Federally Qualified Health Centers (also known nationally as Community Health Centers) like Eastern Iowa Health Center (EIHC) are the country’s largest primary care network and the health care home for 30 million Americans in more that 14,000 communities. Community Health Centers are a critical element of the health system, serving both rural and urban communities, often providing the only accessible and dependable source of primary care in their communities.

Community Health Centers are on the front lines of emerging health care crises, providing access to care for our nation’s veterans, addressing the opioid epidemic, and responding to public health threats in the wake of natural disasters. It is a patient-centered medical home, offering comprehensive primary healthcare services to the community, regardless of ability to pay. 

Foster Healthier Patients, Medication Compliance and a Healthier Community

With the closer for Hy-Vee on First Avenue, 1,800 individuals who received their prescriptions from EIHC and had them filled at this store were left without a pharmacy home. 

This new and exciting chapter for EIHC provides access to an in-house pharmacy that our patients, the majority who are socio-economically challenged and have limited transportation resources, to receive needed medications on site, thus increasing the probability that patients will take their medications on. 

On site pharmacists will be available to explain how to correctly take medications and will work alongside interpreters for those patients who do not speak English as their first language. Those that will benefit are the uninsured, underinsured, the insured, women, children, men, the elderly, veterans local non-profit partners, those who struggle with transportation, socio economically marginalized populations and our community at large. 

Impact

Eastern Iowa Health Center’s (EIHC) goals are always determined by what our community tells us they need to live happier, healthier lives. In addition to the cost of prescriptions being prohibitive for most of our patients, nearly all our patients have transportation issues that prevent them from being able to access needed medications. 

In February of 2024, a blind pharmacy survey was given to EIHC patients as to whether an on-site pharmacy would be a benefit that they would use. Of those surveyed, 75% said they would prefer to use an on-site pharmacy at EIHC for their prescription needs. We anticipate filling between 38,000 -78,000 prescriptions annually, with a positive impact on our bottom line from $349,000-$865,000. 

EIHC’s pharmacy is established, it will be self-sustaining.