Wednesday, February 5, 2025
2/5/2025
Goshen Medical Center, Inc. (Goshen) (H80CS00181) is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), the largest community health center system in the state of North Carolina. Serving eastern North Carolina since 1979, Goshen’s mission is to provide access to affordable health care for all people in eastern North Carolina. Goshen originated in Faison, North Carolina and now operates 37 fixed sites and 11 mobile health units throughout the 17 North Carolina counties of Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Onslow, Richmond, Sampson, Stanly, Wake, and Wayne. Goshen has been playing a crucial role in the community by serving all patients regardless of their ability to pay with a focus on vulnerable uninsured, unemployed, homeless, and Medicaid patients, and these are the population groups that Goshen will continue to serve for this proposed project. Goshen serves areas designated by HRSA as Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), and these areas have multiple designations of Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) for primary care, dental health, and mental health. According to a report from HRSA’s GeoCare Navigator of the zip codes in Goshen’s service area, the total population in the service area is 1,474,462 and 32% of the population, 475, 501 residents, are low-income residents with incomes under 200% of the Federal Poverty Level that comprise Goshen’s target population. The GeoCare Navigator shows the urgent need for Goshen to expand its hours to serve more patients as only 26% of the low-income residents were served by an FQHC in 2023, leaving 352,671 low-income residents unserved by a community health center. The GeoCare Navigator Report also shows that 14% of the population, 207,363 residents, live in poverty; 11% of adults have delayed or not sought care due the high cost; and 16.6% of adults have no usual source of care. A review of feedback from Goshen’s patient satisfaction surveys shows an urgent need to increase hours during mornings, evenings, and Saturdays to meet the family needs of patients and the needs of patients with both traditional and nontraditional work schedules. Further, Goshen’s survey data indicates that lack of availability of appointments, patients’ inability to take time off work for health care appointments, and insufficient operating hours are all barriers to patient care. As a result, there is an urgent need for additional health care services for vulnerable patients who have no other options for receiving health care services on a sliding fee scale. Through this grant funding, Goshen is proposing to expand access to health center services by increasing health center operating hours to meet identified patient and community needs for health care services. Specifically, Goshen plans to hire 2.5 FTE Nurse Practitioners to provide health care services and hire 2.5 FTE Medical Support/Administrative Staff to provide medical and administrative support. Goshen is planning to utilize new and existing staff to provide 30 additional health center operating hours to provide health care to vulnerable populations during early mornings, evenings, and Saturdays at six sites in rural eastern North Carolina. Goshen will also provide travel vouchers to enable patients to travel to Goshen centers for health services to alleviate travel barriers to care. Additionally, funding will be used for a marketing campaign to promote the availability of Goshen’s expanded hours and to encourage patients to seek care, as appropriate. Furthermore, Goshen will utilize funding for security services to provide a security presence during expanded evening hours at designated locations. Goshen’s plans to expand health center operating hours will help meet the urgent need to provide vulnerable populations with increased access to high quality health care in rural eastern North Carolina.
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).