Wednesday, January 15, 2025
1/15/2025
Organizational overview, the community to be served, and the target population. Since 1979, Premier Community HealthCare Group, Inc. (Premier) has been designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) providing comprehensive primary, preventive, and supplemental health services to medically underserved and uninsured populations. The mission of Premier is to provide accessible healthcare services for all. Premier’s total service area includes adjacent Pasco and Hernando Counties on the nature coast of Florida, located north of Tampa and bordered by the Gulf of Mexico, and spread across 1,216 square miles. Accredited by the Association of Ambulatory Health Care and recognized as a Patient-Centered Medical Home for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long-term participative relationships, Premier is a safety net for anyone in the community in need of affordable and accessible health care services. Pasco and Hernando counties, where the proposed Expanded Hours (EH) sites will be located, represent a mix of semi-rural and a concentration of semi-urban development populations. The health center service area population consists of thirty census tracts in Pasco County (301-331) with a population estimate of 632,996 and sixteen census tracts in Hernando County (401-416) with a population estimate of 212,807 (US Census Quick Facts, 2020). The target population and service area for the proposed EH project includes underserved populations seeking primary, preventive, and treatment services. While Premier is a medical home to over 40,500 patients based on the most recent UDS year data, only 22.5% of the low-income persons in the service area accessed care through a health center program. The project goal will be to increase access to care through expanded hours of service. Premier proposes to add three evening hours of service delivery to three days for medical, behavioral health, and pharmacy services at multiple community health center locations. In addition to one evening currently, the three additional evening hours for this proposed project will enable Premier to offer services for twelve hours a day, four days a week from 7am-7pm. Care received outside of the usual business hours is associated with improved patient outcomes and lower emergency department use for non-urgent problems. The new operating hours will increase access to care and support patients in living healthier lives by receiving primary care and supplemental health services, thereby reducing avoidable visits to the emergency department. The proposed service delivery sites and locations; and expanded hours of service to be provided. The proposed expanded hours of service will include primary care, behavioral health, substance use disorder services, and pharmacy services at multiple community-based health center locations strategically located throughout Premier’s service area. Expanded hours of service will be implemented in three existing health center locations. The targeted locations include Dade City, Zephyrhills, and New Port Richey. How the EH project will impact the target population seeking health services in primary care settings. Additional hours of operation during the evening will increase access to care for community members while reducing barriers based on social determinants of health. Barriers such as transportation, lack of available appointments, and the inability to take time off work will be addressed through the proposed expanded hours. During the proposed EH of care, Premier’s patient-centered model of care will include safe and timely triage, accessibility for patients, continuity, and coordination with the providers and the health center's various service lines.
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).