FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Project Title: Lamoille Health Partners, Inc – Fiscal Year 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion Applicant Organization: Lamoille Health Partners, Inc. -Address: 609 Washington Hwy, Morrisville, VT 05661 -Project Director: Stuart G. May, President/CEO -Phone: 802-888-0901 | Email: smay@lamoillehealthpartners.org -Federal Request: Fiscal Year 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion (BHSE), $600,000 in year 1, and $500,000 in year 2 -Funding Preference: MUA/MUP and HPSA - Medical, Dental, and Behavioral Health -Grant #: H80CS10611 Lamoille Health Partners, Inc. (LHP) is a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC). LHP was incorporated as a 501c(3) nonprofit organization in 1998 and was part of Copley Health Systems; a network that included a critical access hospital. Subsequently, LHP became an independent nonprofit organization in 2005. In March of 2006 LHP became a FQHC-look-alike and eventually received grant status as an FQHC in August of 2008. LHP became a FQHC to serve the rural population based on the needs of the residents of Lamoille County. Since inception, LHP has not wavered from its’ mission or hesitated when faced with the challenge of meeting the health care needs of service area residents. LHP serves Lamoille County, Vermont. Services are primarily located in Morrisville with a family practice site in Stowe. Service locations include the Lamoille Health Family Medicine - Morrisville, Lamoille Health Family Dentistry, Lamoille Health Behavioral Health and Wellness, Lamoille Health Family Medicine – Stowe, and Johnson Elementary School. LHP is also in the process of adding a new service site – Lamoille Health Family Medicine – Cambridge. LHP provides medical, dental, behavioral health and substance use services, 340B pharmacy services, and a cadre of enabling services to the residents of Lamoille County; the LHP target population. Lamoille County, located in mountainous northern Vermont, has a population of 26,090 and is one of the fastest growing counties in Vermont. The rural county has a total area of 462.25 square miles and is the second smallest county in Vermont in area. Availability and accessibility to mental health and substance use disorder services is limited throughout the service area, especially affordable care for those with limited financial resources. Often, there is a stigma attached to mental and behavioral health care as well as a lack of awareness and understanding of these disorders. Due to lack of local mental and behavioral health professionals, patients experience difficulty getting a timely appointment, and services are costly, hindering patients from obtaining essential services. If services are available, most times patients are unaware of the mental and behavioral health benefits their health insurance plans offer. LHP proposes activities to achieve the BHSE objectives. With the proposed MH/SUD Care Team in place, LHP commits to these measures being attainable by December 31, 2025. Based on historical MH/SUD insights, a realistic approach was utilized to formulate achievable following calendar year 2025 estimates. LHP estimates that with the BHSE proposed providers (4.0 Psychotherapists (2 MH and 2 SUD) and 1.0 Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MH/SUD split) (5.0 FTE total), LHPI will be able to serve 333 additional patients/users (167 mental health and 166 substance use disorder patients/users annually), resulting in 4,000 MH/SUD encounters annually. Serving 66 MOUND patients/users annually. As a result of the BHSE funding, 133 new annual patients/users will be new to the health center.
