Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
Mathiesen Memorial Health Clinic?s (MMHC) is structured as a Tribal Health Organization per PL93- 638, via the Indian Self Determination Act. MMHC is a non-profit, tribally owned medical and behavioral health clinic. MMHC?s service area is the city of Jamestown, located in western Tuolumne County, California and the surrounding area. Jamestown is a rural and somewhat remote area with minimal services located in the Sierra Nevada mountain foothills. The target population is the Chicken Ranch Rancheria tribal membership of 32 members, 840 unaffiliated Native American Indians who reside in Tuolumne County, and the low-income population that reside in and around Jamestown.Because of our location, Jamestown and surrounding smaller communities rely on Mathiesen for their health information and care. Together, MMHC?s CEO, who has a long history working with tribal communities, our Medical Director, a previous ER doctor who has a close relationship with the County of Tuolumne?s Public Health Department, and our contracted registered nurse consultant, who has over 25 years community health experience, have articulated a comprehensive response to the COVID 19 crises and ask CDC to support our efforts. MMHC is requesting $995,081 in funding for the activities summarized below: Emergency Operations: We have begun our surge planning for the MMHC area. Tuolumne County had been spared the first few months of the COVID 19 crises, but we fear as the country opens, our community will need us more than ever. With our comprehensive plan in place, as summarized below, we can provide the needed support and testing and prepare for community-wide immunizations in consultation with the Public Health Department of Tuolumne County. Health Information Technology: As of March 2020, MMHC activated alternative visits such as telehealth/telephonic visits. We had a surge in electronic communications needs. We unfortunately experienced drops and breakdowns in our EHR connection, which is linked to an outside source. Having the ability to host the EHR on our own servers on-site, we would have greater control on the prevention of lost connectivity. Thus, our plan is to renovate a closet into a server room to host our own servers in order to build our COVID 19 telehealth activities. Surveillance and Epidemiology: MMHC will procure COVID testing equipment and supplies, staff PPE, along with appropriate COVID 19 ?tent? set-up to conduct assessments and testing pre-entry into our clinical site. We will utilize our ?tent? set-up to provide the COVID 19 immunizations when they become available. Lab Capacity: MMHC will train all staff on COVID 19 PPE, safety, testing processes, documentation processes and have onboarding training as well as ongoing staff trainings. Communications: MMHC will develop a COVID 19 communication plan. Currently, our Medical Director puts out the ?COVID Crush? newsletter to the staff. The communication plan will include the ?Crush? to our tribal members and community at large. Communication on testing and MMHC COVID 19 response will be part of Public Broadcasting for the area. Countermeasures: MMHC will improve the safety of our facilities and workplace for patients and staff through the COVID 19 crises and years after by retrofitting hand-free operations where feasible such as doors, toilets, sinks, etc. We will update our infection control and personnel leave policies & procedures. Recovery: MMHC will conduct action reviews throughout the next several years ? updating our emergency preparedness plan that includes preparing and responding to a pandemic with lessons learned. MMHC will continue to work with the Public Health Department in Tuolumne County. Other: MMHC will implement wellness phone check-ins with patients and staff who have been placed in COVID 19 quarantine and/or discharged from the hospital.We estimate that about 110,000 be informed/served a
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).
