FeedsTime for change
New health center director extends hours at county facility
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Linda Jordan relaxes in her office at the Western Wayne Family Health Center in Inkster.Linda Jordan has a great deal of experience in operating and managing health centers, and her arrival in Inkster means some changes will occur at the Wayne County Family Health Center.
Jordan, who accepted the position in June, said she immediately noticed that some of the rules at the center needed to be changed. Her first priority was the hours of operation.
“We needed to have hours that worked better for our patients,” said Jordan, who said she’s busy acclimating herself to her position.
“Many of our patients work, and we don’t want them to wait to come here,” she added. “We had a rate of people not coming in for appointments that was about 30 percent.”
Jordan instituted a program that ensured a patient could get in for a doctor’s visit the next day, if they could not be seen the day they came in.
Jordan said other changes are coming soon for the health center.
“We’re going to work on bringing mental health services to the center,” she said. “We can’t ask patients to come in and take care of their tests if they can’t get out of bed – depression and other (mental health) issues are problematic for several people. It’s an area we need to better address.”
Community Health Centers – which were created in 1965 by the federal government to assist low-income and uninsured Americans – serve residents that have traditionally had a difficult time paying for medical care.
The centers are managed by an independent board of directors comprised of individuals from the community it serves.
The center on Hamlin opened in August 2006, and serves all residents of Wayne County. Though it’s not a free clinic, the concept behind the health center is to make basic care more affordable by offering payment plans, and adjusted process for services based on income levels.
Jordan is a native of Chicago, and is a nurse by trade. She has held positions all over the United States, and after earning several degrees, was able to enter the management sector of health care. “I believe that access to health care is one of the biggest issues facing poor people, and they are same people that need a medical home,” she said. “We don’t want them to come here because it’s what they can afford. We want hem to come here because they know they can get quality care.”
One way to introduce residents to the center is to offer free health screenings, which will be available in August. The screenings will commemorate National Health Center Week, Aug. 6-11. The screenings will include an interview with a health provider, blood pressure checks, and glucose screening to detect diabetes. Information on diet, exercise, and other avenues of preventive care will also be available.
The health center is open to all residents of Wayne County. Though general doctor’s appointment fees are based on a sliding scale depending on a patient’s income and other factors, the screenings are free of charge. The facility is located at 2500 Hamlin Ct., behind the Inkster Fire Station.
Appointments are required for all screenings, and can be secured by calling (313) 561-5100.
Appointments are available from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Friday.
