054 grant from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. The grant money comes from the Missouri Foundation for Health and the Missouri Department of Health, and it means that residents of the community of Bradleyville and northeast Taney County will soon have easier access to health care.
The grant will provide primary, preventive and geriatric health care services to Taney County as well as referrals for mental health and substance abuse services beginning in early April.
“Because of the isolation of the community and its central location to large, open geography and the schools that are in the area, it was our feeling, as well as the community’s and the state’s, that it would be beneficial to expand services there,” said Brooks Miller, executive director of Jordan Valley Community Health Center. “There is support from the community for the new clinic, and that was a factor in our decision to locate there.”
Services will be provided by Jordan Valley Community Health Center, which has been serving patients in Springfield since Jan. 1, 2003. The first medical clinic opened at 3000 E. Division and a dental clinic is operated at 618 N. Benton. As a result of increased demand for clinic services, an additional JVHC location in the old Kearney Branch Library, 630 W. Kearney, will open April 4.
“The effort there is to broaden services in Springfield,” said Miller. “We’ll provide additional staff, offer a larger pharmacy service and have X-ray and lab services on site.”
Jordan Valley Community Health Center is a federally qualified clinic that offers access to patients in a wide socioeconomic range. The clinic qualified for a grant from the Health Resources Service Administration, which enabled it to open in Springfield. To qualify, at least one-third of its patients have to be Medicaid clients. The clinic sees Medicaid patients as well as regular insurance and Medicare patients.
Miller said that the most recent grant money covers the entire cost of getting the Bradleyville clinic up and running.
“It takes two years to develop and stand on its own. The money should get us through the first year, and some of that will carry on to the second year. Then the clinic should be able to sustain itself with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance. It will be self-sustaining after that point,” he said.
Miller said that details for clinic staff are still being determined, and staff size will be based on need.
Initially, he said, plans are for an attending physician, receptionist and a nurse, and all are Skaggs-affiliated. Limited laboratory services, X-ray services and a pharmacy will also be on-site.
Plans have been under way for the clinic for several months, Miller said. “It’s a one-year culmination of effort between the residents of Bradleyville, the Community Foundation and Jordan Valley health center.”
Taney County Health Department Administrator Jim Berry said the clinic fills a need in an underserved area. “If you look at any of the rural counties, the need always exists in a broad sense,” he said. “The total population of the area is under 50,000. The clinic will serve citizens in Bradleyville, Protem, Reuter and the small communities in the area.”
Now, those residents have to drive to Forsyth, Branson or Springfield to access health care.
“They have to drive 25 miles or more on crooked roads to find health care, so it is something people need. The closest ambulance service is in Forsyth, so you’re looking at a 25-minute response time,” Berry said.
The drive to the Bradleyville clinic will be much shorter for area residents. “It will be interesting to see how busy that clinic will be.”
Berry credits Bradleyville resident Leon Combs for citizen support in bringing the clinic to reality. “He’s been instrumental in trying to get something done, and he’ll be involved in getting people informed that it’s here.”
The clinic will be housed in a building Combs owns at the corner of highways 125 and 76 in downtown Bradleyville.
“The grand opening is planned for May 7, the same day as the Bradleyville Scholarship Walk and Run for Bradleyville graduating seniors,” Combs said. “We planned (the grand opening) on the same day at the same place as the run. That will guarantee a crowd of several hundred people. There will be a tour of the clinic after the run.”
He added that he will either donate the building to the clinic, or lease it at a very inexpensive rate. The building, which used to house a store operated by Combs’ brother, is being renovated to accommodate the clinic.
“It was vacant, and the building is perfect for what they’re doing,” said Combs, who is on the board of directors for Skaggs Community Health Center.
Taney County Health Department will be involved as well, Berry said. “It has our full support and as far as we know, the clinic is not invading any private physician’s territory. Everyone, including Skaggs hospital, is aware of the clinic. Their emergency room catches a lot of the patients from that area and the new clinic will relieve some of those visits to the emergency room.”
Berry said that the clinic will reach a population of underserved people and hopes the community will take advantage of its services. “It will be interesting to see how many people use it,” he said.
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