A new Broadlawns clinic on University Avenue will serve the public and Drake students
Residents of the Drake neighborhood and members of the Drake University community will soon have a convenient location to receive primary care, urgent care, and mental health services. Today, Drake University announced it is entering a long-term lease agreement on property it owns at 29th Street and University Avenue with Broadlawns Medical Center. Broadlawns will construct a 12,000 sq. ft. medical clinic on the property. Construction will begin in May 2022 with a completion date scheduled for August 2023.
The clinic will be open to the general public and accessible to Drake University students and employees. The project is intended to help solve two issues: fill a gap in primary care providers in the community and expand Drake University’s student health services.
“The Broadlawns Community Clinic at Drake on University Avenue will benefit the broad Des Moines and immediate campus communities,” said Drake University President Marty Martin. “The clinic will increase the medical services readily available to Drake students while also providing neighborhood residents a convenient place to access care.”
Services available at the clinic will include family medicine, urgent care, mental health, and a rotation of specialties. Patients will be able to schedule routine visits such as wellness exams and vaccinations, as well as be seen for non-emergent, acute illnesses, and injuries. As a public healthcare provider, Broadlawns accepts patients with Medicaid and Medicare health coverage, as well as those with commercial insurance.
Martin and other Drake University leaders chose Broadlawns as the school’s partner for the clinic after a competitive bid process.
“Broadlawns’ mission of building a healthy community through the delivery of accessible, cost-effective, and high-quality patient care aligns with Drake University’s inspiration statement: Together we transform lives and strengthen communities,” said Martin. “Through our partnership with Broadlawns, we continue to prove our commitment to putting these words into action.”
“With a new community clinic located in the Drake neighborhood, Broadlawns is furthering its mission of ensuring access to high quality, affordable health care for our community,” said Karl Vilums, interim president and CEO of Broadlawns Medical Center. “We are proud to partner with Drake on an initiative that will strengthen the health of our community for many years to come.”
Increasing access to healthcare in central Iowa is the first priority listed in the latest Central Iowa Community Health Needs Assessment, a report prepared annually by the Des Moines area’s three largest health systems. The Drake neighborhood is part of the only medically underserved area in Polk County, according to the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration.
“Residents of the Drake neighborhood need improved access to medical and mental healthcare,” said Wayne Ford, Drake alumnus, Drake neighborhood resident, former Iowa state legislator, Broadlawns community consultant, and founder of Urban Dreams. “I applaud the leaders of both Broadlawns Medical and Drake University as they have forged a visionary partnership between a private university and a public healthcare organization to provide access to healthcare in the core of our great city. This is yet another example of how much can be accomplished when we all work together to address the needs of our community.”
Currently, Drake students receive medical treatment and mental health services through Broadlawns Medical Center at the American Republic Student Health Center on the Drake campus. The student health and counseling facility serves approximately 908 patients per year with 2,720 patient visits. The Broadlawns clinic will replace that facility, which will be converted to another use.
About Drake University
Drake University is a midsize, private university in Des Moines, Iowa, enrolling nearly 3,000 undergraduate and more than 1,800 graduate students. Students choose from over 70 majors, minors, and concentrations and 20 graduate degrees offered through six colleges and schools. Drake students, faculty, and staff take advantage of the wealth of cultural, recreational, and business opportunities found in Iowa’s capital city. In return, Drake enriches the city through its own cultural offerings, considerable economic impact, and many service-learning endeavors, which channel the talent and energy of the Drake students toward meeting the needs of the community.
About Broadlawns
Broadlawns Medical Center is a nonprofit healthcare organization that ensures our community is provided high quality healthcare that is coordinated, compassionate and cost‐effective. The Broadlawns campus includes an acute care hospital, primary and specialty care clinics, urgent care and emergency services, lab, radiology, dentistry, crisis services, inpatient, outpatient, and community-based mental healthcare. Broadlawns accepts all forms of insurance, and its approach to healthcare and quality outcomes earned a Level 3 rating from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest achievable status for a medical delivery model.
Broadlawns takes a leadership position in teaching the next generation of healthcare professionals through its residency and fellowship programs. In 1971, it became one of the first fully accredited Family Medicine Residency programs in the Midwest and has curricula designed to meet all requirements of the residency review committee of the ACGME. Broadlawns offers fellowship training in foot and ankle trauma. In July 2018, Broadlawns and UnityPoint Health – Des Moines began jointly administering a Psychiatry Residency program. To learn more, please visit www.broadlawns.org.