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The new health center in Bowling Green opened to great fanfare, but one doctor there is a critic Date published: 8/27/2009
BY JIM HALL Dr. Stephen Mandell was not in the audience last month when Michelle Obama opened the new community health center in Bowling Green. He wasn't invited. Mandell has practiced in Bowling Green for 24 years, and he is a critic of his new neighbor. Mandell says that the federally funded Caroline Family Practice is an expensive mistake, placed down the street from his practice, which is also federally supported. "What they've done is put federal money side by side," he said. Mandell said the money would have been better spent--and the poor better served--if the clinic had been located about 15 miles away in Dawn, in southern Caroline. "That money is put out there to take care of the needs of the poor. They did not do that," he said. The clinic opened with Mrs. Obama's help in July in a converted grocery store in the center of town. The clinic treats all patients but specializes in the care of the poor and uninsured. It is a different mix than Mandell's practice, which is mostly insured patients. The new clinic is staffed by a nurse practitioner. A doctor visits one day a week. Central Virginia Health Services Inc., a nonprofit agency based in Buckingham County, operates the clinic. The agency has 14 community health centers in Virginia, including ones in Fredericksburg and Montross. Funding for the Bowling Green center came from a grant of more than $1.6 million in stimulus money. The federal Health Resources and Services Administration supplied the money for renovations to the building and two years of operation. Mandell said Central Virginia chose the location for the clinic with little regard for local needs. Placed in Bowling Green, it is far from those who will be using it, he said. "If they did that down in Dawn, that would be very helpful for the public health of our county," he said. Rod Manifold, executive director of Central Virginia, said this week that he disagrees with Mandell. "To be successful and to serve more people for a long time, Bowling Green was clearly the site," Manifold said. Central Virginia operated a clinic in Dawn for 1 years but closed it in 2001 when the number of patients declined. The agency merged the Dawn center with another clinic it operates in King William County, 14 miles away.
Read more stories about Caroline Date published: 8/27/2009
It's funny how plans for the clinic were in place for sometime & now that it's here people want to complain. The location has set empty for years & other people wanted to put different stuff there but oh no the county declined. The clinic is here now so lets be done with all the complaining. Dawn area needed a lot of assistance for years & not just a clinic. The county did not need the visitor center in Ruther Glen could've used that money for something else& Wonder how many people visit anyway.
I suppose I'm the only one that thinks it's odd that the VDOT jobs in Caroline were dissolved, thus losing both the jobs and a tax base to add a third free medical clinic? I think the federal funds for this clinic should have been used to keep the employees employed and additional funds to help Dr. T and Dr. Mandell with existing clinics. I just don't understand.
If you live in Dawn, it's actually closer to go to Ashland, so the pharmacy excuse doesn't really hold true.
I agree with Dr, Mandell, the clinic should have been put elsewhere in the county. No disrespect Mr. Short, it's not about Mandell seeing Mrs. O. It's health care where it is needed in the county. Pharmacy? Had that been the problem example: Patience First carry (most pharmaceuticals) and are opted to be purchased at the physicality. Particularly I do not think the though process was put in the for the "not so fortunate" it wasn't designed to help those people.
No Dr. Mandell Allowed Clinic that was opened so I can't see how Dr. Mandell thinks he should of been invited. If this "doctor" doesn't like the clinic or wants the people of Dawn to have a clinic then I am sure he is welcomed to start his own free clinic there. I doubt he will.
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