Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-25-084
CFDA: 93.225
Applicant Name: Camden-on-Gauley Medical Center, Inc., dba Camden Family Health
Health Center Program grant number: H80CS00078
Descriptive Title of Applicants Project: Expanding Clinic Hours in Rural West Virginia to Improve Healthcare Access for High-Needs Populations
Camden-on-Gauley Medical Center, Inc., dba Camden Family Health (CFH), is a public entity, Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), operating throughout sparsely populated areas of central West Virginia. CFH prides itself on being a familiar and welcoming "neighbor" of the communities it serves and recognizes how the rural nature of the service area is a critical barrier to healthcare access in the region.
CFH proposes expanding services at three permanent health center locations, predominantly serving residents of Nicholas and Webster County. The service area population suffers from high rates of chronic disease, as well as mental health problems, including substance use disorder. Equally high rates of poverty and lack of health insurance compound these health disparities and leave many residents without access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare. CFH has expanded hours in recent years, including some evening and weekend access, and received a marked improvement in patient satisfaction. Further expanding services at Camden Family Health will offer an even greater number of the community’s most vulnerable members more opportunities to receive the care they need and deserve.
Camden Family Health will add 70 hours of clinical operation across three proposed sites in Summersville, Richwood, and Craigsville, WV, focusing on morning, evening, and weekend access. The Center will offer patients integrated care during the expanded hours, providing
primary medical and behavioral health care, including SUD and MOUD, and enabling services, including care coordination, at all three locations. Pharmacy services will also be offered at the Center’s Summersville and Richwood locations. CFH intends to reach 800 new, unduplicated patients as well as increase access for existing patients.
Expanding the Center's operating hours at the three proposed locations will benefit the service area's low-income and medically vulnerable patient populations by providing increased access to care to all residents regardless of their ability to pay. Residents in the service area, particularly those who are low-income or uninsured, have limited options for primary and behavioral healthcare during nontraditional clinic hours. Both counties in the service area are low-income health professional shortage areas, with population-to-provider ratios for primary care and behavioral health far exceeding the state and national figures. Community needs assessments in the region highlight the lack of confidence residents have in their ability to access care when they need it, much less pay for the care they receive. Without access to healthcare, most residents choose to either delay care or seek treatment from the local hospitals or urgent care centers. By increasing affordable healthcare access in areas that have historically experienced a shortage of providers, CFH will engage more community members in preventive and primary care services, ultimately improving health outcomes and combatting health disparities experienced by residents.