Tuesday, February 4, 2025
2/4/2025
Upper Great Lakes Health Center, Inc. (UGL), established in 2009, is a private not-for-profit community health center located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula with Admin Office in Laurium, MI (Houghton County). UGL operates 11 service delivery sites and serves the residents of Houghton, Iron, Marquette, Menominee, and Ontonagon County. The UGL service area is primarily rural. Houghton, Iron, Marquette, Menominee, and Ontonagon County are, in fact, Federally Designated Rural Counties. A startling 100% of Ontonagon County is considered rural. UGL provides the full complement of comprehensive primary health care services across the lifecycles. Services, on site and through referral, include General Primary Medical Care, Diagnostic Laboratory, Diagnostic X-Ray, Screenings (Diabetic Retinal Exams, Cancer, Communicable Diseases, Cholesterol, Blood Lead Test, Pediatric Vision, Hearing, and Dental), Coverage for Emergencies During and After Hours, Voluntary Family Planning, Gynecological Care, Obstetrical Care (Prenatal Care, Intrapartum Care, and Postpartum Care), Immunizations, Well Child Services, Preventive and Additional Dental Care, Pharmacy Assistance, Case Management, Eligibility Assistance, Translation, Transportation, Mental Health Services, Substance Use Disorder Services, Psychiatry, Outreach, and Health Education. UGL offers services to all residents of the service area regardless of language, gender, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender identification, physical and mental capacity, age, religion, housing status, and the ability to pay. Particular attention, however, is directed at reaching the low-income, uninsured, underinsured, Medicaid/Medicare, and vulnerable populations. The rural UGL service area does not have a well-developed public transportation network and public transportation services are, essentially, not available. The lack of public transportation services presents a significant barrier to care and ex acerbates the provider/health care services shortage. On April 20, 2024, the only rural hospital in Ontonagon County, Michigan closed and left the community without access to afterhours care and services. The nearest hospital emergency room is 60 miles one-way. Ontonagon County, is a frontier county with a population of 5,863 with a median age of 59.2 years, additionally, the County has one BLS Ambulance service with 2 rigs. UGL, with a service delivery site in Ontonagon, MI (in Ontonagon County), is the only primary care provider in the area and the only provider of urgent, acute and planned services. UGL, as such, is requesting Fiscal Year 2024/25 Expanded Hours funding to augment existing programs in Ontonagon, expand hours of operation, add services, and build partnerships in cooperation with Ontonagon County Emergency Management, County Sheriff, Board of Commissioners, Western UP District Health Department and Harbor Town Pharmacy, to increase access to comprehensive primary care, urgent care, and to support Emergency Medical Services with primary care, urgent/emergent care, screenings, and appropriate follow-up care. Early identification supports timely treatment and intervention and, thereby, prevents additional delays and contributes to positive health outcomes. UGL, with Fiscal Year 2025 Expanded Hours funding, will recruit and hire a 1.0 FTE Physician Assistant ,x-ray techs and a 1.0 FTE Nurse Practioner and extend hours at UGL Ontonagon Family Health Center, until 8:00 PM Monday through Friday. UGL will investigate the possibility of adding additional weekend hours if need and demand warrant. The proposed staff will work in cooperation with the partner organizations to support all children and families in the community. Services will be augmented, supported, and facilitated by comprehensive case management services and enabling services. UGL will request one-time funding to support the purchase of x-ray and EGK equipment.
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).