Thursday, December 26, 2024
12/26/2024
Konza Prairie Community Health Center (Konza) is a not for profit 501c3, federally qualified community health center serving Geary County (385 square miles/population of 31,670) and the surrounding Flint Hills region. With three locations Konza was established in 1994 to provide access to medical, dental, and mental health services to all, regardless of ability to pay. Targeting the underserved, Konza provides care for all. The proposed project will increase access to preventive care in the Manhattan community, removing barriers for patients who haven’t been able to get an appointment during the hours needed. The healthcare system is challenging to navigate during the best of times, for at-risk patients it is nearly impossible to miss work or school to attend primary care visits and scheduling access due to limited staffing and space has compounded the challenges. The service area faces no shortage of health challenges with designations as a Medically Underserved Population, low-income primary care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA); a low-income Dental Care HPSA; and a Mental HPSA. The health care infrastructure of the community is strained beyond capacity trying to meet both the healthcare and social needs of the growing vulnerable population with very few providers willing to accept uninsured or Medicaid patients, and virtually no available access care for uninsured populations. A growing number of Konza patients are uninsured and 68% report incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Due to staffing and space limitations, Konza has been unable to meet the healthcare needs of the service area in the Manhattan community. In 2023, Konza provided care to approximately 2,500 patients in the Manhattan clinic, with merely 2,500 square feet. With a recent move to a location with five-times the square footage, Konza is doubling capacity in the Manhattan community to meet this need. According to GeoCare Navigator, Konza penetr ation of low-income population in the community served is 28.93% with 11,312 patients who are uninsured and not currently served by a health center. The proposed project will add 8 clinical hours every week to the operating hours of the clinic in the expanded space in Manhattan. These hours will double in impact due to increased staffing with the additional space. The expanded hours project will result in more than 400 additional hours of patient facing time. Konza anticipates serving more than 5,000 patients in the additional space with expanded operating hours. In addition to serving new patients, Konza aims to provide convenient access to care for patients in the service area that have had to drive to alternative Konza locations due to operating hours restrictions. Konza will leverage the funding to increase support staff and provider schedules to enable patient convenience and ease of scheduling essential health center services during weekday evenings and over the lunch hour. Change in scope has been submitted to move clinic services from 2030 Tecumseh to 6th Street and clinic will be operating at new location, 9/6/2024, prior to the award date for Expanded Hours funding (CIS00155408 & CIS00155224).
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).