Fiscal Year 2025 Expanded Hours. - Health Center Program Grant Number: H80CS00167 Project Title: Expanded Hours for Enhanced Primary Care Access in Upstate NY Proposed Project Description: Our health center seeks to utilize Enhanced Hours (EH) funding to extend our operating hours, thereby easing access to essential primary care services for our community. Recognizing the limited availability of primary care during early weekday mornings, weekday evenings, and weekends, this project aims to bridge the gap by offering new operating hours at our primary care facility. This extension will help address the needs of our patients by providing more flexible and accessible healthcare options, ultimately reducing unnecessary visits to emergency departments and lowering overall healthcare costs. Needs to be Addressed: The primary need addressed by this project is the lack of accessible primary care services during non-standard hours in our community. Many residents face challenges in obtaining timely medical, behavioral health, and dental care outside of traditional working hours, which often leads to increased emergency department visits for non-acute issues. By expanding our operating hours, we aim to provide more convenient access to care, ensuring that patients receive timely treatment and support within a primary care setting. Proposed Services: The expanded hours may include early weekday mornings, weekday evenings, and weekend appointments, depending on the location and service, allowing patients to receive primary care services when it is most convenient for them. These services will be offered at one or more of our in-scope service delivery sites. During the expanded hours, we will provide in-person appointments. While not considered expanded hours, where applicable, telehealth services will be provided to further enhance accessibility and convenience for our patients. Population Group(s) to be Served: The expanded hours will benefit all patients within our service area, with a particular focus on working individuals, families with school-aged children, and those with limited access to transportation. These groups often find it challenging to access healthcare during standard operating hours and will greatly benefit from the increased availability of primary care services during extended hours. Summary of Meeting Identified Needs: The proposal for increasing hours of operation directly addresses the identified needs in our community by offering more flexible and accessible healthcare options. By providing primary care services during extended hours, we aim to reduce the burden on emergency departments, lower healthcare costs, and improve overall health outcomes for our patients. Within six months of the award, we will implement the initial increase in operating hours at our proposed sites, documenting the changes through a Form 5B Scope Adjustment Request in EHBs. Our full proposed increase in hours will be operational within 18 months of the award, ensuring sustained and improved access to care for our community. This initiative aligns with all Health Center Program requirements and complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, ensuring high-quality, accessible, and compliant healthcare services for our patients.
