Genoa Healthcare's Director of Operations Brad Zellers cuts the ribbon as several Southwest Arkansas Counseling and Mental Health Center staffers look on (along with several Hope leaders) at Wednesday's Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce Coffee held in the lobby of the new Hope clinic.
This morning’s Hope-Hempstead Chamber of Commerce Coffee took place at the Southwest Arkansas Counseling and Mental Health Center’s Hope Clinic on 300 East 20th. Before the ribbon was cut for the clinic’s grand opening, Executive Director Michael Cluts spoke of the organization’s footprint in the area.
“We're a private not-for-profit organization that does contract with the state to provide the community mental health services in southwest Arkansas. Our mental health services cover six counties. But we also contract with the state to provide juvenile justice services, and that's 15 counties, substance abuse services in 16 counties and driver education 15 counties. So we have a big presence. A lot of different offices,” Cluts said.
The Hope location, which has already been operating for several months, also features a pharmacy, tailored toward the needs of mental health patients. Brad Zellers, Director of Pharmacy Operations for Genoa Healthcare, the company overseeing the pharmacy, spoke before the ribbon cutting of the benefits of locating pharmacies inside clinics.
“Being on site, we can ask the questions, we can clarify treatment, we can work really closely with nurses and physicians, to have better coordination of care,” he said. “It also helps with adherence. General Health Care does have 90 percent adherence rates where most community pharmacies have about 50 percent.” Adherence is the term referring to patients’ taking their prescribed medications according to their providers’ instructions.
At Southwest Arkansas Counseling and Mental Health Center’s clinics and rehabilitation facilities, according to the organization’s website, “No one will be denied access to services due to an inability to pay. A sliding fee scale is available and is based on family size and income.”
The Hope Clinic’s hours are Monday, Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Its phone number is (870) 777-9051.
Brad Zellers, Genoa Healthcare's Director of Operations speaks prior to the Hope SACMHC clinic's ribbon cutting.
SACMHC Executive Director Michael Cluts speaks before the Hope SACMHC clinic's ribbon cutting.
Zellers with two Genoa Healthcare staff members.
Served at the coffee were two fruit plates, lemon water, coffee, cookies and wheat thins with spinach/artichoke dip.