Thursday, December 12, 2024
12/12/2024
“You treat the disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, no matter what the outcome,” a quote from the movie Patch Adams that perfectly summarizes Konza Prairie Community Health Center’s (Konza) approach to whole person care- mind, body, and soul. Konza is a 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 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 physicians and dentists willing to accept uninsured or Medicaid patients, and virtually no available access to behavioral health service for uninsured populations. A growing number of Konza patients are uninsured and 68% report incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. The community served has unique behavioral health needs. Geary County has the highest suicide rate in the state, more than double the national average and a trend that is worsening. Nearly 20% of residents report poor mental health in the last 14 days. Due to staffing and resource limitations, behavioral health services at Konza have had limited capacity to meet the community’s need. Behavioral health visits have remained consistent, serving approximately 700 patients annually, but the need for and provision of substance use disorder treatment services has grown nearly 20% since 2022. In addition, enabling services incr eased in reach more than 250% in 2024 demonstrating an overwhelming need of the community for resources that go beyond the exam or therapy room. There is so much more work to be done if we are to complete our mission to provide care for all. Konza is the only behavioral health provider accepting uninsured or underinsured patients in the region and wait lists continue to grow, with patients pushed more than 60 days for an initial appointment. The only way to meet the need of our community is to add additional behavioral health and substance use disorder providers to services and expand availability of appointments including same day, and integrated visits. The proposed project will increase the number of patients receiving mental health services and substance use disorder services by adding additional providers, support staff, space and expanding available enabling services that support access, affordability, and patient experience. Services provided because of this project will fill gaps in currently available health services and dramatically improve the integration of behavioral health into ongoing primary care allowing Konza to not simply provide services for disease, but to treat the person each and every time.
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).
