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Summit County joining with nonprofit to fill gap in care, launch pharmacy
By Cheryl Powell
Beacon Journal medical writer
Published on Sunday, Nov 16, 2008
Within seven months, Summit County residents who struggle to afford medical care could have a place in downtown Akron to see a doctor and fill their prescriptions for less money.
Akron Community Health Resources Inc. is working with Summit County to establish a satellite location for its sliding-scale medical practice and dental clinic within the county's office complex on South Main Street.
The venture also will include a pharmacy that could be used by the health center's patients, as well as county employees and the public.
''We're eliminating barriers to access to care,'' said John Sniezek, the health center's chief executive.
Akron Community Health Re
sources is a federally qualified health center, a status that gives it the ability to buy prescription medicines from drug makers at substantially reduced rates for its low-income patients.
Qualifying safety-net pharmacies — known as 340B pharmacies — save an average of 25 percent to 50 percent on prescription drug purchases, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Summit County spends from $7 million to $10 million annually on prescription drugs for its employees, said Ken Jones, Summit County's director of insurance and risk management.
Though the county wouldn't get the lowest rates on medicine for its employees, it would at least break even and possibly save money by encouraging workers to fill prescriptions at the health center's on-site pharmacy, he said.
Employees would benefit from the convenience, he said, and the health center would benefit by receiving money to help support its mission of serving the uninsured and underinsured.
The concept uses ''existing dollars to create the program and fill the gap,'' said Summit County Executive Russ Pry.
County health officials estimate at least 70,000 Summit County residents lack health insurance and thousands of others are underinsured with plans that have hefty out-of-pocket costs.
''We have space to give,'' Jones said. ''We also would have employees who would help the payer mix. . . . This model makes sense.''
Financial support
The venture is getting a boost from the Heinz Family Philanthropies, a nonprofit group that has paid for about $100,000 worth of consulting work so far.
The foundation focuses on providing venture capital to efforts that improve human health and aging, the environment and women's economic opportunities.
Summit County's project is unique because it joins a safety-net health center with a local government to provide a cost-effective solution to a community need, said Jeffrey R. Lewis, president of Heinz Family Philanthropies.
If all goes as planned, the pharmacy and accompanying dental and medical clinics could open as soon as June 1, Sniezek said.
The exact price tag for the project hasn't been determined, but supporters estimate it will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The partners probably will will ask for philanthropic support from the community to cover much of the expenses.
The new pharmacy will be owned by Akron Community Health Resources but operated by a management company, which has not been selected.
The downtown location will serve as the central pharmacy, with the health center's main location on South Arlington Street and another satellite in Kent keeping a smaller supply of medicine that could be provided directly to the patients by the doctors, Sniezek said.
Prescription assistance
The pharmacy also will have a system to help patients who qualify receive free medicine through drug makers' prescription assistance programs, Lewis said.
The pharmacy initiative will ensure Akron Community Health Resource's patients walk away from their doctor's appointment with needed prescription drugs, Sniezek said.
Today, he said, more than half the practice's patients do not follow through with their prescribed medication regimen, often because of financial or transportation issues.
''If we can, in fact, fill that prescription right at the facility,'' he said, ''this will enhance health outcomes.''
Eventually, Akron Community Health Resources could have satellite clinics throughout the region, Pry said.
Possible locations identified by Pry and Sniezek include Twinsburg Township, Lakemore and within Summit County Job and Family Services if the offices move to the current Goodyear offices after the company gets a new headquarters building.
''We have to take part of these services to the population,'' Pry said.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
Within seven months, Summit County residents who struggle to afford medical care could have a place in downtown Akron to see a doctor and fill their prescriptions for less money.
Get the full article here.
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