By Dr. Jeff Bird—
MUNCIE, IN—Open Door Health Services serves Muncie, Delaware County and East Central IN to provide comprehensive health care services under the umbrella as a Federally Qualified Health Center, which by definition is a community-based clinic funded by the federal government to provide care in underserved areas. These centers treat everyone, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, using a sliding fee scale based on income. These clinics offer primary care, preventive check-ups and often dental, mental health and pharmacy services, all of which are provided by Open Door Health Services (ODHS).
I got the chance to sit with 2 leaders at ODHS—the brand new Chief Executive Officer, Amelia Clark and Carrie Bonsack, DNP, CNM and CHCEF, the Chief Clinical Officer/Vice President of Operations. Their stories are inspiring.
Carrie grew up on a small farm in Ohio, and became interested in healthcare watching the families goats give birth. She earned a BS in nursing from Johns Hopkins University, an MS in nursing/midwifery from the University of Maryland, and then pursued her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Ball State University and received the Outstanding Nursing Alumni Award from BSU in 2019. Carrie also obtained her Community Health Center Executive Fellow status form the University of Kansas.
She had extensive work experience in nursing, midwifery and leadership at Healthnet in Indianapolis from 2006-2023 when she joined Open Door. She remains active there in clinical practice, especially maternity care and assuring operations and quality are of the highest standard. Carrie says, “Healthcare is ultimately about people. Behind every metric is a patient, a family, and a story. As Chief Clinical Officer and VP of Operations, I see my role as creating an environment where our teams can provide exceptional, high-quality care and every patient feels valued, respected, and supported.”
Amelia Clark the new Chief Executive Officer at Open Door, came back to Muncie to accept that role only a few weeks ago. Clark was raised by 2 strong women, her mom and her grandmother. They were inspirational to her and her career in healthcare, always supporting her along her educational journey. She did her undergraduate work at IUPUI, where she met her husband. She then pursued a Masters thru the Lilly School of Philanthropy. Amelia has vast experience in varying healthcare leadership positions and education. She came to Muncie originally in 2012-2019 as an executive with Meridian Health Services, and we became working partners in her role there.
She left Meridian and moved out west to Washington to pursue teaching opportunities and eventually made her way back to Indiana to teach at St Frances in Ft Wayne. When the opportunity to apply for the CEO role at ODHS came to her attention, she jumped at it. Her family had loved living in Muncie, and the opportunity to lead at a FQHC was intriguing to her.
She’s actively getting “up to speed” with her new team and looks forward not just to leading ODHS but making an impact in our community. Amelia said, “Stepping into this role is both a privilege and a responsibility. Open Door changes lives every day, and I’m excited to work alongside our dedicated team, partners, and supporters to ensure even more people have a pathway to better health and a brighter future.”
Open Door serves an essential role in providing comprehensive healthcare to at risk patients in Muncie and Delaware County as a healthcare safety net. They are accepting new patients and hope you can join them on Saturday Oct 31 for the Open Door Monster Dash at Canan Commons.
For more information visit https://runsignup.com/Race/IN/Muncie/OpenDoorHealthServices5K
The post Dr. Jeff Bird: Open Door Health Services Provides Comprehensive Care for the Vulnerable appeared first on Muncie Journal.
