Park Nicollet Foundation: Collaborating for Healthier Communities

Source: Giving Forum Winter 2012 01/27/2012

Park Nicollet Foundation first began funding community health clinics in 1996 when Central Clinic, located in the St. Louis Park Central Community Center, opened. Today the Foundation operates three additional community clinics in Wayzata, Burnsville and Brooklyn Center.

Park Nicollet Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Park Nicollet Health Services, a nonprofit healthcare system with 30 locations in the west metro area. The foundation is funded by donations from staff, physicians, patients’ families and the community. In 2011, it distributed more than $3.2 million to 179 local nonprofit organizations.

Park Nicollet Foundation has long been involved in Healthy Community collaboratives in areas served by Park Nicollet clinics. The collaboratives include representatives from school districts, faith communities, local government and other clinics in the area. Typically they convene for several years to better understand and address the healthcare needs of the area.

“The health needs of students – uninsured and underinsured – frequently come up,” says Chris Johnson, M.D., and Park Nicollet Foundation medical director. “In four cases, they’ve resulted in these community clinics.”

At the community clinics, Park Nicollet Foundation provides primary medical care for school students and their siblings. Patients from birth through high school graduation are seen at no cost.

“We don’t ask anyone to qualify,” says Johnson. “The foundation covers free medical care at about 5,000 clinic visits annually.”

Community Clinic Model

The clinics, which are not branded with the Park Nicollet name, truly operate as community organizations. Each has its own advisory board, with representatives from the school district, faith communities, business, local government and others, to ensure the clinic fulfills its mission of meeting the healthcare needs of local children.

“The clinics are a great example of how Park Nicollet Health Services responds to pressing community needs,” says Christa Getchell, president, Park Nicollet Foundation. “They also represent a proactive solution to the over-use of expensive emergency room care.”

Park Nicollet primary care physicians see kids who are sick or have a minor injury, are in need of a vaccination or physical (most often to participate in sports), or have a teen healthcare need. Follow-up pharmacy and laboratory services are provided free at nearby Park Nicollet clinics.

Patients are Increasingly Underinsured

The locations are open between one and three half days per week. Salaries of Park Nicollet physicians, nurses and reception staff are funded by grants from the foundation, which also covers the cost of medical supplies, medications and vaccines. Managerial and other support is provided by Park Nicollet Health Services. For the three clinics located in school district buildings, the district provides the space and makes families aware of the clinic hours and services.

Most patients – from 60 to 90 percent, depending on the site – are uninsured. Underinsured patients are being seen more often, says Johnson: “We see more and more kids from families where someone has a decent job. They’d be covered for catastrophic care, but their healthcare deductible has risen to the point that they can’t afford to go to the doctor.”

Providing More Than Medical Care

When they opened, the clinics in St. Louis Park, Wayzata and Burnsville focused almost exclusively on providing primary medical care. The Brooklyn Center clinic, which opened in 2010, has been more full-service from the start.

In Brooklyn Center, Park Nicollet collaborates with Children’s Dental Services, The Family Partnership, North Psychology and Portico Healthnet to offer medical and dental care, mental health counseling and connections to various social service agencies. Greater Twin Cities United Way also provides funding for the Brooklyn Center community clinic.

Locating multiple services under one roof has been so successful that Park Nicollet now collaborates with other nonprofits to provide a similar range of services at all of the community clinics.

While foundation funds do not come directly from Park Nicollet Health Services, substantial in-kind support does. “Without the in-kind support of the organization, the actual cost of operating the clinics would be twice what it is,” says Johnson.

Park Nicollet Foundation builds healthy communities by supporting patient and family care, research, education and community programs. www.parknicollet.com/communityandvolunteerism

Caring for Communities

Other ways MCF members help:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation of Minnesota works to expand the use of community health workers.

Medtronic Foundation supports The HeartRescue Project, a collaborative effort to increase sudden cardiac arrest survival rates in the United States.

Northland Foundation funds three assisted-living facilities, creating high-quality housing options for seniors and allowing them to remain close to home.