Amidst skyrocketing medical costs nationwide, in Key West a new, and affordable alternative to women's healthcare has just opened: Slightly ahead of its time, WomanKind Inc. at 3142 Northside Drive, bridges the health gap between Monroe County's public health clinic and expensive visits to private doctors' offices.
"Only about 1/3 of the employers in Key West offer health insurance— this is especially true in our biggest employer, the hospitality industry. Consequently, many women don't make healthcare a priority because a regular female exam can cost as much as $200," said Gazelle Lange, a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) who conceived WomanKind Inc. with her partner, Renee Grier, also a CNM practitioner.
"Our focus is on affordable healthcare— the simple, uncomplicated kind that women haven't been getting."
Lange and Grier say their not-for-profit organization has gone from conception to inception in just one year, and the "grass roots operation" is paid for entirely by donations and fundraisers.
"We have responded to what the community wants; women like going to female practitioners, particularly if we can answer their questions and won't whisk them in-and-out in ten minutes," said Grier. "In addition to the exams, we provide the education women rarely get, which helps them make good decisions about their own healthcare."
Two years ago, Lange and Grier teamed up when they sponsored a teen clinic.
"Teenagers came in with questions they didn't have answers to, which we learned translated to the whole community "We've always been women advocates, and the issues for young girls were compounded for older women. Many of our clients right now are going through menopause; women who have questions about mammography or hormone replacement therapy and very personal issues related to sex."
The normal 30-minute to 60-minute appointments that Lange and Grier regularly schedule may also include discussions about diet, stress control and exercise, which Grier says are related to disease prevention: "Our not-for-profit status gives us the luxury of extended time," she said.
Presently, Grier is working on federal and state grants that will support the new service, and she says much of the equipment WomanKind has already acquired has come through donations from the Monroe County School District and the MCC Church.
"But we still need support. We want women to feel safe when they walk through our door," she said. "Our goal is to have women talk about health issues they are concerned about, and this only happens when women are comfortable," said Lange.
"We're still working on the added extras of cloth gowns rath"
Although both Lange and Grier are Certified Nurse Midwives, actual birthing is not the focus of WomanKind: "We consult with Dr. Kelly Valle and refer women to her ob/gyn practive," saod Lange. "Although we do examinations, write prescriptions, attend to primary healthcare and follow up anything abnormal, we don't deliver babies."
Office visits at WomanKind range from $20-$90 per visit, based on a slidingscale based on income.
Mammography is offered in conjunction with Zonta and the American Cancer Society, and WomanKind accepts insurance or non-insurance paid clients.
The office is open from 9 to 5 p.m. M-T-W-F and from 10 to 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Info: 294-4004.