(Seguin) — The Guadalupe Clinic for Chronic Disease wants to make sure that everyone has access to quality to medical care. The clinic, located on the campus of Guadalupe Regional Medical Center, provides primary care for patients who qualify.
Mandy Wright is a family nurse practitioner at the Guadalupe Clinic. She says the clinic is there to meet the needs of patients, who can’t afford to see a doctor.
“The clinic provides primary health care to individuals, who are uninsured or who are low-income individuals within Guadalupe County. We treat individuals who are 18 years or over here in Guadalupe County,” said Wright.
Wright says there is a process to access the Guadalupe Clinic. She says they have a system in place that allows the patients to get qualified, and then they are able to access the services available through the clinic.
“Individuals will go through the hospital screening process, through the indigent care (progam). They’ll go through the Central Entrance, and they can ask any of the registrars for an application. So they will fill out the application and then they can turn it in, and within five to seven days — usually they have an answer. Sometimes they have to come back in and meet with some of the ladies who do the financial screening. But they get a letter in the mail that let’s them know their status, and then they can call and make an appointment at the Guadalupe Clinic,” said Wright.
The current setup for the Guadalupe Clinic at GRMC has been around for several years now, but the services that the clinic provide actually go back much further than that here in Seguin. Wright says there was a time when the clinic was operated separately from the hospital.
“So the Guadalupe Clinic was previously the Christian Free Clinic, and the Christian Free Clinic was the clinic that was over on Prexy Street. It opened in 1986, and doctors in the community would volunteer one night a week, and individuals who were uninsured or low-income would line up to see that doctor. The hospital really saw a need with a growing population of low-income individuals, who really needed to receive health care. So they decied to bring the clinic to the hospital property, and for they first year, doctors continued to volunteer, and then in the summer of 2013, I was hired, and the clinic has just expanded from there,” said Wright.
The clinic’s goal is to help people with chronic conditions stay healthy. As a primary care provider, Wright says that they also wanted to try to expand the number of people that they see in clinic each day.
“We really can see anybody — just to receive primary care, or maybe just a physical exam just to stay healthy, if they want a physical examination or need some lab work. All that can be included in their indigent care services. They can come to their appointment. We can order basic labs. If they would need an x-ray or a prescription, we can connect them with our Prescription Assistance Program, which they also have to apply for that. That’s another application, but that is another department of the hospital that we can connect them with. If they are diabetic, they can receive free diabetic education. We really promote and really try educate our patients on their disease process, and talk about what’s going on with them,” said Wright.
Quality care for women is just one of the many new services offered at the clinic. Wright says that the well women exams have been a real focus for the team this year.
“We also have two additional providers at the clinic…and they are doing women’s health exams, where we check individuals for cervical cancer, colon cancer, and check them for STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). So all of that is provided,” said Wright.
Getting the medical services that you need may just be a phone call away. Wright says potential patients need to go through the process to get signed up, but once that happens, they can contact the clinic for an appointment. She says they treat all kinds of chronic illnesses, like asthma, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, high blood pressure and more.
“Once they are on indigent services — say even that they have Medicaid — they just can call the clinic and schedule an appointment. From there, they will be greated by our receptionist. She is exceptional. Then they are taken back by the nurses, who get all their information. They then see a provider, and after that we decide what laboratory tests they may need or prescriptions (they need) and we’ll connect them to Presciption Assistance…and then we set them up for follow-ups,” said Wright.
Wright says there may be people who see or hear about this story, and they are not sure if they qualify to utilize the clinic. She says that’s why it’s so important for people to visit the hospital, fill out the application, and see if they indeed qualify for services.
“We have really expanded services, so we really want individuals to come. You know maybe they are working or just can’t afford health insurance right now or are uninsured, but we strongly encourage individuals to go and pick up that application and see where they stand. They may be able to come to the clinic for free, or they may end up having to pay a small fee. Either way, we want to get them the primary care that they need,” said Wright.
Much like the old Christian Free Clinic, the Guadalupe Clinic does also rely on some support from the community. Tax-free donations can be given to the Guadalupe Regional Medical Foundation, and they can be earmarked for the Guadalupe Clinic. Those with questions about the operation of the clinic can call 830-303-9400.
