BLACK LUNG CLINIC PROGRM - St. Charles Health Council, Inc., d/b/a Stone Mountain Health Services 276 Fieldstone Drive Jonesville, VA 24263-1215 Phone: 276-546-5310, Fax: 276-546-5469 Federally Qualified Health Center www.stonemountainhealthservices.org Malcolm Perdue, President and Chief Executive Officer, mperdue@stonemtn.org Stone Mountain Health Services Black Lung Clinic Program Funding Requested: $1,122,356 St. Charles Health Council, Inc. d/b/a Stone Mountain Health Services (SMHS), a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with over 33 years of black lung experience, seeks funding to continue its Black Lung Clinic Program (BLCP), established in 1991, to address the significant healthcare needs of active, retired, and disabled coal miners and their families in Southwest Virginia. Service Area N encompasses nine counties: Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wise, where coal mining has historically played a pivotal role in the employment and economic development of the region. Coal miners in this region are disproportionately affected by coal mine dust lung disease (CMDLD), including a resurgence of Progressive Massive Fibrosis (PMF), the most severe form of CMDLD. SMHS Black Lung Clinics have been instrumental in identifying critical clusters of PMF, documenting 651 new cases from 2017 to 2023, the largest record compared to other clinics nationally (Harris, 2024). In addition, SMHS Black Lung Clinics identified the largest record cluster of PMF in scientific literature from surveillance data from 2014-2017 (Blackley, 2018). Internal review of data suggests that this trend continues with 154 cases of diagnosed in fiscal year (FY) 2023-2024, 76 of which are newly diagnosed cases. The proposed program will deliver comprehensive services, including medical screening, diagnosis, treatment, education, outreach, and benefits counseling, to support miners and their survivors. A multidisciplinary team comprising pulmonologists, physicians, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, X-ray technicians, benefits counselors, and legal lay representatives will work collaboratively to enhance access to care by providing screening and treatment for CMDLD to the population of Service Area N, support compensation claims by delivering benefits counseling and lay legal representation to miners and widows, and promote education and awareness by increasing local, state, and national outreach and education initiatives. Building on its long-standing history of experience and excellence, SMHS is uniquely positioned to deliver these critical services. HRSA funding will allow SMHS to continue closing healthcare access gaps, reducing CMDLD-related morbidity and mortality, and improving the quality of life for coal miners and their families.
