Cabrini Clinic hopes to grow its services for low-income patients under new Mercy Primary Care Center (MPCC) management.
The Trinity Health owned and operated health center has signed an operating agreement to immediately begin to manage Cabrini Clinic.
Located in Corktown, the clinic is one of the oldest free health clinics in the United States and has for many years been affiliated with the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Parish under the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Through MPCC funding and leveraging resources, the clinic hopes to grow its services by adding specialty care services, which has had limited access in the city of Detroit.
“I am very appreciative to Trinity Health, a Catholic health care system, for their willingness to manage our clinic,” says Monsignor Charles Kosanke, pastor of Most Holy Trinity Parish. “This agreement will effectively allow the clinic to continue its legacy of assisting those who are experiencing poverty with quality health care. I believe that it is a win-win situation.”
The agreement specifies that MPCC will provide both executive and management services. It will also contribute funding over the next three years to enable the free, walk-in clinic to continue to operate and care for the members of the community needing the clinic’s services.
“There is a misconception that there is no longer a need for free clinics due to the Affordable Care Act,” says Tawana Nettles-Robinson, executive director, Mercy Primary Care Center and Cabrini Clinic. “However, we are seeing an increase in the number of people who are uninsured in metro Detroit as individuals and families continue to have a difficult time getting and staying insured even under Medicaid expansion. One of the largest issues continues to be access to needed medication, which people can’t afford when they are uninsured.”
Founded in 1950 by Monsignor Clem Kern, the clinic is located at 1234 Porter Street in the Corktown neighborhood of southwest Detroit, and will continue its affiliation with Most Holy Trinity Catholic Parish. It was named after St. Frances Cabrini, the patron saint of immigrants and hospital administrators, who was the first naturalized U.S. citizen to be declared a saint in 1946.
The current three-person staff, including a nurse practitioner, social worker and front desk receptionist, will continue to serve patients at the clinic. The clinic also relies on more than 100 volunteers from local hospitals, including primary care physicians, pharmacists, psychiatrists, podiatrists, and a gynecologist. Volunteer providers commit to serving at least once a month at the clinic. Many providers have served at the clinic for more than 15 years.
Open three days a week, the clinic currently provides about 3,000 visits a year treating around 250 patients a month. Because the clinic serves patients living in areas with limited health care resources, the clinic cares for a high percentage of patients with chronic diseases, including hypertension and diabetes, as well as behavioral health issues and substance abuse.
Cabrini Clinic hopes to add new services under Mercy Primary Care Center added by TheHUB on
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