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Initiatives
ACCESS
The Lugar Center addresses access challenges faced by rural communities through its primary focus of training family medicine physicians to return to the rural communities of Indiana and Illinois to practice medicine. Medical literature currently predicts by the year 2020, the United States will experience a shortage of 20,400 family medicine physicians. This shortage will be greatly exacerbated in our rural areas. As of January 2018, we have graduated 197 physicians from the 3-year Family Medicine Residency Program (See Maps). 95 of these graduates were enrolled in the rural training track, and 84% of which entered practice in rural and/or underserved areas.
The program celebrated its 40th Anniversary in September 2016. Since its inception, residents have delivered 11,400 babies, treated over 45,000 patients in the hospital, and seen over 520,000 patients in regular office visits altogether serving over 50,000 patients in the Wabash Valley and surrounding area. The program which was designed to meet the rural needs in the Wabash Valley is now proud to have graduated
40 of the 60 currently practicing family physicians in this area.
Producing family medicine physicians who want to practice in rural America is vital to the health and well-being of rural residents across this great state and the nation.
The Lugar Center in partnership with the Union Hospital Family Medicine Residency will continue to rise up to the challenge of addressing healthcare shortages and will persevere in these efforts.
Beyond training providers the Center has also invested in establishing new access points in the Wabash Valley.
Federally Qualified Health Center
Valley Professionals Community Health Center
LEGACY PROJECT
Community members realized a need for healthcare access in their community. With the help of Union Hospital Clinton (formerly West Central Community Hospital) and the Lugar Center for Rural Health the group applied for and was funded through HRSA for a Federally Qualified Health Center. One clinic has since turned into six clinics and a School-Based Mobile Bus Clinic serving thirteen schools in Parke & Vermillion county...read more
Rural Health Clinic
Clay City Center for Family Medicine
LEGACY PROJECT
Clay City Center for Family Medicine is a federally-designated rural health clinic and training center for health care providers. The cornerstone of the Rural Training Track is the Clay City Center for Family Medicine (CCCFM). The CCCFM houses a model rural family practice, which brings needed medical services to the community (approx. 5,000 patients), as well as provides medical students and family medicine residents...read more
Online Patient Portal
RuralHouseCalls.com
LEGACY PROJECT
RuralHouseCalls.com was the first patient portal launched in the Wabash Valley. In 2007, the service was created to empower patients and provide them with the convenience of online connectivity to be able to request electronic visits (e-visits) and submit non-urgent medical questions to their provider as well as schedule medical appointments, refill prescriptions, and check on completed laboratory tests from the comfort of their home....read more
Recognizing Rural Doctors
Doc Hollywood Day
Doc Hollywood Day is about recognizing the many individuals who care for folks in our rural and underserved communities across the nation. It is a time for celebration and fun. It also has a serious side. Access to quality healthcare is a key component in terms of individuals' physical and mental health, it is also a key component in communities' economic vitality...read more