Aunt Martha’s may have four Joliet clinics by spring
By Bob Okon bokon@stmedianetwork.com September 9, 2012 11:24PM
Aunt Martha’s is awaiting federal approval to open a clinic in Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center. | File photo
Updated: October 11, 2012 6:10AM
JOLIET — Aunt Martha’s is likely to have four medical clinics in Joliet by the time it opens a new 20,000-square-foot facility on the former Silver Cross Hospital campus in the spring.
Aunt Martha’s is awaiting federal approval for its plans to open another clinic inside of Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center and take over two clinics that have been managed by the University of St. Francis.
Aunt Martha’s runs federally qualified health centers. The designation makes the clinics eligible for federal reimbursements.
CEO Raul Garza last week said that if federal approval comes through, the new clinic at Provena could be open this year. The USF clinics could be under Aunt Martha’s management by November, he said.
The Provena and USF clinics will be on a smaller scale than what Aunt Martha’s is building at the former Silver Cross campus. But Garza said they will serve the same general purpose of providing health care to uninsured or under-insured patients.
The Provena clinic will provide a nearby alternative for patients who may be going to the emergency room now because they don’t have regular doctors, Garza said.
Provena already has started renovating existing space near the emergency room for the future Aunt Martha’s clinic.
USF has run its Health and Wellness Center on North Ottawa Street downtown for low-income patients, while having an on-campus clinic for students. Both clinics would serve the same purpose under Aunt Martha’s.
