Stimulus money making an impact at Madisonville health clinic

Stimulus money making an impact at Madisonville health clinic

By GENE PATTERSON
6 News Anchor/Reporter

MADISONVILLE (WATE) -- Is President Obama's stimulus program really creating jobs and turning around the economy? Or is it simply wasting taxpayer dollars? 

While many of us have opinions about the answer, it may be a while before we really know for certain.

Although 6 News can't speak about the big picture, we can look at the small one. In this case, an example of stimulus spending that's making an impact is in Monroe County.

The doctors at the Family Practice Associates Clinic in Madisonville see hundreds of people every day. It's one of the few options people in the rural county have. The medical advice and care the doctors give saves lives.

Krystal Russell is doing her part, too, but she's not a doctor. She's the community service coordinator, a position funded by federal stimulus money.

It's Russell's job to find ways to get children and adults the health coverage they need. It turns out, she's pretty good at it.

Dr. Thomas Cox, one of the physicians at the clinic, says he's become a believer. "I send people to her every day and she gets them insurance, medications. I didn't think there was any way she could get their meds and she did."

Russell's no stranger to the tough job market. She spent a year looking for work.

The stimulus money made it possible for her to find one. Without that money, her position couldn't have been created.

"Krystal's help provides the link with individuals and resources," says Brian Smith, CEO of the Family Practice Associates. 

Smith says in a rural community like Monroe County, there aren't a lot of resources to begin with, and what few there are, can be hard to find. He says Russell is the vital link in the chain.

And Russell realizes the importance of her job. "I think I'm having a big impact here in our county. We have people who come in here every day, who don't have the money to pay their electricity or prescriptions and I can locate assistance so they can get what they need."

Russell's position isn't the only use of federal stimulus money. The clinic has other equipment and facility needs being funded by federal help.

However, Krystal Russell is the most visible use of the money and certainly for the hundreds of patients she's helped, the most important.

If you're interested in knowing  how much money your county has gotten so far from federal stimulus funds, click on this link: http://tnmap.state.tn.us/stimulusreporting/#I

The site breaks down the dollar amount and the general categories where the money has gone.