Caring Health Center Inc

HEALTH CENTER CLUSTER

HEALTH CENTER CLUSTER

AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING FOR HEALTH CENTERS

OPTIMIZING VIRTUAL CARE

A PROGRAM PROVIDING MAT, OUD ASSESSMENT, ASSESSMENT OF CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS, AND RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FUND - JUSTICE INVOLVED - CARING HEALTH CENTER, INC. (CHC) PROPOSES CREATING EXPEDITED HEALTHCARE ACCESS POINTS FOR POST-RELEASE JUSTICE-INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS, OFFERING INTEGRATED MEDICAL, BEHAVIORAL (INCLUDING MAT/MOUD), AND SOCIAL CARE WITH A FOCUS ON SERVING LOW-INCOME, BLACK, INDIGENOUS, PEOPLE OF COLOR (BIPOC), HISPANIC, LGBTQIA+, AND IMMIGRANT/REFUGEE INDIVIDUALS. THE HAMPDEN COUNTY SHERIFF’S 2022 DATA HIGHLIGHTS THE URGENT NEED FOR THIS INITIATIVE: 27% OF INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS HAVE SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESSES, AND 65% HAVE SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. BLACK AND LATINO/A INDIVIDUALS ARE INCARCERATED AT MORE THAN TWICE THE RATE OF THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS, INDICATING SIGNIFICANT RACIAL DISPARITIES (HAMPDEN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, APRIL 2022). ADDITIONALLY, 21% OF THE INCARCERATED POPULATION IS 55 OR OLDER, OFTEN SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC CONDITIONS LIKE HYPERTENSION, DIABETES, AND ARTHRITIS (PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, 2022). LGBTQ+ INDIVIDUALS ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY OVERREPRESENTED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, BEING INCARCERATED AT THREE TIMES THE RATE OF THE GENERAL POPULATION, WITH 124,000 ADULTS IDENTIFYING AS LESBIAN, GAY, OR BISEXUAL, AND OVER 6,000 IDENTIFYING AS TRANSGENDER (THE SENTENCING PROJECT, 2022). THE PROJECT’S OBJECTIVES ARE TO: (1) DRIVE SYSTEM CHANGE BY INTEGRATING CHC INTO THE POST-RELEASE CARE NETWORK, CREATING REFERRAL PATHWAYS TO ENSURE SEAMLESS, EXPEDITED ACCESS TO SERVICES UPON RELEASE; (2) DELIVER CARE COORDINATION THROUGH CHC'S PEER JUSTICE-INVOLVED (JI) CHWS STARTING 90 DAYS BEFORE RELEASE, ENSURING A SEAMLESS TRANSITION THAT PRIORITIZES INDIVIDUAL HEALTH NEEDS AND PREFERENCES; (3) PROVIDE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE, PATIENT-CENTERED HEALTH SERVICES ADDRESSING CHRONIC CONDITIONS, INFECTIOUS DISEASES, OVERDOSE RISK, MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, AND PRIMARY CARE THROUGH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL CARE SERVICES; AND (4) CONDUCT A LOCAL EVALUATION USING FQHC BEST PRACTICES TO IMPROVE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND ASSESS IMPACTS ON HEALTH DISPARITIES, ACCESS, ENGAGEMENT, RETENTION, SUBSTANCE USE, MENTAL HEALTH, HOUSING, AND FOOD SECURITY. BUILDING ON THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF CHC’S 2018-2021 SAMHSA-FUNDED "SAFE HAVEN" PROJECT, WHICH FOCUSED ON THE INTEGRATION OF MAT/OBAT SERVICES, SEVERAL KEY ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: WORK WITH THE HAMPDEN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS, STREAMLINE CARE PROCESSES, AND REFINE REFERRAL WORKFLOWS, HIRING A TJI PROJECT MANAGER TO OVERSEE THESE TASKS; HIRE TWO JUSTICE-INVOLVED (JI) PEER COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS (CHW) AND ONE PEER RECOVERY COACH TO PROVIDE SERVICES EXCLUSIVELY TO JUSTICE-INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS SCHEDULED TO RELEASE WITHIN 90 DAYS THROUGH THE HCSO, ENSURING COORDINATED, COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE FOR PRE-TRIAL AND SENTENCED INDIVIDUALS; DEVELOP TEAM-BASED PERSONALIZED REENTRY PLANS WITH INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS, FOCUSING ON THEIR INDIVIDUALIZED HEALTH AND SOCIAL NEEDS; PROVIDE AN EXPEDITED MEDICAL INTAKE PROCESS FOR JUSTICE-INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY, REQUIRING CLEAR COORDINATION WITH CHC’S FRONT OPERATIONS/SCHEDULING TEAM AND REVISING EXISTING WORKFLOWS FOR FASTER ACCESS; AND INCLUDE INTEGRATED PRIMARY CARE ENROLLMENT, CONTINUATION OF MAT AND BH SERVICES, AND SOCIAL RISK ASSESSMENT WITH REFERRALS TO PEER (JI) CHWS IN THE INTAKE PROCESS. THE PROJECT AIMS TO ENROLL APPROXIMATELY 250 NEW CLIENTS/PATIENTS INTO CHC PRIMARY CARE AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES OVER THE TWO-YEAR PERFORMANCE PERIOD.

