News

Eastern Iowa Women’s Health Center Announces Relocation
Healthcare Provider Open January 3 at Former UnityPoint Health –
St. Luke’s Family Health Center

Cedar Rapids, Iowa—Eastern Iowa Women’s Health Center (EIWHC), offering OB/GYN services and the newest healthcare provider under the umbrella of Eastern Iowa Health Center, will be closed December 29-30 as their office is moved to the former UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Family Health Center located at 4251 River Center Court NE.

The move coincides with the transition of St. Luke’s Family Health Center, a Title X Family Planning Clinic offering family planning and related preventive health services for low-income or uninsured individuals in Benton, Jones and Linn County in Iowa to Eastern Iowa Women’s Health Center.

EIWHC President & CEO Joe Lock said the move and expansion to include Title X services is timely, as the health center recorded a record 16,000 patient encounters and delivered more than 720 babies in 2016. Lock said it is expected that these numbers will continue to increase in the New Year.

“Family planning services and prenatal care are critical to the health of our community.” Lock said, “We are proud to serve all women in need of OB/GYN services in our community, and continue to uplift our mission to provide healthcare to those who need it regardless of the ability to pay.”

Important dates and contact information:
EIWHC will be closed Thursday, December 29 through Friday, December 30, , but will be available by phone (319) 730-7300, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on those dates.

EIWHC will reopen January 3, 8:00 AM, serving OB/GYN patients at 1201 4251 River Center Court NE.

EIWHC will also continue to serve patients, including Title X family planning services, with outreach locations in Benton, Jones and Linn Counties.

About Eastern Iowa Women’s Health Center
Eastern Iowa Women’s Health Center is a Federally Qualified Community Health Center dedicated to providing quality OB/GYN services in eastern Iowa. It is a Patient Centered Medical home, offering comprehensive women’s health services to the community, regardless of ability to pay. For more information, please visit easterniowahealthcenter.com.

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Recent Expansion and New Dental Center Create New Jobs

Cedar Rapids, Iowa—Eastern Iowa Health Center (EIHC), a comprehensive primary health care service provider in Eastern Iowa, announced the hire of 24 new employees within the last six months due to recent expansions and a new dental center.

EIHC President & CEO Joe Lock said the new positions range from physicians and nurses, to dentists, to managers, interpreters, outreach advocates and more. Lock said the new hires will help to serve a rapidly growing need in the community. “We’ve seen a dramatic spike in patient need here in Eastern Iowa,” said Lock. “The number of patients served in 2015 was triple what it was in 2012. In 2016, we’ve served more than 11,000 patients, including over 40,000 office visits for some of the most vulnerable in our community who rely on EIHC for quality primary, pediatric and OB/GYN health care, and now for dental care as well.”

EIHC completed a $1.9 million expansion and renovation of the pediatric and family practice health center located at 1201 3rd Ave SE in October, and will relocate the expanded Eastern Iowa Women’s Health Center to 4251 River Center Court NE on January 3, 2017. The Eastern Iowa Dental Center is scheduled to open in February 2017.

Among the new hires are Dr. Jacqueline Young Cooper, Dr. Jeanne Chan, Nurse Practitioner Natalie Christensen, Nursing Services Manager Shawna Meyer, Clinic Manager Miranda Vinson, Controller Daniel Washburn and Director of Quality and Compliance Joyce Kutin. Staff hired for the new dental center include Dr. Stephanie Cooper, Dr. Diana Jones and Dental Clinic Manager Jill O’Hara.

“We’ve built a team of top-notch health care professionals, and we will continue creating jobs to provide deserving individuals with comprehensive and quality family, pediatric, OB/GYN and dental care,” said Lock.

About Eastern Iowa Health Center
Eastern Iowa Health Center is a Federally Qualified Community Health Center dedicated to providing quality Family Practice, OB/GYN and Pediatric services in eastern Iowa. It is a Patient-Centered Medical home, offering comprehensive primary health care services to the community, regardless of ability to pay. For more information, please visit easterniowahealthcenter.com.

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Family Health Center transitioning services to Eastern Iowa Health Center

Cedar Rapids, Iowa— UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Family Health Center (FHC) and the Eastern Iowa Health Center (EIHC) are pleased to announce that the women’s health services currently provided by St. Luke’s Family Health Center will transition to the new Eastern Iowa Women’s Health Center operated by EIHC effective January 1, 2017.

