Friday, December 27, 2024
12/27/2024
Coastal Family Health Center, Inc. (CFHC), a federally qualified health center, has provided quality healthcare to residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast for 48 years. Beginning in 1976, with the first clinic, CFHC has expanded tremendously in size and the area served, allowing our organization to serve over 36,000 patients on an annual basis. Serving the low-income and un/underinsured population of Greene, Harrison, Hancock, Jackson, Wayne, George, and Stone counties through a patient-centered medical home model has allowed CFHC a unique opportunity to see where the need truly lies within the communities we serve. According to Healthy People 2030, many people in the United States do not get the health care services they need, with only 5.3% receiving recommended evidence-based preventive healthcare in 2020. Barriers to delayed care have been identified as lack of health insurance, lack of access to transportation, lack of appointment availability and inability to take time off from work to attend appotinemtns. In 2023, 29% of patients presenting for care at a Coastal Family Health Center location reported being uninsured, and 32% reported incomes of 200% or below the FPL. As 67% of patients did not report their income within the year, the actual percentage of low-income patients is assumed to be a great deal higher. Although CFHC has expanded in size and types of services offered over the years to increase access, Mississippi remains a state with a patient to provider ratio of 1,860:1. While a shortage of providers is a powerful barrier for all populations, it is a critical issue in Mississippi, where poor health is rife and chronic co-morbid diseases are common. Making this an even bigger issue, when opportunities for care are limited, market forces usually result in higher healthcare costs, an issue the low-income population of the service area cannot afford. In fact, many people in the service area simply cannot afford care unless services are offered on a sliding fee basis. To further ease patients’ ability to access essential health center services in the areas with the most identified needs, CFHC proposes opening a Convenient Care Center within our current Moss Point pharmacy utilizing minor alteration/renovation funding and expanding hours across multiple sites with the remainder of funds. The Convenient Care Center will offer services from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm Monday through Thursday, 1:00 pm to 9:30 pm on Friday, and 8:00 am to 12:00 pm on Saturday. Consequently, the pharmacy hours at this site will be expanded to include services from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm Monday through Friday and 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturday. The Biloxi Pediatric clinic will offer expanded hours on Saturday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. The Biloxi and Bay St. Louis clinic hours will expand hours to operate from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Thursday and 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on Friday. The Gulfport clinic hours will expand hours to operate from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday and Wednesday, 8:00 am to 7:00 pm Tuesday and Thursday, and 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on Friday. By supporting patients’ needs to receive care in a primary care setting, this expansion at clinics in three out of seven counties served by CFHC will reduce visits to emergency departments. As a result, this will reduce health care costs and preserve emergency department capacity for patients with acute needs. In addition, this expansion will result in improved overall patient wellness within a state that frequently ranks last among health measures.
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).