Three Streams Family Health Center to close

Come May 10, a West Asheville-based health nonprofit that provided care to the uninsured will close its doors and stop seeing patients.

Last night, Three Streams Family Health Center posted an update to its Facebook page with the news, citing short-term challenges and expenses. However, the community clinic had posted its closure on its website, dated April 6.

“While many of our patients would have qualified for the new state Medicaid expansion, effectively stabilizing our position, it was our short term expenses and debt burden that required us to close our doors. There was no withdrawal or withholding of funds from any source. Some would say that we took care of too many uninsured people and didn’t charge enough,” wrote Dr. Chris Newcomb.

The status update can be found in full below:

Three Streams will finally close our doors on May 10, 2013. Provision for medical records will be posted on our website after that time. Threestreamshealth.org

I want to thank our many staff members and volunteers who have labored on behalf of our patients over the years. You all made Three Streams what it is, and was.

I want to thank our many contributors, both individual and corporate, for their support.

Mission Health has been our greatest contributor, not only providing untold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of free laboratory and radiology services for our patients, but also for grant funds over these last 3 years totaling over $350000. It was Mission Health that allowed us to expand our services and care for so many patients.

Our costs continued to increase despite reduced generated income. The Payroll tax increase hurt us considerably as well as other regulatory costs. I have always said that Primary Care is the most cost effective and inexpensive form of medical care. Its greatest expense is manpower. Many have asked if the Affordable Care Act caused our demise. While many of our patients would have qualified for the new state Medicaid expansion, effectively stabilizing our position, it was our short term expenses and debt burden that required us to close our doors. There was no withdrawal or withholding of funds from any source. Some would say that we took care of too many uninsured people and didn’t charge enough.

I would say that we cared for all who came to our doors, using the resources we were given, just as the disciples of Jesus were called to do. If anything good was seen in Three Streams, it was not us, but Jesus in us. He is the healer of all three streams, body, mind and soul. And He will continue His work.

Godspeed,

Dr. Chris Newcomb