Image 1 of 1
002_mustard_clinic_0A8A0381.JPG
Mustard Seed Community Health
The American Academy of Pediatrics defines a “medical home” as a patient, or family-centered medical care facility organized by a primary care provider and associated team that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally effective. In Guilford County, there are approximately 45,000 uninsured people at or below 200% of the federal poverty level—that’s approximately $23,000 gross yearly income for an individual; $47,000 per year for a family of four. There are thousands more low-income individuals who are under-insured—meaning they spend more than 5% of their income on out-of-pocket medical expenses or meeting their deductibles.
Most of the county’s uninsured and underinsured have no “medical home,” so they are at great risk of medical and financial complications owing to poor management of chronic health conditions, inadequate treatment of serious illnesses, lack of access to needed medications, and other problems associated with irregular or non-existent medical care.
Mustard Seed Community Health was initiated in response to the large number of uninsured and underinsured people in Guilford County without access to healthcare. Early in our planning, two dramatic changes in Guilford County’s ability to provide medical care for this at risk population compounded access difficulties. First was the 2013 closing of the largest local “medical home” serving 8,500 patients and the North Carolina General Assembly’s decisions not to expand Medicaid leaving tens of thousands with no insurance coverage. Led by Elizabeth Mulberry, MD and Kevin Devine, MPA; the Mustard Seed task force obtained pledges from community medical leaders, business leaders, and faith communities to support us in our mission of providing high quality, holistic, integrated healthcare to those in need.
Photographed, Tuesday, October 1, 2019, in Greensboro, N.C. JERRY WOLFORD and SCOTT MUTHERSBAUGH / Perfecta Visuals
The American Academy of Pediatrics defines a “medical home” as a patient, or family-centered medical care facility organized by a primary care provider and associated team that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally effective. In Guilford County, there are approximately 45,000 uninsured people at or below 200% of the federal poverty level—that’s approximately $23,000 gross yearly income for an individual; $47,000 per year for a family of four. There are thousands more low-income individuals who are under-insured—meaning they spend more than 5% of their income on out-of-pocket medical expenses or meeting their deductibles.
Most of the county’s uninsured and underinsured have no “medical home,” so they are at great risk of medical and financial complications owing to poor management of chronic health conditions, inadequate treatment of serious illnesses, lack of access to needed medications, and other problems associated with irregular or non-existent medical care.
Mustard Seed Community Health was initiated in response to the large number of uninsured and underinsured people in Guilford County without access to healthcare. Early in our planning, two dramatic changes in Guilford County’s ability to provide medical care for this at risk population compounded access difficulties. First was the 2013 closing of the largest local “medical home” serving 8,500 patients and the North Carolina General Assembly’s decisions not to expand Medicaid leaving tens of thousands with no insurance coverage. Led by Elizabeth Mulberry, MD and Kevin Devine, MPA; the Mustard Seed task force obtained pledges from community medical leaders, business leaders, and faith communities to support us in our mission of providing high quality, holistic, integrated healthcare to those in need.
Photographed, Tuesday, October 1, 2019, in Greensboro, N.C. JERRY WOLFORD and SCOTT MUTHERSBAUGH / Perfecta Visuals
