Renovation, expansion likely to increase HealthNet visits
To learn more
For more information about HealthNet of Janesville, to get help or to volunteer, visit the clinic at 23 W. Milwaukee St., Janesville, or call (608) 756-4638. For patients, appointments are necessary.
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The waiting room at the renovated and expanded HealthNet clinic in Janesville was a busy place Tuesday afternoon. HealthNet added 1,380 square feet of administrative space on the first floor of the clinic at 23 W. Milwaukee St., below the 2,135 square feet of clinic space on the second floor.
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Cindy Lewis, LPN, talks with patient Alejandro Garcia of Beloit in one of the new examination rooms at HealthNet in Janesville on Tuesday. The clinic’s recent renovation and expansion project doubled the number of exam rooms, created a new medication dispensing area and provided new space for the nursing staff and volunteers.
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Pharmacist Mike Dow prepares prescriptions with members of the nursing staff at HealthNet in Janesville.
JANESVILLE — A newly completed expansion will let HealthNet serve twice as many patients, Executive Director Traci Rogers said.
Patient enrollment had been limited, Rogers said, because HealthNet didn't have the space for additional staff and volunteers to serve them.
Not anymore.
"This is a place where people come to heal. We made these changes to provide better care for them overall. Now, we can easily double the number of our patient visits," Rogers said.
"We look forward to getting settled and continuing to meet the increased need."
HealthNet provides primary health care and dental care to the uninsured and low-income residents of Rock County. Patient visits totaled 8,982 in the last fiscal year, Rogers said. For the same period, HealthNet also provided 1,238 visits at its dental clinic.
HealthNet added 1,380 square feet of administration space on the first floor of 23 W. Milwaukee St., directly below the 2,135 square feet of clinic space on the second floor. The result is more space on the second floor to deliver health care.
The project doubled the number of exam rooms, created a new medication dispensing area and provided new space for the nursing staff and volunteers. Improvements were made to the lighting system, air conditioning, walls and floors. A handicap-accessible bathroom and updated security system were added, Rogers said.
Work started in September, progressed in three stages and ended Jan. 21. With the exception of getting more office furniture and putting things away, the $218,500 project is complete and all the money to pay for it has been raised, Rogers said.
Business manager Cheryl Renly said the renovation and expansion have helped her "enormously."
"There are fewer interruptions, less background noise and a storage room for things that used to be in my office. I can reach everything now," she said.
Renly, who does payroll and auditing and is the primary overseer of confidential paperwork at the local, free downtown clinic, also now has an office door that locks.
Before, when Renly had to leave her office she shared with two other people, she'd have to stack all of her paperwork, lock it in a file drawer then pull it back out, figure out where she left off and start all over, again.
"It's been a huge help," she said.
Renly is not alone.
Licensed Practical Nurse Cindy Lewis was excited about her new staff workspace.
"This will be more efficient, and it's just what we needed. We were so cramped before," she said.
A female patient who has been using HealthNet for 20 years said the remodeling has made waiting less crowded.
"You don't feel like you're sitting on top of someone," the woman said.
She asked to not be identified to protect her privacy.
Patient Dennis Mendrzycki, 53, Janesville, said the newly remodeled waiting room—which still smelled Monday of fresh paint, plaster and flooring—was better.
"Before it was cramped, hard to get around the chairs," he said.
He was looking forward to using the new prescription dispensation area.
"I'll enjoy the privacy," Mendrzycki said.
Jan 28, 2011 at 2:38 p.m.
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Have him call me I WILL TAKE HIM.
Jan 28, 2011 at 9:57 a.m.
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frogger, I don't know the person's story, but have you thought that maybe the person you refer to didn't have anyone they knew available to take them? To you and me, $1 doesn't seem to be a lot. How do you know whether this person has to live on less than $1 a day? We don't know people's stories, so how can judgement be passed on them? How does it make you feel when people reading your comments (this story or others) judge you in a negative way?
JMO
Jan 28, 2011 at 4:53 a.m.
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I will admit the subject was not quite what I thought it was so maybe I was being subjective, though I get upset at the tangent self back-patting that certain officals take on any topic they can.
Jan 28, 2011 at 4:39 a.m.
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Go figure Gazette. No reason to remove my comment. Nothing subjective stated, and I was right about your choice to remove comments on the other story.
Jan 27, 2011 at 6:11 p.m.
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Rocky- you missed the part where she said HALF take advantage. I know somebody who can have health ins for about $300 a month but "cannot afford it" yet smoke over a pack a day! This to me is ABUSE!
yada- I have to ask you said he walked. WHY didn't he get a ride from somebody or the bus. Isn't a bus ride about $1. Why risk your health and "walk all the way" when you could find $1 somewhere?
