Wednesday, February 5, 2025
2/5/2025
Organization/Community: Neighborhood Improvement Project, Inc. dba Medical Associates Plus (MAP) has served residents of Augusta, Georgia and surrounding areas since 1997. MAP provides primary medical health care, women’s health care, school based health care services, oral health care, mental health/substance abuse services including Medication-Assisted Treatment, and 340B pharmacy services as well as pulmonology, dermatology, infectious diseases care, infusion therapy, and endocrinology specialty care services at 19 service delivery sites – 11 in Augusta (10 in Richmond County and one in Columbia County), one in Wrens (Jefferson County), one in Keysville (Burke County), three in Waynesboro including two school-based services sites (Burke County), one in Lincolnton (Lincoln County), and two in Thomson (McDuffie County). The health center also provides primary medical and oral health care services to local schools and COVID-19 testing and vaccination services via two mobile care units. The MAP service area population is 612,898 and the region is primarily urban (72.5%) with some outlying rural areas (27.5%). Approximately 77% of service area residents are aged 18 or older. Richmond County has an estimated 206,153 residents and it is predominately Black (66.5%). Nearly one in five residents (19.5%) live with incomes below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) (American Community Survey: 5-Year Estimate 2018-2022, US Census Bureau, 2023). MAP is recognized as a Patient-Centered Medical Home by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, and is a 2021 HRSA Health Disparities Reducer, Access Enhancer, and Advancing HIT for Quality awardee. The Georgia Primary Care Association named MAP the 2022 Health Center of the Year. In 2023, MAP served 45,403 patients with 123,356 medical, 3,680 dental, 3,024 mental health, and 102 substance use disorder encounters (UDS Report). Proposed Project: MAP proposes using Expanded Hours funding to add 39 additional operating hours at five of its existing service delivery locations in Richmond and McDuffie counties. The additional hours at the sites will include 19 new daytime/evening hours and 20 new weekend hours. Also, MAP will add new in-person mental health and SUD services at the McDuffie County location. A total of 22 expanded hours will be added within the first six months of the project period (by 5/31/2025). Projections: MAP projects an increase of 2,105 patients by the end of the proposed project period, to include 1,100 new primary care and pediatric patients, and 1,005 mental health patients including 34 SUD patients. The estimated increase in the number of patients served through expanded hours is based on unmet need, the lack of access to care, and other barriers that service area residents currently face. All proposed activities will be fully implemented by the end of Year 2 of the project period (by 11/30/2026).
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).