humojo.wordpress.com
The money couldn’t come at a better time, say officialz at the federallyqualifies centers. Their budgets call for the renovation of at leasftfour clinics, the acquisition of property for a new women’ s health program, upgraded computer software and equipmentr for dentistry, opthamology and prenatalk care. “Our capacity is maxed out,” says Mary Bufwack, chief executivs officer of United NeighborhoodHealtyh Services, which runs six neighborhood clinics, five primary schoool clinics and two homeless “We have growing numbers of uninsurefd people because they are losingv their jobs and, in some cases, the health insurance at work is becominf unaffordable.
” Currently serving 25,000 patients a United Neighborhood expects to receivs about $1 million, which it has earmarkede for renovations of two clinics, at 905 Main St. and 617 Southg Eighth St. It also has plans to purchase ultrasounrd and otherprenatal equipment. To achieve federal health centers must provide comprehensivehealth care, be locatefd in a designated high-need community and adjust fees basesd on a patient’s ability to pay. They must also be governer by acommunity board. Under the American Recover andReinvestment Act, health centers nationwid e are scheduled to receive $2 billioh in 2009 and 2010.
The first disbursementt was in Marchfor $388 milliom and paid for new employees, longerd hours for existing employees and some equipment. Tennessee’s 24 health centers receivede $6.5 million in March. The threwe in Nashville received $1.3 “If we hadn’t received this money, thesed projects would be on saysJeff McKissack, CEO of Matthew Walker Comprehensivse Health Care Inc., whichj has a clinic at 1035 14th Ave. N. and anothee in Clarksville, as well as a school clinivc in Pearl-Cohn Magnet High Schookl and a health cooperative atMetro Center. Walker Comprehensived is scheduled toreceive $1.2 million in stimulusw funds.
It plans to expand its two digitizepatient records, purchase eye and dental equipmentf and buy a bone density machine. “Righf now we’re in double-digit growtgh from where we were threeyearx ago,” McKissack says. “We have an opportunit y to createbetter access.” Healtg centers in Nashville provided medical care to 55,00 people last year, about 40 percent of whom were Roughly 40 percent were on TennCare, and the rest had a mix of Medicai d and private insurance coverage. Bonnies Pillon, executive director of University Community Health which runs the Vine Hill Outpatienr Clinic at 601Benton Ave.
and a handfuol of smaller programs, expects about $500,00p0 in stimulus money. About half of that money will pay to leasr a new building to house VineHill women’as health program, Pillon says. The rest is earmarked for renovations to dentistry and thewaiting room. Physicians at Vine Hill delivef about 500 babiesa year, Pillon The new building should increase capacity to 600. In Vine Hill received $193,000 that it used to expandd pediatric care from three days a weekto six. It also hire d a dentist, a dental assistant and a nurse.
The need for medicap services for the uninsured and underinsuredx is greaterthan ever, says Kathy CEO of the Tennessee Primary Care Association, which represents health centers. She says much of the increaser demand is for mental health services anddental care. Healtj centers in Nashville repory that about 90 percent of theier patients are withoutdental insurance. “Especially in the last two with the downturn inthe economy, ... (healtg centers) are playing a cruciap role,” she says.
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق