Everyone should have access to high-quality healthcare services, regardless of economic status or ability to pay. At least that’s what the founders, administrators, and support staff at HealthNet’s Southwest Health & Dental Center believe.
However, bringing affordable healthcare services to the residents of Indianapolis’s Near Southwest side wasn’t easy. It took decades of planning, hard work, and the full support of an enthusiastic community.
“The story of the Southwest Health & Dental Center starts a very long time ago—approximately 40 years ago, when a group of citizens decided they wanted to start primary healthcare services in this area. They quickly realized it was a difficult task, so that’s why they got HealthNet involved,” said Elvin Plank, chief operations officer of HealthNet. HealthNet is a local organization devoted to improving lives with compassionate health care and support services, regardless of ability to pay.
One of the biggest initial challenges was finding a suitable location. The answer came in the form of an old Masonic Lodge at the corner of Morris and Harding Streets. The building was dilapidated from years of neglect, but its location and size were a perfect fit for the needs of the community.
With support from LISC, the State Board of Health, and others, HealthNet was able to secure the building and make significant updates—many of them “green”—so that the building was ready to serve as the community’s go-to facility for affordable healthcare services.
It’s no surprise that LISC decided to help support the Southwest Health & Dental Center—their core philosophy fits perfectly into LISC’s Sustainable Communities model.
This model integrates civic, social, physical, and economic development initiatives that include building healthcare facilities, parks, senior housing, and athletic fields.
“LISC has been one of our major supporters. Without them, there are parts of this building that wouldn’t look as nice or be as functional as they are. They’ve helped us implement many useful upgrades such as our “green” roof, which lets us save in energy costs so we can devote more of our financial resources to serving the community,” said Plank.
The Southwest Health & Dental Center isn’t simply a place to receive treatment when one gets sick or injured. According to Martha Wedemeyer, manager at the facility, it’s also a safe place that people know they can turn to in times of need.
“We had a patient call us recently that we’d seen years ago as a child. He was suicidal. He called us because I believe he felt we were a safe haven for him. When the man came into our offices, we sat down and talked with him and helped him get the care he needed so that he no longer wanted to harm himself,” said Martha.
It’s this culture of caring and compassion that’s helped set Southwest Health & Dental Center apart from other healthcare facilities. It’s the daily devotion to patients’ individual needs—treating each individual as unique, not just as a number—that’s led to the Center gaining such an excellent reputation for quality care.
And it’s a reputation that will continue to grow as HealthNet’s Southwest Health & Dental Center keeps providing Indianapolis residents with affordable, high-quality healthcare services.