When a senior health clinic abruptly closed earlier this year, thousands of elderly residents suddenly found themselves without access to primary health care. It did not take long before telephone call volume rose dramatically at the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center. “We’re getting so many calls…we have more people who want to come here every day,” said Lisa Aquino, the center’s chief executive officer.
Although Alaska formerly had a young and transient population, the demographic situation changed as more families settled in and stayed for a lifetime. Consequently, the state has a growing population of those age 65 and older, many of whom rely on Medicare, said Shannon Savage, the Alaskan-born chief communications and development officer at the center.
Staff at the center contacted state and local officials and coordinated their work with other local organizations that accept Medicare, and all are taking as many patients as they can. Few private providers are willing to take on new Medicare patients, Savage said. “There are not a lot of options right now.”
Aquino, the center’s CEO, said the organization had been on a growth trajectory anyway, and had recently hired some new providers. The influx of new patients has increased costs, and staff at the center are striving to find ways to cover all the costs while continuing to provide excellent care. “We’re very close to the margin. We want to figure out how to do it sustainably,” Aquino said.