Health care delivery is often inefficient and expensive, but a new clinic in Camden, N.J., may change that. The clinic, which was to open in late April, is located in Northgate II, a public house apartment building where more than 300 low-income residents live. The location was chosen after research data showed that many residents used a hospital emergency room instead of a primary care physician for their medical needs. A part-time nurse practitioner will staff the on-site clinic. “We felt like we could do better with a different model,” says Jeffrey Brenner, M.D., executive director of the Institute for Urban Health at Cooper Hospital, who collected the data. The focus is delivering “better health care at lower cost,” he says. Reliance Medical Group, a private medical practice, will run the operation.
By Cathie Gandel for AARP Bulletin