George Barton, CEO of Hyndman Area Heath Center, prefers collaboration over competition. “Our philosophy is that by being a good community partner and harnessing collaboration, overall care for the community is enhanced,” he noted.
This outlook has yielded impressive growth for the health center. Over the past 12 months, it has added over 1,800 new patients, opened a second site, hired two additional medical providers and an additional dentist, added physical therapy (through partnerships) and occupational health services for businesses. Next month HAHC will add vision services.
“Innovation and customer service is our focus,” Barton said.
“We identify gaps in service and create programs to address community needs. For example, there was a need for Occupational Health Services that could be tailored to meet employer needs. We developed a program with on-site services and rapid turn-around of tests and screening. We can determine if a new employee meets the company’s requirements within a day. It’s become a very popular program with area businesses.”
“We also go to schools to provide physicals. This makes it more efficient for students, parents and the schools,” Barton noted.
HAHC is a federally funded nonprofit center that serves medically under-served areas and population. The federal funding is about 30% of the budget. The center offers access to all income levels. “We provide primary care services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. There is a sliding scale based upon the ability to pay,” Barton noted. “This is a one stop resource for the community.”
The center offers discount medication programs and insurance enrollment assistance. It partners with behavioral health specialists, medical specialists, outside labs and utilizes local pharmacies.
“By providing quality care and excellent service, our customers are having very good experiences. These experiences are turning into long-term relationships,” said Barton.
The future is bright for growth at Hyndman Area Health Center. With strong growth and currently serving over 3,800 patients at two locations in Hyndman and Bedford, expansion plans are imminent.
“Investing in human capital and good customer experiences has been our best advertising. I think that adding 1,800 new patients in the past 12 months validates our focus on innovation and customer service,” Barton said.