Saturday, May 10, 2025
5/10/2025
Fiscal Year 2025 Expanded Hours. - Health Center Program Grant Number: H80CS04286 Description of Project including needs to be addressed While Stigler Health & Wellness Center, Inc. (SHWC) offers early morning hours (clinics open at 07:30 a.m. Monday through Friday), the health center is requesting funding to expand hours even more. In response to patient statements (in-person and via patient survey comments), SHWC would like to open 6 of our existing clinic sites at 07:00 a.m. This would make it much easier for families with school age children and adults working from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to access care. In addition, the earlier time frame meets the needs and wishes of our older adult population, many of whom prefer to accomplish daily tasks as early in the day as possible. Proposed services Acknowledging that 30 minutes a day does not sound like a lot of time, SHWC notes this extra time will make a big difference for our patients. As planned, the following staff will be available to provide services during this additional window of time: 1. Sallisaw Clinic will add a Community Health Worker (CHW) to perform health risk and social determinant of health assessments, 2 nurses to draw blood for needed lab tests, a Patient Care Manager to provide care coordination and health risk assessments, and a registration staff member to ensure all patients are properly logged into the system; 2. Wilburton site will add a CHW (assessments), a nurse (labs), and registration staff member; 3. Checotah Clinic will add a Patient Care Manager (care coordination/assessments) and a registration staff member; 4. Stigler Clinic will add 2 nurses (labs), 2 Patient Care Managers (care coordination), and a registration staff member; 5. Eufaula Clinic will add 4 nurses (labs), and a registration staff member, and; 6. Poteau Clinic will add 3 Nurses (labs), and a registration staff member. Population to be served While the expanded hours will be available to any one who wants or needs to access care as early as possible, SHWC believes the 7:00 a.m. start time will be most beneficial for our elderly patients who prefer to start the day early, people needing lab tests done, especially those who must refrain from eating or drinking prior to the blood draw (no one likes to have their food and fluid intake limited), parents who are trying to get their child in for a visit before the school day starts, and people with jobs that do not offer the flexibility to take time off for a doctor visit and those who simply cannot absorb any loss in pay. This is especially true when one considers a doctor’s appointment that starts at 8:00 a.m. can easily run until 9:00 a.m., and by the time the person gets to work they have lost 2 or even 3 hours of pay. Brief summary of how proposal for increasing hours of operation will meet identified needs By opening 6 clinic sites at 7:00 a.m. versus 7:30 a.m. five days a week, SHWC can add 15 more hours of service a week, with the added capacity spread across the service area. In this plan, the only clinic not expanding early morning hours will be the Warner Clinic (Muskogee County), SHWC’s smallest clinic and a site where the patient population has not voiced a need for more hours. As to how the proposed change will meet identified needs, in opening earlier SHWC can ensure the patients with the greatest need have adequate time to complete SDoH and health risk assessments prior to seeing the provider, thereby improving the services that are provided. After all, quality care cannot be provided if providers and staff lack the full scope of patient/family needs. On a different front, by opening earlier, families trying to get children to school, people trying to get to work on time, and workers who cannot afford a loss in pay can be ready to see the provider earlier, meaning appointments can be completed sooner, thus limiting impacts on school or work attendance.
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).