It happens every day. People who don’t have health insurance wait until they’re so sick they’re forced to head to an emergency room (ER).

“We know access to basic health care keeps people healthier and keeps them out of the ER, which is the most expensive place to access care,” said Dr. Alan Scarrow, president of Mercy Springfield Communities. “It’s so much better to keep people well. We don’t want them to wait to get care until their health is an emergency.”

It’s why Mercy and Missouri State University cut the ribbon today on the MSU Care Clinic, which will provide expanded health care access for low-income, uninsured patients who are not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. It also offers hands-on training for students in health sciences degree programs at MSU.

“This fits in perfectly with our public affairs mission to provide service to our community,” said Dr. Helen Reid, dean of the College of Health and Human Services. “It will also give our students an extra layer of hands-on experience.”

About the MSU Care Clinic

The clinic features ten exam rooms and will serve an estimated 2,000 patients each year, many of whom will transition from the free clinic at The Kitchen, Inc., which is closing.

“Sister Lorraine Biebel began that ministry,” said Carmen Parker-Bradshaw, Mercy director of Community Health and Access. “It’s our honor to continue it, as it fits in so well with our own heritage. The Sisters of Mercy started Springfield’s first hospital back in 1891 for this very reason – to serve those in need of care.”

The new MSU Care Clinic is located in the O’Reilly Clinical Health Sciences Center on the MSU campus. It opens to patients on Oct. 20. Patients who wish to make an appointment can call (417) 837-2270. Again, the clinic is designed to care for uninsured adults ages 18 and older who are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare and have a family income equal to or less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level.