Wake Forest Baptist Health has partnered with Novant Health to open a primary care clinic in an east Winston-Salem community traditionally underserved by health care providers.
The 8,339-square-foot Highland Avenue Primary Care Clinic serves patients of all ages and is a low cost clinic, which means patients pay for services on a sliding fee scale, based on their income. The facility has 12 exam rooms and a procedure room, plus X-rays and lab work are conveniently provided on-site.
The clinic is housed at 650 Highland Avenue, within a 43,000-square-foot building owned by Forsyth County. It joins a 24/7 behavioral health urgent care facility, operated by Daymark Recovery Services, and Cardinal Innovations Healthcare’s Triad Community Office and Wellness Center.
“This clinic addresses the need for more effective behavioral health care in Forsyth County, while also expanding access to primary care for people who live in this neighborhood. All of us involved in this project recognize that as a community we need to do more for people who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis, and that the emergency department is not always the best place to receive treatment,” said Richard Lord, M.D., professor and chair of family and community medicine and vice president of population health at Wake Forest Baptist. “Both of our health care systems are committed to this project, and by bringing physical and behavioral health care together, we are ensuring that people in this underserved area have treatment options close to where they live.”
As part of the collaboration between the two health systems, Wake Forest Baptist provides the physicians and advanced practice providers – such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners – and Novant Health provides the electronic medical record, clinic administration, certified medical assistants and other operations staff.
“Highland Avenue Primary Care is a joint venture with Wake Forest Baptist Health founded on our mutual commitment to address both physical and mental health needs,” said Stephen Motew, M.D., president of Novant Health’s greater Winston-Salem market. “The availability of primary care to support the adjacent 24/7 behavioral health urgent care is unprecedented in Forsyth County and we believe that this partnership will be a valuable resource for our community.”
Forsyth County has identified mental health as one of its top three priority health issues, and is committed to supporting initiatives such as this which are aimed at increasing access, improving care and reducing the number of people who visit the emergency department for mental health services.
“We are so fortunate to have two world-class medical institutions headquartered in Forsyth County,” said David Plyler, chairman of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. “What better way to respond to the demands of Medicaid transformation than through this innovative partnership between Novant and Wake Forest Baptist. It is a great addition to the county’s Human Services complex.”
Media contacts:
Joe McCloskey, jmcclosk@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-1273
Eryn Johnson, eryjohns@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-8228