Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
Fiscal Year 2025 Expanded Hours. - Project Title: Expanding Operating Hours to Increase Access to High-Quality Primary Care in Mecklenburg and Surrounding Counties Applicant Name: The C.W. Williams Community Health Center, Inc. (CWWCHC) Grant Funds Requested: $1,000,000 HRSA H80 Grant Number: H80CS00428 Target Populations to Be Served: Low income, uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved individuals in CWWCHC’s primary service area of Anson, Cabarrus, Gaston, Mecklenburg and Union counties in North Carolina and York County in South Carolina. Organization History: Founded in 1980, CWWCHC serves more than 15,000 unique patients, representing over 30,000 patient visits. According to 2023 UDS data, 87% of patients are classified as a racial or ethnic minority, 64% live on incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level, 24.35% receive coverage through Medicaid, 21.5% are homeless, and 45.33% are uninsured. Center services include comprehensive, affordable primary/preventive Medical and Dental care, Mental Health, SUD/MAT services, HIV/STI services, 340B Pharmacy, Case Management, Maternal Health, Community Health Workers, Mobile Medical and Dental services, Community Outreach, MTM & CCM, RPM, Patient Transportation & Insurance Enrollment Assistance. Needs to Be Addressed: The total population in CWWCHC’s service area is estimated to be 2,267,000. This figure represents a 10.37% increase over the past three years, making the Greater Charlotte Area the eighth fastest growing large metro areas in the nation. According to the UDS Mapper, 27.95% of CWWCHC’s service area live below 200% of FPL, 36.45% are unemployed, over 10% are uninsured, 30.4% of adults in CWWCHC’s service area have no usual source of care, over 51% of adults have not had a dental visit within the past year and 23% of adults delay or do not seek care due to high cost. Also in the region, there are high rates of chronic disease and behavioral health issues, with close to 64% of adults having high blood pressure, 46% being obese, 21% having Diabetes, 20% being binge drinkers, 19.4% report experiencing poor mental health and 24% report having a depressive disorder. In addition, patients throughout the service area face a host of other barriers to care, including lack of access to transportation, inability to take time off work to attend appointments, delayed care due to long wait times for appointments, lack of affordable childcare and significant health disparities and discrimination among racial and ethnic minorities. For these reasons, many residents struggle to access and receive essential primary and preventive care and often use the Emergency Department (ED) in place of these services due to limited access to affordable healthcare. Unfortunately, all counties in CWWCHC’s service area are designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (Primary Care, Medical, Dental, Mental Health), where there are limited resources, especially for low income, uninsured and underinsured individuals. Summary of Proposed Project and Services: To address the identified needs and improve access to high-quality primary health care and support services, CWWCHC will increase the number of operating hours at its in-scope service sites, including the Center’s Mobile unit. Expanded service hours will support both in-person appointments and telehealth appointments for medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and support services. To further address access, CWWCHC will: expand its ability to respond to medical emergencies after hours; expand language assistance; increase non-emergency patient transportation services; and enhance partnerships to increase patient referrals for appointments during increased operating hours. Anticipated outcomes include increased access to high quality primary care and support services, decreased health disparities, improved health status and quality of life, reduced unnecessary Emergency Department visits, and enhanced overall organization capacity to reduce barriers to care.
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).