Click on any of the following links to find answers to frequently-asked questions about 2009 changes with Healthy Steps.

1. What is the Healthy Steps Women's and Children's Center?

2. Why is Southwest closing the Healthy Steps Center?

3. Are State budget cuts a factor in the planned closure of the Center?

4. What will happen to the patients now being served at Healthy Steps?

5. What will happen to the staff at Healthy Steps?

6. When will the clinic close?

7. How many patients are being served at Healthy Steps currently?

8. Will midwife services still be available in our community?

9. What will happen to the Healthy Steps name?

10. What about the care of fee-per-service patients?

11. What is the history of the Healthy Steps Center?

12. What percentage of Healthy Steps patients are Medicaid patients?

13. What are we doing to celebrate the history & difference that Healthy Steps has made to the community? 

14. What will happen to the memorial bricks at the Healthy Steps building?

Q1. What is the Healthy Steps Women's and Children's Center?
A. A Southwest clinic serving low-income women and children. The Center dates back to 1989 when it first opened as First Steps. The program has expanded from offering prenatal care only to care for mothers, newborns and children. The Center has traditionally been a resource for Medicaid patients and low-income women who could not access medical resources in the community because of poor reimbursement rates. (Return to top)

Q2. Why is Southwest closing the Healthy Steps Center?
A2. We believe we can better serve the pediatric and adult patients at Healthy Steps through a different model of care. We plan to refer the existing patients to other Southwest clinics and those affiliated with the Southwest Washington Health System. We believe this model is more sustainable financially and also best meets the long-term medical needs of the women and children being served.  For example, we believe the adult female patients will now have access to a broader array of obstetrical and gynecological care beyond what was currently available to them. (Return to top)

Q3. Are State budget cuts a factor in the planned closure of the Center?
A. The decision to close Healthy Steps was made before the State finalized its current biennium budget. However, we anticipated significant cuts in Medicaid reimbursement from the State this year that made continuing the program extremely difficult. Southwest is now subsidizing the program at the rate of more than $3.5 million a year. Southwest is anticipating additional State budget cuts as high as $7 million this year. (Return to top)

Q4. What will happen to the patients now being served at Healthy Steps?
A. Southwest is committed to ensuring that all the pediatric and adult patients will continue to receive high quality health care at other Southwest clinics or at a community provider of their choosing. It's our plan to move the care of the pediatric patients to our family practice residency and clinic, Family Medicine of Southwest Washington. We will also be able to serve the adult female patients at a new Southwest obstetrical practice opening August 1 at the Medical Center campus. (Return to top)

Q5. What will happen to the staff at Healthy Steps?
A. Southwest is committed to working with all employees at Healthy Steps to help them find new employment opportunities first with Southwest if possible and then outside the organization if necessary. Although we are confident that most employees will be able to find a replacement position at the hospital, we cannot guarantee that everyone will have a new job with one of Southwest's entities (hospital or medical group). (Return to top)

Q6. When will the clinic close?
A. The planned closure date is August 1, 2009. However, patients can begin transitioning to the Family Medicine practice as soon as May 1, 2009. (Return to top)

Q7. How many patients are being served at Healthy Steps currently?
A. Healthy Steps served approximately 3,700 patients in 2008. 2,500 of these patients were children. (Return to top)

Q8. Will midwife services still be available in our community?
A. Yes. Other practices do use midwives in some capacity, and the new Southwest Medical Group OB practice opening in August will also utilize midwives. The exact number of midwives at the practice has not been determined yet. (Return to top)

Q9. What will happen to the Healthy Steps name?
A. The Southwest Foundation plans to continue using the Healthy Steps name and its related mission to serve low-income women and children for fundraising. We hope to expand the existing dedicated endowment to help cover any operating losses within the Southwest system associated with care for these patients. (Return to top)

Q10. What about the care of fee-per-service patients?
A. We hope to transition these patients to other Southwest clinics and/or other physician practices in the community. (Return to top)

Q11. What is the history of the Healthy Steps Center?
A. Healthy Steps first opened in 1989 at First Steps to serve the prenatal needs of low-income women. The practice changed its name to Second Steps in 1992 when we expanded the scope of care to include children. In 1996 Healthy Steps was created and includes obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, adult medicine and Maternity Support Services. (Return to top)

Q12. What percentage of Healthy Steps patients are Medicaid patients?
A. Approximately 87% of the patients served are covered through the Medicaid system. About 9% are covered through private insurance, and close to 4% are self-pay clients. (Return to top)

Q13. What are we doing to celebrate the history and difference that Healthy Steps has made to the community?
A. Over the next few months we plan to take a look back at the history of the program and celebrate again the many milestones and impacts that the clinic has had on so many lives. Founder's Week in June is another opportunity for us to celebrate the role of Healthy Steps in our community. We also plan to feature some historical articles in eWeekly and arrange for a special event for staff. (Return to top) 

Q14. What will happen to the memorial bricks at the Healthy Steps building?
A. Southwest is working with a skilled mason to remove the bricks and reset them at Memorial Health Center near the Main Street entrance. (Return to top)

Go to the main Healthy Steps webpage.

Learn more about Women's & Children's Services at Southwest.