Union: No more service to public at Cape Girardeau clinic

The Midtown Family Medical Center, operated by the Cape Girardeau Craftsman Independent Union, can no longer serve the general public because it violates the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act, according to union officials.

Curtis "Skip" Kelley, vice president of Craftsman International Union, Local No. 1, said in a meeting earlier this month the U.S. Department of Labor stated assets of the union's Health Welfare and Hospitalization Plan, which owns and operates the clinic, can only be used for the benefit of the employees represented by the union and their dependents, according to language in ERISA.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Labor said the department does have an open investigation in this matter, but it did not instruct anyone at the union or the clinic to stop seeing members of the public.

Union members established the clinic 12 years ago with the intention of serving their membership as well as the general public, Kelley said.

The fees collected from non-union patients -- including those on Medicare and Medicaid and those who self-pay -- help financially support the clinic's operations, he said.

"The CIU believes the DOL's position regarding the Clinic is not correct and is a catastrophe for those in the community who are totally dependent on the clinic," Kelley said in a written statement. "For this reason we have vigorously opposed this determination by the Department of Labor and we will continue in that effort."

The union is working with a Chicago attorney to appeal the Department of Labor's decision, Kelley said. The clinic, which sees about 750 people each month, sees walk-in patients and patients with appointments, according to clinic staff.

Two family nurse practitioners, three nurses and several clerical assistants staff the clinic, Kelley said.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

24 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO