YORK-Sentara Healthcare and Optima Health recently awarded the Lackey Clinic $105,689 to enhance its Virtual Care program through a Healthier Communities Grant. The Lackey Clinic uses telehealth, in addition to in-person visits, to provide care for patients as well as virtual urgent care for non-patients at no cost to medically disadvantaged clientele within the state of Virginia.
“We certainly appreciate them giving us such a generous grant that helps us expand some of our services,” said Larry Trumbore, CEO of Lackey Clinic. “The money Sentara and Optima gave us is very important to expanding our coverage and providing better access to patients.”
Trumbore hopes the telehealth option will continue to provide a sense of comfort for people without insurance who find themselves in an unforeseen health predicament. “For example, we hope to reach people who suddenly wake up with a toothache, rash, or concerning cough that can’t afford to go to an urgent care facility that charges $90 or $100 for a visit,” said Trumbore. “If we’re not able to assist them at our clinic, or they live in another area, we’ll recommend them to a facility that’s closer to where they live.”
Trumbore said that since the clinic adopted telehealth appointments during the height of the covid-19 pandemic, they’ve found that a lot of new patients don’t have health insurance or a primary care physician.
“For patients who don’t have insurance and live close to us, we suggest they become a patient for preventative and routine visits,” said Trumbore. “We’ve had about fifty percent of our virtual care patients become established patients.”
The grant funding covers medical staffing costs for the program as well as a part-time community health worker. The Lackey Clinic currently has one medical doctor and a nurse practitioner on staff in addition to a pharmacist, three dentists, and roughly 20 volunteer healthcare providers that administer care to about 1,350 patients.
The Virtual Care program also involves a partnership with the Newport News Community Paramedicine program to provide in-home visits to Lackey Clinic patients. Lackey Clinic will in turn provide the Four Oaks Day Service Center in Newport News with urgent virtual care. Four Oaks Day Service Center is a one-stop service and assistance center that helps men, women, and families who are experiencing homelessness.
“We are proud to partner with the Lackey Clinic to ensure our most vulnerable residents, those most at risk of significant health issues, receive the medical care they need,” said Newport News Mayor McKinley L. Price in a prepared statement. “Thank you to Sentara Healthcare and Optima Health for investing in this life-saving program, which reduces a barrier to healthcare many regularly face. We look forward to working with the Lackey Clinic to promote health equity in Newport News and improve the health outcomes for our residents.”
Trumbore is hopeful that prospective patients who aren’t able to visit the clinic in person right away will reach out virtually to align future in-person appointments. “If new patients aren’t able to be scheduled for a couple of weeks, Virtual Care gives us an opportunity for a meet and greet to access what the patient’s needs are and perhaps assign them to one of our providers, if necessary,” said Trumbore.
The Lackey Clinic is located at 1620 Old Williamsburg Rd. in Yorktown. Hours of operation are 8:30am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30am to noon on Friday. For more information, call 757-886-0608 or visit its website.