Jan 27, 2011 at 1:27 p.m.
Jan 27, 2011 at 1:20 p.m.
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I am not against this, but I wish people could see what I know. More power to you if this is a needed service.
Jan 27, 2011 at 1:15 p.m.
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Rockybjr....read my post again. I clearly indicate I am for it for anyone who is not dead-weight! Furthermore, you wouldn't want my job!
Jan 27, 2011 at 10:13 a.m.
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Oh by the way, I volunteer too. Not at HealthNet, but I do volunteer work elsewhere. So I guess in a way, I'm giving back!
Jan 27, 2011 at 9:43 a.m.
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Healthnet for President! Can't keep waitin' on Obamacare after all. And as for the deluded, I'll listen after you've experienced hard times. Till then, it's just another soapbox of ignorance you're standing on. Free "stuff" indeed.
Jan 27, 2011 at 8:24 a.m.
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Truecitizen? Yea right. Look closely at the picture of the waiting room. Please pick out the criminals in that picture. I'm the one in the black shirt and hat. I guess I do look pretty shady huh. Health net is a Godsend! I'm a heart patient with no health insurance and I work part time for very low money. I can only stand for about a 1/2 hour at a time and can't walk more than 150 feet with out pain. There is a donation box in the waiting room that I try to put at least one dollar in every visit. I put 5 in the last time I was there. When's the last time you donated anything for your fellow man. Your attitude is criminal.
We're not out for a "free lunch" here. If I could afford health insurance, I would have it. Don't cry too loud because health insurance keeps going up. It seems you can afford it. You must have a great job!
Jan 27, 2011 at 6:35 a.m.
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SHOPIERE - Your comment shows a cynical disregard for the health concerns of others. It is easy for you to attempt to ridicule one that had to walk all the way downtown, but it only shows you to have a lack of empathy for your fellow human being. The individual I was talking about was eventually diagnosed with LUPUS that was causing many of their problems. Loss of balance, numbness and weakness in arms and legs, fatigue, joint and muscle pain etc - that made it difficult to get around. I guess it is a disease that is hard to diagnose at first. It was thought that they had the flu at, but eventually tests proved otherwise.("You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Ghandi)
Jan 27, 2011 at 1 a.m.
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Do you have any idea how many criminal offenders are taking advantage of this any other types of medical assistance? I am glad there is no money for more police, corrections, etc. and crooks get to be at home for jail stays. We are allowing too many people to leach off of the rest of us. Don't get me wrong, I would like to see those who truly NEED and can't EARN this type of service-to actually keep getting it. It is about half. I want these types of medical services to disclose their specific prerequisites for qualifications to earn medical assistance. I have 'full' medical bennefits, but it keeps costing more and more, and I had to go through alot in life to EARN this through employment. Our society is unwilling to say no to people who have ruined their share. How sad for the others who truly need it. This is good for those people though.
Jan 27, 2011 at 12:44 a.m.
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"seems that the quota was full for new patients for thoses days so he had to walk all the way downtown twice to sign up."
Wow that is just awful, it's tragic that he had to walk all the way downtown twice to get signed up for his free health care. The horror, the horror.
How dare they inconvenience someone in their quest for free stuff.
Jan 26, 2011 at 8:50 p.m.
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The clinic only allows registration days on Wednesdays for new patients and for patients to re-enroll(which needs to be done every year). Because of the outrageously high amount of patients the clinic is now servicing the clinic only typically allows 5 NEW patients to enroll on Wednesdays, which you need to make an appointment to be one of the five new enrolled. It is impossible and impractical to think that that clinic can service every patient at the time requested by the patient. I for one have had many experiences with that clinic and am outrageously grateful for the wonderful people who VOLUNTEER their time(because 95% of the people working there are unpaid) and almost always with a smile on their faces. For anyone to complain about the speed of appointment times, taking too long to get into a doctor or having to long to wait to become a member is sad. Thank the lord above for the amazing angels that keep this amazing facility up and running to serve those in need most. THANK YOU HEALTH NET VOLUNTEERS AND EMPLOYEES!!!!
Jan 26, 2011 at 7:32 p.m.
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About a year ago I know of one person that went to the office so they could get medical services and were turned away. Matter of fact - two different times it took before they could sign up. The way it was explained to me was that they were unable to take any more new patients on those days. It seems that the quota was full for new patients for thoses days so he had to walk all the way downtown twice to sign up. The third time they were given the paper work. Is the system better now or do they still turn away people if they have too many for that day? I have heard it is about a four month wait for dental help.
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