A budget shortfall that left an East Lansing low-cost clinic reeling this May hasn't improved, and the 34-year-old clinic might have to close its doors in July.
Local nonprofit Gateway Community Services, 2875 Northwind Drive, runs several programs, including a runaway shelter, a youth crisis intervention center and a free or low-cost medical clinic. The clinic provides access to medical treatment for uninsured area residents, which Gateway representatives said takes pressure off local emergency rooms.
The clinic had 2,000 visits from 1,600 different patients last year.
Even though a fundraiser at the Hannah Community Center netted about $13,000 on Friday, the medical clinic is still in need of almost $70,000 to keep its doors open.
Andrew Lathrop, who coordinated the event, said the fundraiser exceeded his expectations, as he had only hoped to raise $8,000.
The clinic will likely have to close, at least temporarily, said Lathrop, Gateway's director of marketing and community relations. The decision will be made on June 27.
If the clinic is forced to close, services would stop the first week of July, he said. Clinic staff would stay on through the month of July.
Stefanie Zin, executive director at Gateway, said she has met individually with representatives from Lansing's Sparrow Hospital and Ingham Regional Medical Center. Each hospital donated $25,000 about nine years ago, and hospital officials weren't anxious to "bail out a losing operation," Zin said.
"From a business perspective, I understand that," she said.
Sparrow Hospital officials were apprised of Gateway's financial situation but were not aware a closing was imminent, said Sparrow Hospital Director of Community Relations Lorri Rishar.
"It's premature to say we will or will not do anything," Rishar said.
Zin has also spoken with the Michigan State Medical Society, and a roundtable meeting with East Lansing, Lansing and hospital officials is tentatively scheduled for July 20. East Lansing officials are organizing the meeting, Zin said.
"No one entity is going to be able to come up with $60,000 or $70,000," she said. "Nobody has such deep pockets these days that they can just write a check."
About 120 people attended the fundraiser, Lathrop said, mostly board members, friends and donors.
"The silent auction portion was very successful," he said, adding that about $6,000 of the $13,000 raised came from the auction.
Lathrop said the fundraiser helped, but it didn't solve the budget problem. A number of local nonprofits are struggling, he said.
"It's just hard for nonprofits right now because we're all dipping in the same pot, and that pot is almost empty," he said.
