While the opening date is later than expected, Sedalians will be able to utilize American Family Care by the end of June.
Jorge Guevara, of Guesa USA, announced in late 2015 his company would be opening an AFC primary and urgent care clinic at 115 W. Broadway Blvd. Guevara told the Democrat recently that the hiring and insurance credential process took longer than expected, but that the clinic will be open for patients June 26.
“It provides our community a new choice to receive the best health care at convenient times,” Guevara said.
While some equipment is waiting to be unpacked until closer to the opening date, the clinic is fully constructed, decorated and furnished. It includes an in-house lab, digital x-ray and a procedure room, along with several private exam rooms.
Sean Hart, an AFC business consultant for the southeast, said the initial idea for American Family Care was to take the clinic to where the people are, offering convenient times with top-notch care.
“Our founder Dr. Bruce Irwin was an emergency room doctor and he saw the number of patients that were coming in for non-emergency, non-life-threatening type of illnesses,” Hart explained. “They were there because they had sore throats or the flu, things that could’ve been treated in a more convenient place for the patients and far less expense for everyone involved.”
AFC has a full procedure room to handle any injury or illness that is not an “imminent threat to life or limb,” Hart said. The clinic can help with anything from a broken ankle or a laceration that needs stitches to a wellness exam or work physicals.
AFC also offers primary care at those same convenient times for people who may work and need to see a doctor on the weekend.
“AFC has grown a business model to accommodate to people’s lifestyles,” Guevara said.
While AFC offers a wide variety of care, Guevara made sure to point out it does not replace an emergency room.
“We are not an ER, we are not here to replace an emergency room,” he said. “In situations that require emergency treatment — someone with a gunshot wound, someone from a car accident — (they should go to an ER). We do not receive ambulances here because we are not an emergency room. We look forward to working alongside with local hospitals and nearby clinics so we can work together to provide our community the best health care possible.”
Guevara announced AFC was coming to Sedalia in October 2015 with an expected opening date of September 2016. He offered a few reasons for the delay.
“It took us a little longer to secure a medical director that would fit our business model and fit our company’s values,” Guevara said. “We value respect, we value honesty, we value people’s time, and we needed to find the right doctor that would fit in the right socket. From the beginning we were not going to rush it, not just fill a position.”
Once Guevara hired that medical director, the rest of the process began, he said, including ordering a digital x-ray machine.
“We came to purchase it in the time where digital x-ray machines are almost required by insurance companies so the demand increased tremendously,” Guevara added.
Another hold up for opening was going through the credentialing process with insurance companies, which has become increasingly complicated with the potential changes from the Affordable Care Act to the American Health Care Act.
“The contracts moved a lot slower because of all the health care regulations that were supposed to change and didn’t change and are now changing,” Guevara said.
Guevara noted AFC Sedalia is working to secure insurance credentials with many of the insurance companies used most by those in the local community.
According to the AFC website, there are about 200 clinics in 26 states, but Guevara pointed out there aren’t many in communities Sedalia’s size.
“It’s not very common for a clinic of this magnitude with all these services to open in a community the size of Sedalia,” he said. “But we’re committed to Sedalia. Our loyal clients and our guests provide to our company so it is our duty to provide back to our community. And just like many other things we have done for Sedalia, I want to say this is my crown, my gift to Sedalia. It’s been a long process but it’s definitely worthy for the community to have a second access (to health care).”
