The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard about the S-I-U Center for Family Medicine, and the services they’re providing in Taylorville, at their weekly luncheon Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Doctor Janet Albers, a professor and chair of the S-I-U Center for Family Medicine, told Kiwanis members that the Center, which now has some 13 locations in 66 counties in central and southern Illinois, has increased access to health care among the uninsured, underinsured, and self-pay patients, while providing inter-professional training for students who go into the medical field.

The Center applied for and received federal grants to be designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center, so they can provide these health care services across central and southern Illinois.

Doctor Albers told the Kiwanis Club that the Center has applied to serve Taylorville as another Federally Qualified Health Center location.  They’re presently seeing patients at Taylorville Memorial Hospital, but are planning on having a free-standing building this summer once the designation for the Taylorville location is approved. 

Doctor Albers added that their 13 locations saw over 180-thousand patients in central and downstate Illinois last year, and said that the S-I-U Center for Family Medicine provides care on a different re-imbursement model.

Kiwanis member Raedena Ryan was program chair for Tuesday's meeting.

Kiwanis members are reminded that the club’s annual Kiwanis Picnic at Kiwanis Park was re-scheduled to next Tuesday, June 18th at 5:30pm, due to inclement weather on May 21st.   There will not be a noon meeting at Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium next Tuesday.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.