Regional Health Care Cooperative To Offer Affordable Medical Service Plans
HICKORY – In an effort to meet the primary and urgent medical care needs for the growing number of uninsured residents across the Catawba Valley, Apollo HealthCare Cooperative, a nonprofit organization, has announced an affordable membership program designed to give participants improved assessment and treatment access.
In coordination with Hickory-based medical practice Bowen Primary & Urgent Care, P.A., the cooperative will offer the following services to those without health insurance or who utilize Health Savings Accounts:
Primary care services for adults for $25 per month.
Primary, urgent care and diagnostic services such as laboratories and x-rays for adults for $35 per month.
The program is set to begin Nov. 1 and coincides with the opening of the new Bowen Primary & Urgent Care facility at 2365 Springs Road NE in Hickory and adjacent to the former St. Stephens Elementary School site. The 11,300-square-foot building replaces the current office location at 1470 9th Ave. Dr. in Hickory and will feature improved parking access and continued services 7 days per week.
In operation since 1998, the practice includes Dr. Samuel Bowen, Dr. Robert Mead, Dr. Chris Denning, certified physician assistants Cornelia L. Kurth and Crystal Mosteller, and family nurse practitioner Buffie Buchanan.
“The severe downturn in the area economy in recent years has led to very high unemployment levels and a growing number of people who simply cannot afford health insurance,” said Dr. Bowen, whose background includes six years as an emergency department physician at Frye Regional Medical Center. “As a result, individuals are postponing treatment of their ongoing health care needs - including diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol - and making manageable issues even worse.”
Bowen said he believes the cooperative will allow individuals and families without health insurance to receive comprehensive medical care. He stressed that current services to individuals with accepted health insurance plans, including Medicare, will continue without change.
Sign-ups for the cooperative health care program and tours of the new Bowen Primary & Urgent Care facility are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. until noon at the Springs Road location. Additional information about the program is available by calling Lisa Killian at (828) 325-0950.
Becoming a part of a health care cooperative is the latest effort by Bowen to improve the efficiency and delivery of health care services for both patients and physicians. Aside from his medical practice, Bowen also serves as president of Open Source Medical Software, an organization that is dedicated to the development of free open source medical software, including OpenEMR.
In recognition of his contributions to the medical field, Bowen has been nominated for the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leaders award.