FAMILY HEALTH CENTER OF ALBION CELEBRATING FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

On March 18, 2008, Family Health Center of Albion (FHC) will celebrate its fifth anniversary.  The Albion office opened with one full-time physician and later a part-time dentist.  Currently, the Center is staffed with two medical and two dental providers with laboratory and x-ray services provided in the same building by Oaklawn Hospital of Marshall.

In 2003, the building opened with an unfinished dental service delivery area.  In the first 18 months of operation, three dental chairs were put in place.  Today the FHC Albion office has five dental chairs.  A more comprehensive type of x-ray machine, a panoramic, was added to the dental area in 2005 through a special federal grant.

In 2006, FHC began its conversion to Electronic Health Records which included the Albion site.  The project was completed in 2007.

In 2007, medical and dental services delivered at FHC Albion numbered almost 13,700 for 3,420 individuals, approximately 86% of whom were uninsured or had Medicaid coverage.  The center continues to accept medical patients with commercial insurance, Medicare or Medicaid coverage and persons who have no health insurance.  FHC also continues to offer "open access scheduling" which means a patient calling for a medical appointment may be offered an appointment for that same day.  Dental appointments are primarily for those who have Medicaid coverage or who are eligible for Calhoun County Senior Mileage Dental Services: Calhoun County resident; age 60 or older; no dental insurance/unable to pay for dental care; and having low income.

The Center's efforts to recruit additional providers and support staff for Albion are ongoing as FHC continues to examine and explore new service delivery methods for the community.  The Center serves as a referral site for Albion Community School's state-funded funded Wildcat Wellness Center for those students and their families who need a regular provider of medical care.  In late November 2007, FHC held its first portable dentistry clinics in Albion's Harrington and Washington-Gardner Elementary Schools.  Children needing a regular provider for dental care were referred to FHC in Albion for follow-up dental care.  Additional Albion schools will be visited by FHC's portable dentistry program in 2008.

The Center is part of Albion's "Virtual Expo", on-line at www.albionbizexpo.biz/.  See all of Family Health Center of
Battle Creek and Albion at its website: http://www.fhcbc.org/gettingcare/insideFHC.htm.  For more information call
517-629-6540.