ST. FRANCIS GIVES OFFICES TO CROSS TRAILS

Cross Trails Medical Center, which has occupied Suite 203 at Cape Girardeau Medical Suites Condominium Complex for two and one-half years, now owns the suite.

On Monday St. Francis Medical Center donated the suite of offices and exam rooms that it had been leasing to Cross Trails, handing over the deed and the keys to Cross Trails officials in an afternoon ceremony.

"Owning the suites means we won't pay rent and it will enable us to renovate to better suit our needs, said Vicki Smith, administrator at Cross Trails, which also has clinics in Advance and Marble Hill. She said there are no immediate plans for remodeling, but the clinic will start considering it soon.

Smith said the suite probably would have sold for $45,000 to $50,000. "It was really very generous of St. Francis to give it to us," Smith said.

"We did not anticipate future use of the suite, and St. Francis' mission and Cross Trails mission are so closely aligned that we thought this would be an ideal gift," said Steven C. Bjelich, president and chief executive officer of St. Francis Medical Center.

St. Francis acquired the suite in the building at 937 Broadway when Dr. Michael Wolfers moved to the Healing Arts Center next to the hospital, said Harry Rediger, chairman of St. Francis' board of directors. The hospital had leased it to Cross Trails for a nominal fee since the federally qualified community health center moved into the suite in August 1997.

"It has worked out well for the community," Rediger said.

Smith said St. Francis and Southeast Missouri Hospital have supported the clinic, which receives federal funding to serve uninsured and indigent patients. The two hospitals guarantee the salaries of Cross Trails' physicians, and St. Francis provides lab work at a reduced cost for indigent patients, Smith said.

Cross Trails provides medical care on a sliding scale based on income and household size, Smith said. It sees many Medicare and Medicaid patients, the indigent and the uninsured.

But Smith said the clinic also sees many working people who may have insurance on themselves but not on their spouse or children or who may have insurance with a high deductible.

"Insurance with a $500 deductible is great if you have to go to the hospital," Smith said. "But if you only go to the doctor three or four times a year, your medical bill may equal a week's pay but still not meet the deductible."

Many such patients may qualify for reduced fees at the clinic, she said.

"We provide a good service to working people," Smith said.