Thursday, April 3, 2025
4/3/2025
Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - Cleveland Clinic Akron General’s (CCAG) Women’s Health Center (WHC) provided care for over 1300 prenatal visits over the past 12 months. During that same timeframe, we have expanded the number of Centering Pregnancy prenatal groups, added ultrasound and fetal monitoring capabilities so patients do not have to go to multiple locations for care and are increasing the number of Community Health Workers (CHWs) from 1 to 3. Yet, there continues to be increasing demand for this vital community resource. We are looking to expand our program to meet this unmet need. In order to expand our program to improve access, we must move our primary site of care from the 2nd floor to the 1st floor of the CCAG Akron Health Center. This 1st floor space is much bigger, but will require some renovation and new equipment, which we are asking for your support. The office location and larger space will allow more patients who live in the communities with the highest disparities in maternal morbidity/ infant mortality greater access to the highest quality of prenatal care and evidence-based wrap around services to mitigate the adverse impact of their health-related social needs. It will take a community effort to ensure all pregnant patients and their babies achieve the best outcomes; and our Women’s Health Center is committed to being an anchor for this effort and the entry point for patients to receive vital care, including community support through their pregnancies. Moreover, through the Pathways Community HUB model, our Community Health Workers help patients identify and address their health-related social needs. We know that a significant cause of the adverse outcomes we are seeing in infant and maternal health are related to these social determinants of health. For that reason, Cleveland Clinic is investing in hiring two additional CHWs, certified through the Ohio Nursing Board, in order to better address social determinants of health. The funding will cover renovation costs including: demolition & concrete, carpentry & millwork, flooring, painting, walls, plumbing, HVAC & mechanical, electrical, Signage/Permits, Data network (cabling and router network for electronic medical record to be used in all patient exam and treatment areas), architectural and engineering, management/contractor. The equipment cost the grant will cover are: two ultrasound machines (General Electric model E10), exam tables and related equipment for patient needs, fixtures, HEPA filtration, temporary construction barriers, trash dumpsters, and disposal during renovation.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).