“The mission of People’s Center Health Services is to assure high quality and respectful health and medical care to all with a special focus on the needs of the economically disadvantaged and the socially disenfranchised.”
For more information about People's Center and to receive regular updates:
Sign up for our Email Newsletter
Find us on:
June 4, 2010
Contact: Peggy Metzer, CEO
For immediate release
612.238.3539
Aggressive Response to GAMC Patient Crisis by People's Center Health Services
People’s Center Health Services has acted quickly and is determined to continue offering all GAMC patients high quality care, everyday of the week despite Minnesota’s decision to cut GAMC patients off from the ability to choose the care they need.
Today Peggy Metzer, CEO of People’s Center Health Services in Cedar Riverside, announced “all GAMC patients, irrespective of state mandates or tendencies to ‘shuffle people around,’ can continue to receive care as they always have at our clinic.”
Metzer goes on to say, “Our mission and purpose is to ensure that all people in our metro-area community have access to high quality, affordable primary care. Yes, the minimal amount the state used to reimburse us will be missed greatly and threatens our financial stability. However, our commitment to community and to our patients is stronger than ever and we will raise the funds we need to make the difference.”
“We welcome all GAMC patients to our clinic...walk-ins are welcome”.
The benefits to providing a continuity of services for this population are innumerable…and critical: the failure to do so, tragic and inexcusable.
People’s Center Health Services recognizes the potential crisis for these GAMC patients if their freedom of choice for care is removed. Thus, in order to continue serving these patients, People’s Center will enroll GAMC patients in the sliding fee program; however—almost without exception—these very low income patients will be unable to pay even a minimal co-pay for care. This is why People’s Center Health Services will seek emergency funding to cover the co-pay for each eligible GAMC patient who wishes to continue to receive health services from People’s Center.
These patients need ongoing access to People’s Center Health Services, their neighborhood clinic of choice, and the team of providers who have the cultural competencies to serve them.
The majority of GAMC patients lack reliable transportation, health care navigation skills, and other capacities needed to effectively seek and receive services from a large, unfamiliar healthcare facility.
People’s Center Health Services is operated by the Cedar Riverside People’s Center and located in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis. Now in its 40th year, People’s Center has been providing high quality health services since 1970, regardless of the patient’s insurance or employment status or ability to pay.
General Assistance Medical Care (more information)
