healthcare

The new Adult Mental Health Treatment Center at Eastern State Hospital is almost ready for its first patients.

A key to creating stable, healthy communities with neighborhoods with stable property values is providing services and care to all citizens. That is why homeowners in Harrisonburg can welcome the Harrisonburg Community Health Center, formerly just a pediatric clinic, the health center has recently started servicing adults according to The Daily News Record.

The clinic is not a free clinic, yet, offers services on a sliding-fee scale based on income level and family size.

"Area adults, particularly those on limited incomes, now have another option when it comes to medical care.

Harrisonburg Community Health Center, which started out as a pediatric clinic when it opened last year, recently expanded its services to include adult care.

The health center, located at 563-A Neff Ave., is a federally funded clinic that accepts all patients, including those with or without insurance and those on Medicaid or Medicare.

While the center is not a 'free clinic,' it offers a sliding-fee scale, based on income level and family size, to help patients afford medical care.

In March, the center added a full-time family practitioner to its staff and now about 26 percent of its patients are adults, according to Chris Nye, executive director.

With the addition of the family doc, the center has two full-time physicians, one part-time physician and two part-time nurse practitioners. It also has translators for patients who don't speak English."

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The Daily News Record is covering the the possibility of Rockingham residents having to pay for emergency medical transport services.

 "Rockingham County officials continued discussions this week about charging for emergency medical transport service.

With three approving votes, the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday evening OK'd a motion to draft a contract with EMS Management and Consultants Inc. to do the billing. Supervisors Pablo Cuevas and Dee Floyd said they abstained from the vote because they wanted more information.

After the county attorney creates a contract, the supervisors must still approve the contract and a county ordinance before the service would begin. The board is still not committed to charging for the service and it's unclear when it will make the decision.

With fewer volunteers, smaller donations and an increasing need for service, EMS is the fastest-growing cost in the county's budget, said Joe Paxton, county administrator. Rockingham hires three to five EMS employees a year."

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