Hospital clinic experiences surge in patient use

Patient population shifts from Princeton area to east of Route 1

By: Marjorie Censer
   The clinic at the University Medical Center at Princeton has experienced a significant growth in users, as well as a change in the residences of its patients, said Karen Buda, director of outpatient clinic services, at the Princeton Health Commission’s meeting Tuesday.
   Ms. Buda said while the greatest number of patients served by the clinic used to live in the Princeton or Lawrence areas, the majority now live in the Hightstown, Plainsboro and East Windsor areas. She attributed the shift to housing and employment opportunities, as well as to immigration concerns in Princeton.
   "The housing, frankly, is more available, more affordable," Ms. Buda explained of the shift to areas east of Route 1. "The immigration-related activity in town has definitely driven many of our patients out. … They are moving out to the periphery because of that fear," she said in reference to the seizure of undocumented immigrants in Princeton by federal immigration agents.
   Ms. Buda said the clinic — which aims to serve the uninsured and underinsured populations — will receive more than 17,000 visits from more than 4,500 patients this year. More than 60 percent of those patients speak Spanish as their primary language.
   She explained that the clinic’s patients are different from those seen in more urban settings. In Princeton, the patient population is composed of workers who are vested in their schools and churches.
   "This is very much a family-based population, and it’s great, because we’re able to often care for the entire family," Ms. Buda said.
   But the patients of the clinic do face challenges, including economic, psychosocial, assimilation, language and literacy issues, she said.
   A primary goal of the clinic is to maintain continuity of care for patients. To do so, Ms. Buda explained, patients have primary-care physicians who can refer them to specialty care.
   "We really believe folks should have a primary-care physician who evaluates their needs," she said.
   Ms. Buda also said she sees it as important that the clinic remain paired with the hospital as the hospital prepares to move to a new location. The clinic can facilitate patient access to specialized care in the hospital, and it relies on hospital-provided services such as the lab and radiology.
   "It’s extremely important to us in terms of providing quality patient care that we be on that campus," she said.
   Members of the commission questioned the clinic’s hours — suggesting it would be appropriate to have some weekend hours.
   Ms. Buda said clinic officials periodically evaluate its hours. But, she explained, resources are scarce, and many of the hospital services used by the clinic would be closed in any case. She said she would keep the recommendation in mind.