EIHC is a Federally Qualified Health Center, which provides quality family practice, pediatric and OB/GYN services to low-income or uninsured individuals in the Cedar Rapids area. The family planning and related women’s preventive health services previously offered by the FHC will become part of EIHC when it opens a new, dedicated Women’s Health Center. The Eastern Iowa Women’s Health Center will assure continuity of care, provide a medical home for patients as well as improve patient convenience as all OB/GYN services will be located in one facility (the former St. Luke’s Family Health Center location).

Over the years, EIHC has grown its women’s services to include five OB/GYN MD providers, two ARNPs and one certified midwife ARNP. In 2016, EIHC recorded 16,000 OB/GYN patient encounters and in 2015, delivered more than 700 babies.

Established in 1975, St. Luke’s Family Health Center is a Title X Family Planning Clinic offering family planning and related preventive health services for low-income or uninsured individuals in Benton, Jones and Linn County in Iowa. Title X is part of the United States Public Health Service Act devoted solely to providing family planning services. Over the last 41 years, St. Luke’s has financially subsidized this service.

EIHC will continue to provide women’s health services out of its temporary location at 600 7th Street SE, Suite 103 until December 30. On Friday, December 30, 2016, St. Luke’s Family Health Center will close and on January 3, 2017, the Eastern Iowa Women’s Health Center will open at the former St. Luke’s Family Health Center building at 4251 River Center Court NE in Cedar Rapids. EIHC will also serve patients in outreach locations in Benton, Jones and Linn Counties.

Patients may call the Eastern Iowa Health Center at 319-730-7300 with any questions regarding the transition or to schedule an appointment.

About UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital^®
UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital is a fully accredited 532-bed hospital serving a five-county area surrounding Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1884 as Cedar Rapids’ first hospital, today it offers a wide range of patient care services with strengths in cardiac care, obstetrics, neonatology, pediatrics, rehabilitation, behavioral health, general surgery, trauma care and senior services. St. Luke’s is nationally recognized six times as a Top 100 Hospital.

About Eastern Iowa Health Center
Eastern Iowa Health Center is a Federally Qualified Community Health Center dedicated to providing quality Family Practice, OB/GYN and Pediatric services in eastern Iowa. It is a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical home, offering comprehensive primary healthcare services to the community regardless of ability to pay. For more information, please visit EasternIowaHealthCenter.com.

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Eastern Iowa Health Center to Host an Open House to Celebrate the Reopening of its Upgraded and Expanded 3rd Avenue Facility

Eastern Iowa Health Center (EIHC) welcomes patients, neighbors and the community to an Open House and Health Fair on Saturday, October 29, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Families, adults and kids of all ages are encouraged to join in celebrating the newly upgraded and expanded health center located at 1201 3rd Avenue SE.

All activities and food are FREE, and include:

• Hot dog lunch, catered by Hy-Vee
• Trick-or-treat for kids inside the health center
• Papa Balloon and face painting
• Health fair
• Tours of the remodeled facility
• And more!

Over the past several months, an “Under Construction” sign has been posted outside of EIHC. Inside, the hammers and drills have been hard at work on the $1.9 million remodel, facility upgrade and expansion.

The renovated location will serve pediatric and family health patients, and will feature improved access for patients with disabilities. Most exciting, the health center has been expanded to include 30% more exam rooms. This means more individuals will be able to receive quality health care in a timely fashion.

“The facility and it’s renovations are fantastic,” EIHC President & CEO Joe Lock said. “Everyone deserves a great place to go to get comprehensive healthcare services. We are thrilled to be able to welcome patients back to our remodeled health center.”

The Eastern Iowa Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to providing quality Family Medicine, OB/GYN and Pediatric services to thousands of patients in Eastern Iowa each year.

Eastern Iowa Health Center Renovation/Expansion Complete
Community Health Center to Reopen 3^rd Avenue SE Location October 17

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Eastern Iowa Health Center (EIHC), a comprehensive primary health care service provider in Eastern Iowa, announced the completion of their facility expansion and renovation, with a reopening date of October 17.

EIHC President & CEO Joe Lock said the facility improvement project was necessary and timely due to a big increase in patient numbers for the health center. “We’re serving more than 40,000 patients per year,” Lock said, “many of them from among the most vulnerable in our community who rely on EIHC for quality primary, pediatric and OB/GYN health care.”

