BLOOMINGTON — A group of volunteers are developing a non-profit primary care clinic to serve uninsured and under insured residents in McLean County.

Utilizing grant money and donations, Dr. Trina Scott and a group of volunteers will open the Immanuel Health Center, 502 S. Morris Ave., Suite A, Bloomington, in early 2012.
The center will provide primary care for children and adults who are on Medicaid on a sliding-scale fee basis. It will also treat private-pay patients and those on Medicare. McLean County residents who aren’t eligible for Medicaid, Medicare or private-pay insurances and have a household income of less than 185 percent of the federal poverty line can also be treated at the center.
“It is a non-profit organization, which means we won’t be turning people away,” said Ed Scearce, a member of the Immanuel Health Center Board of Directors.
Donations will finance the majority of the overhead costs needed to operate the facility, said Scearce.
“We will be taking Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, which is only a small portion of the overhead costs of doing this,” said Scearce. “The rest will be contributions. Probably two-thirds of the overhead costs will come from donations.
“About $10,000 (in donations) has come in so for this, plus a grant of about $50,000, but that’s just enough to get the doors open.”
In addition to treating physical ailments, the center will provide spiritual support.
“We are looking to offer complete help for individuals, not just the physical ailments in life of which we all have, but also to help them with the emotional, mental, spiritual needs that they may have in their lives.”
Scearce, senior pastor at Grace Church, 1311 W. Hovey Ave., Normal, is one of the volunteers that will provide spiritual support for patients at the center.
“When they are in the medical clinic — if they are desirous of some spiritual coaching or help in that area, it’s available to them,” said Scearce. “It is not something pushed on them. You don’t have to receive this in order to come to the clinic, but it’s there and available for those who need some help.”
A family physician with OSF Medical Group Fort Jesse Family Medicine, 2200 Fort Jesse Rd., Suite 110, Normal, from 2002 through 2008, Scott organized the center, feeling there was a need for primary care services for under insured and uninsured residents in McLean County.
“When Dr. Scott first came to me, it sounded like something that was needed and so as we began to look into it we discovered that indeed it was,” said Scearce. “There has been some research done in our community that reveals there is a need for this.
“There are just numbers of people within our area that are either under insured or uninsured, so here’s a way for us to reach out and help these people.”
Community Health Care Clinic Executive Director Angie McLaughlin, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Paul Pedersen and Advocate BroMenn Medical Center Vice President of Mission and Spiritual Care Bill DeLong said their organizations are aware of Scott’s efforts and support them.
“We have been in touch with both Advocate BroMenn and OSF and both are excited that we’re doing this,” said Scearce. “They see a need for that in this community.”
Immanuel Health Center organizers are seeking volunteers who can help prepare the facility for its opening.
“We’re going to be doing some work there to get the facility ready,” said Scearce. “We’ll need some volunteers for that.”
Anyone interested in volunteering their services or making a monetary donation to the center can contact Scearce at (309) 821-0280.