Beginning in April 2017, GraceMed initiated Project Wellspring, a $3.94 million capital campaign to support clinic expansion in the community. To date almost $2.2 million has been committed from individual donors, businesses, government and private foundations including Stormont Vail Health, Shawnee County Board of Commissioners, Capitol Federal® Foundation, Security Benefit Corporation, St. Francis Health Foundation, the Lewis H. Humphreys Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A. Trustee, and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services/Health Infrastructure Program (HIIP).
“Through the generous giving of so many, GraceMed is closing in on the Project Wellspring goal and is closer to being able to begin work on the clinic,” expressed Dave Sanford, CEO of GraceMed.
GraceMed has received a $500,000 Challenge Grant from the J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation, Inc. The award of the Challenge Grant from the Mabee Foundation will provide a $1 for $1 match for all donations received by GraceMed toward the clinic expansion project now through October 10, 2018.
To donate to the Challenge Grant or for more information call Alice Weingartner at 785.478.5901 or [email protected].
“The Mabee Challenge grant provides great momentum to reach the Project Wellspring goal. We are eager to start working on the building,” Sanford said. “With continued support from the community to raise the needed funds, I am confident we will meet this challenge.”
Plans for the former Dillon’s store
The new 23,000 square feet facility will feature 25 rooms for medical care, along with space for dental and vision services, a patient pharmacy and consultation suites for behavioral health services. Space will allow for 10,000 or more patients to be seen annually at this one location.
Future School-based Clinic
Project Wellspring also includes a stretch goal that would support the first school-based clinic in Shawnee County. With an additional $930,000, GraceMed in cooperation with Topeka Public Schools plans to build a third clinic. This clinic allows for space for medical and preventive dental services. The facility would be owned by the school district and operated by GraceMed. Services would be available to anyone.
“A lot of people don’t realize that there are currently more than 25,000 residents of Shawnee County who are being underserved,” said Alice Weingartner, GraceMed’s Director of Community Development. “That’s a lot of people who are having to live without medical and dental care. Project Wellspring is an absolutely vital first step in Greater Topeka’s effort to address this deficit in the quality of life and health for so many of our residents.”
GraceMed Health Clinic, Inc. is the largest Federally Qualified Health Clinic (FQHC) operating in Kansas. Last year 40,454 unduplicated adults and children received 91,887 services through our network of 14 clinics in Wichita and Topeka. In May 2017, GraceMed opened its first rural clinic in McPherson, Kansas. The majority of patients cared for by GraceMed have no health insurance or receive coverage through the state Medicaid program. Most commercial insurances are also accepted, including Medicare. GraceMed provided $2.7 million in charitable care to our communities in 2016 and is recognized by the National Council on Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) provider. For more information on our services, visit our website at GraceMed.org or call 316.866.2000.