The $1.9 million facility improvement project began last April in part with funding grants awarded to EIHC for achievements in providing high quality, comprehensive care services for underserved communities. Grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, totaling approximately $1.1 million.

The move to return to the health center’s permanent space includes with some important dates and details:

EIHC will be closed Wednesday, October 12 through Friday, October 14, but will be available by phone (319) 730-7300, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on those dates.

EIHC will reopen October 17, 8:00 AM, serving pediatric and primary care patients at the renovated facility, located at 1201 3rd Avenue SE.

OB/GYN patients of the health center will continue to be served at EIHC’s temporary relocation site: 600 7th Street SE (the old PCI building, near Mercy Hospital).

EIHC will host a community Open House on October 29, from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, featuring a free hotdog lunch, “trick-or treating” for kids and health fair.

“I couldn’t be more proud of each and every one of our outstanding staff for their flexibility and hard work during our renovation and temporary relocation,” said Lock. “Our patients and the community have been wonderful, and we’re eager to begin serving them like never before at this expanded and enhanced facility.”

About Eastern Iowa Health Center
Eastern Iowa Health Center is a Federally Qualified Community Health Center dedicated to providing quality Family Practice, OB/GYN and Pediatric services in eastern Iowa. It is a Patient Centered Medical home, offering comprehensive primary healthcare services to the community, regardless of ability to pay. For more information, please visit easterniowahealthcenter.com.

Eastern Iowa Health Center and Young Parents Network
Partner with UnityPoint Health and Hy‐Vee Stores for Operation Diaper Drive
Collaboration to Benefit Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Eastern Iowa Health Center (EIHC), a comprehensive primary health care service provider in Eastern Iowa, and Young Parents Network (YPN), provider of programs and support for local young families, are partnering with UnityPoint Health – Cedar Rapids and local Hy-Vee stores to launch a community-wide initiative to provide donated diapers and diapers purchased with financial donations to the Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank.

The goal is to collect an entire year’s supply of diapers for local families in need. Unity Point Health has committed to purchasing 50,000 diapers to get the program started. Hy-Vee Food Stores and Drugstores will be offering a collection campaign in all Cedar Rapids and Marion locations for Operation Diaper Drive from October 10 – 31, 2016. Collection bins will also be available at St. Luke’s Center for Women’s & Children’s Health and UnityPoint Clinic Pediatrics locations.

Diapers are a basic need for babies’ health and well-being, yet for many families, diapers are financially difficult; on average, a monthly supply of diapers can cost up to $80, and government assistance programs, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) do not cover the cost of diapers, nor can diapers be purchased with food stamps.

Joe Lock, Eastern Iowa Health Center’s President & CEO, said many of their patients report that the cost of diapers is a hardship. “This is a natural extension of our comprehensive primary health care service,” said Lock. “Commitment to quality care for our patients includes addressing this basic well-being need that we see on a daily basis, and which affects some of the most vulnerable members of our community – babies and toddlers, and the families who love and care for them.”

Those interested helping to reach the Operation Diaper Drive goal of collecting one year’s supply of diapers for local families in need can donate disposable diapers and wipes at Hy-Vee Food and Drugstores in Marion and Cedar Rapids, UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital and UnityPoint Clinic – Pediatrics locations in Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha from October 10 – 31, 2016. All sizes, brands and even open/partial packages of diapers are welcome.

Lock said EIHC and YPN have pledged 100% of all donations collected will go directly to families in need. “We’re proud to be in collaboration with Young Parents Network in launching the Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank, and very grateful to UnityPoint Health and Hy-Vee for their partnership and generosity in support of Operation Diaper Drive,” said Lock.

About Eastern Iowa Health Center
Eastern Iowa Health Center is a Federally Qualified Community Health Center dedicated to providing quality Family Practice, OB/GYN and Pediatric services in eastern Iowa. It is a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical home offering comprehensive primary healthcare services to the community, regardless of ability to pay. For more information, please visit easterniowahealthcenter.com.

About Young Parents Network
Founded in 1985, Young Parents Network has taken on the a leadership role in East Central Iowa as the provider of ongoing comprehensive year round programs that allow the families to be involved until their child enters kindergarten. Young Parents Network programs focus on a range of areas that meet the most critical needs in our East Central Iowa community that nurture parents and children to support healthy family dynamics and positive futures. For more information, please visit youngparentsnetwork.org.

About Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank
Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank is a collaborative of Eastern Iowa Health Center and Young Parents Network. Please visit eidiaperbank.org.

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