An estimated 20,000 patients will be affected by the closing of a health clinic in Greensboro later this month. HealthServe provides care for people who are low-income, and have little or insufficient health insurance. The clinic began as a volunteer effort by local doctors in the 1990s. HealthServe has lost funding from the County and Moses Cone Hospital. The State’s recent decision to not expand Medicaid was the third strike.
“The private medical community will not be able to make up the loss of these services. It is a tragedy that HealthServe in our community is going through this process,” said Merle Green, Director of Public Health in Guilford County.
Green says the situation creates a series of risks for patients, including not receiving regular care when necessary and not having potential health problems identified when they are still curable. HealthServe is part of a larger network with a few other clinics in Guilford County. The clinic will see patients through this Friday, and close for good at the end of the month.