Tom Irons, M.D.
Helped create Health Assist in Pitt County.

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Dr. Tom Irons, Associate Vice Chancellor for Regional Health Services, East Carolina University has been committed to serving the underserved populations for Pitt County and eastern North Carolina (ENC) for many years. His efforts have lead to the development of several effective, quality community healthcare programs that support disadvantaged populations. In 1995, Dr. Irons was chosen to lead Access East, Inc., an independent 501(c) 3 corporation. The project was designed to support healthcare delivery in an impending managed care environment. Rather than operating as a traditional private health organization contracting model, Access East focuses on the Community Care Plan of Pitt County, a program which enables the organization to engage in a public-private partnership with the NC Office of Rural Health and the Division of Medical Assistance to design and implements a locally driven program to manage the care of the Medicaid population. This program, now in its eighth year of operation, has expanded to 19 ENC counties and serves over 80,000 Medicaid enrollees.

Building on the success of the Community Care Plan of Eastern Carolina, Access East was awarded federal HRSA funds to implement an uninsured care program in 2000, the year following Hurricane Floyd. This initiative, HealthAssist, provides primary care in the form of a medical home for uninsured residents of Pitt County, using volunteer and paid providers. The program, spearheaded by Dr. Irons, sponsors initiatives to assure access to preventive health services, primary, specialty and hospital care. In addition, enrollees receive care coordination, access to affordable therapeutic drugs, links to social services, mental health care and life skills enhancements, e.g. computer skills courses and GED classes.

Under the leadership of Dr. Irons, a 15,128 sq ft state-of-the art Community Health Center is planned for Pitt County, just north of Greenville. Upon completion of Phases I and II, the center will provide comprehensive primary health care, dental, pharmacy and related services tailored to the needs of low-income people, with emphasis on the uninsured. The center will be dedicated to the memory of James D. Bernstein, who established and directed the NC Office of Rural Health for three decades. Operation will be a cooperative effort between two 501(c) 3 organizations, Greene County Health Care, Inc. (d.b.a. Eastern Carolina Community Health Centers), Access East, Inc., and several public agencies, including the Pitt County Health Department and the Brody School of Medicine. The lead operating entity will be Greene County Health Care, a highly successful, federally qualified Community Health Center which is experienced in delivering culturally competent medical, dental and outreach services.

The objective of the center is to impact the health and well-being of the rural residents of Pitt and surrounding counties through quality CARES : C ommunity empowerment, A chieving improved health status and R educing health disparities, E nhancing (existing) capacity, and S timulating the local economy. The center will improve employability and stimulate job creation. With its focus on farmworker health, it will improve the health status of the farm workforce and thus strengthen the farm economy.