SPRIGG STREET CLINIC PROVIDES INCREASED ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE

For Dr. William O.L. Seabaugh, retirement would logically be defined as enjoying the handsome riding and race horses on his farm near Cape Girardeau.

Instead, the 71-year-old retired surgeon is the work horse behind the Sprigg Street Medical Center, a health care facility designed to help meet the needs of individuals and families with little or no access to medical care.

Seabaugh, who retired from active practice recently, said that while trying to place patients with other physicians he found that Medicaid patients often had no access and that Medicare patients had limited access to medical attention.

"This center was opened to help meet a widely recognized need for better medical access in this community," said Seabaugh.

After more than five months operation Seabaugh said about 40 percent of patients are Medicaid patients. Another 40 percent are Medicare patients and the other 20 percent are people who have found themselves without a doctor for some reason or other.

"We have averaged about 500 office visits a month since opening," said Seabaugh, who no longer practices medicine but serves as clinic manager. "Through February we had a total of 2,608 visits."

Seabaugh added that patients have come from a wide area, with about 70 percent coming from Cape Girardeau.

Seabaugh is hoping to get more donated time from area physicians in order to keep the medical center open additional hours.

"This is a not-for-profit corporation," Seabaugh emphasized. Before opening the clinic, Seabaugh said he studied the statistics and found the result disturbing.

"The Bureau of Primary Care at the County Health Department reported that in 1991 there were more than 6,000 people eligible for Medicaid here," he said. "Only 141 physicians were listed, and of those only 30 were listed as performing general type medical practices. The others were listed as specialists."

These doctors are all busy, noted Seabaugh, who added that physicians in Cape Girardeau treat patients from a wide area of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

"I have talked with a number of people who are reluctant to seek care at an early stage of illness," said Seabaugh. "Many of these are Medicaid and Medicare patients. Some are uninsured and others are insured but have high deductibles.

"I felt that something had to be done to serve people who have limited access to medical care," said Seabaugh. "The new center sees Medicaid and Medicare patients. We see insured and uninsured patients. The uninsured are charged a fee but it is a reasonable fee."

The facility is operated by physicians who work there part-time and by volunteer nurses.

"We have three physicians who come at different times now," said Seabaugh. "We're able to stay open five days a week."

One physician, Dr. Sandra Grummert, has been working regularly at the clinic and hopes to establish a private practice in another portion of the building in the near future.

Grummert, of Poplar Bluff, is at the clinic here every day, but provides medical services at a Bloomfield clinic two afternoons a week as well.

"I'm looking forward to opening a private practice here," said Grummert, who attended medical school at the University of Nebraska.

"The main thing that has happened here is Dr. Grummert," said Seabaugh. "Her presence lets us open the office every morning.

"We have had as many as seven doctors working here part-time since we opened," said Seabaugh. "But, a lot of them are here only during the afternoon and evening."

The clinic is open five mornings a week at 9 a.m. and three afternoons Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

In addition to doctors, registered nurses Tricia LaFoe and Jane Perry, wives of physicians in Cape Girardeau, volunteer their services. Frye Cunningham, also a registered nurse, is assistant manager at the clinic.

"I think the center is great," said LaFoe. "It accesses medical care to people that might otherwise have difficulty obtaining care."

LaFoe added that she enjoys volunteering.

"It keeps me in touch with medicine, and it's a chance for me to do something for the community."

Stacy Reynolds of Chaffee sums up the feelings of most patients who visit the center.

"This is a needed facility," she said. "Many people have problems finding a doctor. I like the doctor who treats me here. He explains my problems and prescribes my medication."

Reynolds became introduced to the clinic when she accompanied her mother to the center. She liked what she saw, and her next visit to a doctor was at the new center.

Barbara Tims of Cape Girardeau found herself in a health care dilemma when her physician quit private practice.

"I remembered reading about the Sprigg Street Clinic," she said Friday. "This was my first trip here, but I'll be back. The people are nice ... I liked it."

"It's good to know that it's here," added Tims.