Kim Polson

The board of directors of Health Care Access, Douglas County’s safety-net health clinic for the uninsured, has parted ways with its executive director, Shelly Wakeman. Kim Polson, the clinic’s data and policy coordinator, has taken over as interim director.

“None of the recent changes in our organization will affect patient care in any shape or form,” said board president Scott Swedlund, declining to reveal any details about Wakeman’s departure. “Everything we do in our organization is focused on delivering the most care to the most uninsured residents of Douglas County.”

Wakeman, a lawyer who previously served as deputy executive director of Legal Aid of Western Missouri, took over in February 2013 after Nikki White, who led Health Care Access for 14 years, left the organization. Wakeman said the board informed her Tuesday night that she was no longer the executive director without going into the specifics behind its decision.

“I fully support the mission of Health Care Access and the incredible staff that works there,” said Wakeman, a Baldwin City native who lives in Lawrence. “The staff works hard every single day to provide care to the people living in Douglas County with few resources and who are the most vulnerable in the health care system.”

Wakeman said she is proud of the collaborations Health Care Access was able to foster in her time there, including partnering with Just Food to offer fresh produce to clients; Visiting Nurses Association to give patients free physical and occupational therapy; and the Lawrence Community Shelter and Independence Inc. to provide health care to the homeless.

Health Care Access now serves about 2,500 uninsured Douglas County residents a year. Demand for its services has only grown over the years, despite the passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act and its goal of providing near-universal coverage in America. Kansas elected not to participate in that law’s Medicaid expansion and subsequently became one of the few states to see its uninsured rate rise this year, according to a recent Gallup survey.

“We know more now than we did a year ago about how the Affordable Care Act is impacting our patient population, and one thing is clear — Health Care Access is still needed,” said Polson, who joined the clinic in 2011 and last year helped it become the first patient-centered medical home in Douglas County. “I welcome the opportunity to help our community understand that our mission is still relevant in the changing health care landscape.”