Health Center Program - Project Title: Wabash Community Health Center NAP Applicant Name: Wabash General Hospital District Corporate Address: 1418 College Drive, Mount Carmel, IL 62863-2638 Project Director Name: Cathy Ruth, MHA Project Director Phone Number: (618) 263-6186 Project Director Email: cruth@wabashchc.com Website: https://www.wabashchc.com Congressional District: IL-012 Wabash Community Health Center (WCHC), a Health Center Program Look-alike co-applicant of public entity Wabash General Hospital District, is committed to delivering high-quality, affordable healthcare to all residents of Southern Illinois, regardless of their ability to pay. Formed through a collaboration between Wabash General Hospital and the Wabash County Health Department, WCHC aims to provide integrated primary and behavioral health services. In April 2021, WCHC was designated a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Look-Alike (LAL) by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The primary Health Center Program service site, located at 1123 Chestnut Street, Mt. Carmel, Illinois 62863-2638, offers a range of primary care and behavioral health services, both available in-person and via telehealth. The organization’s service area, designated by HRSA as a Medically Underserved Area, includes 13 ZCTAs in Wabash, Lawrence, Clay, Edwards, Richland, and White counties in Illinois. This region encompasses the towns of Mount Carmel, Lawrenceville, Bridgeport, Flora, Albion, Browns, Bellmont, Sumner, Olney, Grayville, Saint Francisville, West Salem, and Allendale. Situated in Southeastern Illinois, the service area is approximately four and a half hours south of Chicago, three hours hours east of St. Louis, and three hours west of Indianapolis. The funding request of $650,000 is intended to support the establishment of a new Health Center Program site at 11362 Country Club Road, Lawrenceville, Illinois 62439-4325, approximately 24 miles north of WCHC headquarters in Mount Carmel. This area has been identified by WCHC executive leadership and the Board of Directors as significantly medically underserved, particularly considering the lack of primary medical and oral health providers serving low-income residents in the region. The new site will address social determinants of health by providing high-quality, affordable medical care, including primary healthcare, oral healthcare, mental healthcare, substance use disorder services, and support services. This project aims to serve approximately 1,250 new patients across the service area in the one-year project period, which includes those served at the proposed new service delivery site in Lawrenceville, Illinois. Funding under this project will enable WCHC to increase the number of unique patients served by the organization from 1,535 to 2,785 within the first year of operation. The initiative will significantly enhance community health outcomes and align with WCHC’s mission of promoting whole-person health. Supported by executive leadership and the Board of Directors, this project will expand access to inclusive, equitable, and innovative healthcare through adding both new services and a new location to reach the region's most vulnerable community members.
