Tuesday, April 29, 2025
4/29/2025
Congressionally Directed Spending for Construction Projects - Established in 1968, Wheeler Clinic, Inc. provides a comprehensive continuum of primary care, behavioral health, special education, community justice, child welfare, early childhood, prevention, wellness, and recovery services to children, adolescents and adults across Connecticut (CT). Recognizing the need to enhance health equity for the low-income, seriously mentally ill, and other vulnerable populations served, the Board of Trustees and leadership refined the strategic direction to build a more systemic approach to whole-person health. Wheeler achieved designation as a federally qualified health center in Bristol in 2015 and has since expanded scope of service to eight additional communities opening new service sites in Hartford, New Britain, Bristol (a second site for behavioral health), Waterbury, and Plainville. Wheeler proposes the use of CPF/CDS funds to support the construction of a new three-story, 48,439 square-foot state-of-the-art facility in Bristol, CT. The new facility will allow for the consolidation of two smaller Bristol health center sites: its primary care site at 10 North Main Street and its behavioral health site at 225 North Main Street. A 13,500 square-foot space will be allocated for the Bristol Family Health & Wellness Center dedicated to direct health center services including: behavioral health services for children/adolescents and adults, pediatric primary care services for children, primary care services for adults, care management, child/adolescent and adult psychiatric care, and medication assisted therapy for substance use disorder. Primary care services will include physical exams; COVID testing; pediatric including well-child care and vaccinations; chronic disease management for asthma, diabetes, hypertension/heart health, HIV, and treatment and services for Hepatitis C; women’s health; LGBTQIA-responsive services for all ages. Behavioral health services for all ages will include individual and family therapy and will help with anxiety, depression, defiant behaviors, trauma, grief, and substance use disorders. The new site is located in a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) and Primary Care and Dental Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). The location is easily accessible by public transportation, will have ample parking, access to green spaces, and will be in close proximity to partners including the Bristol Health outpatient care facility. The project will offer the following benefits to the community and health center patients: 1) A convenient one-stop site where patients can access integrated primary care and behavioral health services at the same location; 2) Enhanced collaboration of care team members providing integrated primary and behavioral health care consistent with Wheeler’s person-centered model of care; 3) Warm handoffs and connections to other care team members; and 4) Increased access due to expanded site capacity. In 2022, Wheeler served 3,338 unique patients at its Bristol sites. Wheeler anticipates serving 3,500 patients in Year 1; 4,000 patients in Year 2; and over 4,300 patients by Year 3 at the new site. Expanded access to services is particularly needed in Bristol; the health center penetration rate is 38.38% for low-income residents with 14,418 low-income residents who do not receive care from a health center in the service area (ZTCA 06010). The detrimental health, social, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly exacerbated need.
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).