Carl I. Walters II, the CEO of Outpatient Medical Center, Inc. spoke at the Natchitoches Chamber Luncheon Nov. 1. He gave an update on the community efforts of the organization.

Walters has over 27 years of For-Profit, Not-For-Profit, and Federally Qualified Health System (FQHC) executive leadership experience.

OMC was started by stakeholders who had a vision for improving access to primary care services back in 1977. From humble beginnings, it has grown into a $6 million integrated healthcare delivery system; employing today close to 80 employees from the local community with three multi-million dollar health centers located in Natchitoches, Leesville and Tallulah, with a new health center soon to operate in Natchitoches. Its mission is to provide comprehensive, affordable, accessible, quality, primary health care service to all patients with a ficus on education and prevention.

Their vision includes:
Improve existing patient utilization
Improve patient clinical outcomes
Improve patient system access
Improve patient throughput
Expand/diversity system utilization/revenue diversification
Increase system market share in all markets in which we have presence
Increase OMC community outreach/education efforts
Align OMC to be an employer of choice
Align OMC to be one of the best run and performing FQHC’s in the country.

OMC is projected to grow into a $6.5 million health system (2018); $7 million (2019) and $8 million (2020). It’s projected to push over 24,000 patient encounters (2018); 36,000 (2019) and 54,000 (2020). There’s also a projected system census increase from 1,200 per month (February 2017) to 1,800 per month (end September) and 2,400 (October). The System has seen a new patient increase from 40 per month (February 2017) to 380 (end September).

OMC is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC); part of 1,500 FQHC nationwide network providing primary care services for over 28 million people across the country. It’s one of 34 FQHCs based in Louisiana that cumulatively provide care for over 400,000 Louisiana patients and pump over a half billion dollars into the state’s economic engine.

OMC offers primary care, internal medicine, pediatrics, GYN, behavioral health services, dental services, outreach and enrollment services, and enabling services. It employs only Board-certified clinicians; is JCAHO accredited; and has applied for PCMH recognition.