Making Health Care Choices in Bad Economy

The slumping economy hurts more than just one's pocketbook.

It hurts peoples' health.

With many continuing to lose jobs, change jobs, taking pay cuts or being forced to contribute more of their paycheck toward health insurance benefits, the challenges of obtaining health care services can be difficult for the uninsured or under insured. It can even be life threatening.

The Greater Elgin Family Care Center opens the new McHenry Community Health Center at 8 a.m. today at 3901 Mercy Drive in McHenry.

Local health care agencies are hoping the facility bridges the gap for McHenry County residents who are uninsured, publicly insured or under insured.

“We are thrilled that they (Greater Elgin Family Care Center) are finally here,” said Debra Quackenbush, Community Information Coordinator for McHenry County. “The McHenry County Health Department does not provide primary care services. We are going to work in partnership with the McHenry Community Health Center. Some of our staff — such as our nurses and case managers — will be sent there to help.”

Quackenbush said the county health department will provide the Women and Infant Children services, known as WIC, for the new center. WIC is a federal program meant to aid children, age newborn to five years, with proper health care and development.

The county health department also will offer Family Case Management services for the new McHenry Community Health Center, helping insure women have healthy pregnancies. Much of the case management work involves referring women to services throughout the county, Quackenbush said.

While precise numbers for the demand for county health agency services are not available, Quackenbush said she suspectst most public health agencies have seen an increase.

“It’s really a sign of the times,” Quackenbush said. “It’s unfortunate. It’s just the way the economy affects people’s family life. I suspect that people (who don’t have health insurance) have suffered.”

One important benefit of the new McHenry Community Health Care Center — the facility accepts Medicaid (public aid) patients and children insured by the state’s All Kids insurance program. Some local walk-in health clinics don’t currently accept Medicaid and workers’ compensation payments.

By providing the all-important primary care services, the new center also will offer chronic disease management for such illnesses as diabetes and other ongoing conditions, Quackenbush said.

“That’s why the new center fits the bill so perfectly,” Quackenbush said.

Sandy Lewis, executive director of the McHenry County Mental Health Board, said offering patients ongoing treatment for diabetes, cardiac ailments, and other chronic illnesses is particularly important for people suffering from mental health or behavioral health illnesses.

“Persons with mental illnesses die on average 25 years earlier than the general population because of lack of treatment for diabetes, cardiac illnesses, and other diseases,” Lewis said. “They don’t die because of their mental illness, but they may not have access to health insurance to seek treatment (for other health problems).”

Lewis said she is excited that the new McHenry Community Health Center is located less than one mile away from the Family Services and Community Mental Health Center, at 4100 Veterans Parkway, in McHenry.

It also is within one mile of Pioneer Center.

“We see the ability to integrate primary health care and behavioral health care services now,” Lewis said. “It will be much more feasible. I will say that, across the state, persons covered by Medicaid have a difficult time finding primary care services. Those people don’t have the linkage to a primary care doctor.”