HEALTH CENTER CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT FUNDING

HEALTH CENTER INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT

ARRA - CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

FISCAL YEAR 2025 EXPANDED HOURS. - CARING HEALTH CENTER, INC. (CHC) URGENTLY SEEKS TO FURTHER EXPAND OPERATING HOURS TO MEET THE HIGH DEMAND FOR UNMET CARE NEEDS IN SPRINGFIELD, MA. THIS EXPANSION FOCUSES ON SERVING THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION AND CHC’S TARGET PEDIATRIC AND ADULT MINORITIZED AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING LOW-INCOME, BLACK, INDIGENOUS, PEOPLE OF COLOR (BIPOC), HISPANIC, LGBTQIA+, AND IMMIGRANT/REFUGEE POPULATIONS. BY EMBEDDING PRACTICE TRANSFORMATION PRINCIPLES, CHC AIMS TO ENHANCE PATIENT CARE DELIVERY AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY. IN 2023, 702 PEDIATRIC PATIENTS AT CARING HEALTH CENTER (CHC) WERE DIAGNOSED WITH MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. IN RESPONSE, CHC HIRED ITS FIRST PEDIATRIC BH PROVIDER IN MAY 2024, AND SINCE THEN, THEY HAVE BEEN MANAGING A CASELOAD OF 36 CLIENTS. HOWEVER, WITH A 14% NO-SHOW RATE, MANY PATIENTS STILL LACK ACCESS TO NECESSARY CARE. ADDITIONALLY, ONLY 24% OF CHILDREN AND 37% OF ADOLESCENTS ARE UP-TO-DATE ON IMMUNIZATIONS, FAR BELOW THE MEDICAID ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATION (ACO) TARGET OF 54%. CHC URGENTLY NEEDS TO FURTHER EXPAND EXISTING AFTER HOUR PROVIDER HOURS AND SCALE THESE MODELS ACROSS THE AGENCY TO ADDRESS STAFFING CHALLENGES AND MEET GROWING DEMAND EFFECTIVELY. THE PROJECT’S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ARE TO: (1) EXPAND ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (BH) PEDIATRIC CARE; (1.1) INCREASE BH PEDIATRIC CARE OPERATING HOURS BY 10 HOURS PER WEEK, INCLUDING ONSITE OR ONSITE EVENING HOURS FROM 5-7PM, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, TO ACCOMMODATE AFTER-SCHOOL AND WORK SCHEDULES; (1.2) SCALE AND SPREAD THE AFTER-HOURS BH CARE MODEL TO ADULT BH SERVICES BASED ON QUALITY IMPROVEMENT (QI) PLAN-DO-STUDY-ACT (PDSA) CYCLES; (2) INCREASE PEDIATRIC IMMUNIZATION RATES; (2.1) INCREASE PEDIATRIC IMMUNIZATION RATES TO MEET ACO GOALS OF 54.4% FOR CHILDREN (CURRENTLY 24%) AND 53.3% FOR ADOLESCENTS (CURRENTLY 37%) BY INCREASING ACCESS TO AFTER-HOURS CARE; (3) TEST PRACTICE TRANSFORMATION STRATEGIES AT THE NEW MEDICAL CAMPUS AT SUMNER AVE.; AND (3.1) USE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT (QI) PLAN-DO-STUDY-ACT (PDSA) CYCLES TO TEST PRACTICE TRANSFORMATION STRATEGIES THAT FACILITATE EXPANDED HOURS OF OPERATION RESPONSIVE TO POPULATION HEALTH NEEDS INCLUDING IMPLEMENTING A ROTATING EXPANDED HOURS TEAM (WITH ADVANCED PRACTICE PROVIDERS AND NURSES), TO PILOT A RANGE OF EXPANSION STRATEGIES INCLUDING SAME-DAY SERVICES. THE PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE APPROXIMATELY 25 UNIQUE PEDIATRIC BH CLIENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR; APPROXIMATELY 100 CHILDREN AND 100 ADOLESCENT IMMUNIZATION CLIENTS ANNUALLY; AND, IMPLEMENT AT LEAST THREE DISTINCT QI PDSA PROGRAM-TESTED ADDITIONAL EXPANDED HOUR SERVICES AS DESCRIBED HEREIN.

HEALTH CENTER EQUIP

FY 2020 EXPANDING CAPACITY FOR CORONAVIRUS TESTING (ECT)

HEALTH CARE AND OTHER FACILITIES

CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT

FY 2023 EXPANDING COVID-19 VACCINATION

HEALTH CARE AND OTHER FACILITIES

ARRA - INCREASE SERVICES TO HEALTH CENTERS

FY 2020 CORONAVIRUS SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FOR HEALTH CENTERS

FY 2023 BRIDGE ACCESS PROGRAM