A trip to the doctor and pharmacy can be an impossibility for people who have no medical insurance and cannot pay out-of-pocket for the visit, medical tests, and prescriptions. Many Montgomery County residents do not have necessary transportation to get themselves or family members to the facility. These are the residents Lone Star Family Health Center (LSFHC) most wants to help.
LSFHC offers a variety of services–from the traditional annual checkup to counseling services for youth and adults. “We offer full service, comprehensive services, and other programs not offered anywhere else in the area,” says Courtney Galle, Marketing and Communications Manager for Lone Star. “We also are open until 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays at our Conroe location to accommodate patients’ work schedules.” Patients do not have to be a resident of Montgomery county to receive services in Conroe.
“Our mission is to provide compassionate, affordable healthcare for those who are underserved, uninsured, and underprivileged,” said Karen Harwell, Chief Executive Officer of Lone Star Family Health Center (LSFHC). “‘Compassionate healthcare’” means more than an office visit or a treatment to our doctors and staff. That’s why you will find LSFHC staff involved through community outreach with health partnerships, health-related committees, health fairs, back-to-school programs, and more. ‘Affordable’ means that we care for everyone, regardless of the ability to pay. We care for those who are fully insured and, as a Federally Qualified Health Center, we also care for Medicaid and Medicare patients, the uninsured and underinsured.”
From the newborn to the elderly, LSFHC provides services for all ages. “Our emphasis is becoming a patient’s health home,” stated Harwell. “Primary care is extremely important for long-term health outcomes; having a healthy home that can make sure you stay on track with preventative health measures from adolescence through adulthood and into your golden years is key to staying healthy and avoiding costly medical bills later in life. Good overall health is difficult to maintain with occasional trips to urgent care or the emergency room.”
At Lone Star in Conroe, 104 physicians, many of whom speak two or more languages, cover 16 specialty areas of medicine:
Along with the sliding fee program, LSFHC also accepts many insurance plans that have a smaller network, including Medicaid and Marketplace plans. This helps retired patients who no longer have insurance or very limited insurance and apply for the sliding scale program.
Call to schedule an appointment with an eligibility specialist or reach a member of the eligibility team via e-mail for questions about programs and eligibility. “It’s a tremendous difference when you pay $25 for a regular doctor’s visit versus $150, and you won’t get a big bill in the mail after you leave,” said one patient.
LSFHC is a community non-profit, led by a volunteer board of directors, 51 percent of whom must be clients of the health center. Lone Star Family Health Center receives HHS funding and has Federal Public Health Service deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including medical malpractice claims, for itself and its covered individuals.
The in-house pharmacy is convenient, because this allows patients to fill prescriptions on site instead of going to another location after they leave the doctor. The pharmacy is manned with technicians to fill prescriptions, but patients may also teleconference with a pharmacist in Conroe virtually through an iPad. This is a highlight in itself, because clinics usually don’t have that on site. The pharmacy is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Valerie Powell, pharmacist director for LSFCH, is assisted by Kirby, a robot that fills the prescription, counts the pills, prints the label, and presents the medication for the pharmacist to verify before the lid is put on the bottle. “Kirby does about 50 percent of our work now,” Valerie said.
Diabetes is one of the frequent diagnoses they see. To help those patients, glucose checks can be done at LSFHC, along with regular checkups to make sure medication is working properly and blood sugar levels are on track.
Diabetic patients are also able to apply for discounted insulin prescriptions. Without insurance, the cost of insulin can be hundreds of dollars, and people in poverty just cannot afford insulin at full cost. Diabetic and nutrition classes are also offered in Conroe, but Walker County residents can log into Zoom and join the classes to educate patients and help them learn how to live with diabetes.
LSFHC offers a variety of services for women’s health, including basic well woman exams. First, free breast cancer screenings and exams are offered. Once the screening is done, mammogram orders are given which can be filled at the patient’s desired location or through The Rose, a 3D mobile mammography service, which travels to the clinic and provides free mammograms. Gynecology services are also offered, such as cervical cancer screenings, pap smears, and pregnancy testing. There are plans to expand the Women’s Health Center soon.
The Conroe Family Medicine Residency Program is one of the original eleven Teaching Health Centers in Graduate Medical Education. Resident physicians receive full-spectrum “hands-on” training in a congenial and collegial environment and learn to deliver cost-effective treatment while integrating the most advanced concepts in the medical field.
There are two optional unique training tracks in the residency program in addition to more traditional curriculum.
The “Medically Underserved” track recognizes the need for competent physicians who are able to offer comprehensive, compassionate and culturally sensitive care to the diverse and growing population of patients in underserved settings in the context of health and healthcare delivery in these communities.
“Obstetrical” track participants will gain advanced experience in low- and high-risk management of obstetrical patients and increased competence in operative obstetrical procedures.
For further information contact: (936) 539-4004
Lone Star Family Health Center – CONROE
605 S Conroe Medical Dr
Conroe, TX 77304
8:00 am – 9:00 pm Monday – Friday
Saturday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Lone Star Family Health Center – WILLIS
9516 West FM 1097, Ste 140
Willis, Texas 77318
Monday – Friday: 8am – 5pm
Closed 12pm – 1pm daily
Postcards Magazine
936-293-1188
PO Box 690
Huntsville, TX 77342
