Hope Within Ministries Inc

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - 4748 E. HARRISBURG PIKE, ELIZABETHTOWN, PA 17022-9004 ANNE MARIE MCALESTER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ?(717) 367-9797???? VOICE; (717) 269-7136? ANNEMARIE.MCALESTER@HOPEWITHIN.ORG WWW.HOPEWITHIN.ORG $23,000 REQUESTED HOPE WITHIN COMMUNITY HEALTH, COUNSELING, AND DENTAL CENTER IS A COMMUNITY CLINIC LOCATED IN DAUPHIN COUNTY. IN 2006, WE ESTABLISHED A FREE PRIMARY CARE MEDICAL CLINIC FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNINSURED YET HAVE NO ABILITY TO ACCESS INSURANCE EITHER THROUGH MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, THE MARKETPLACE, OR INDIVIDUALLY DUE TO COST. WE SUBSEQUENTLY ADDED A MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC, AND IN JULY 2020, OPENED A DENTAL CLINIC. IN THE BEST OF TIMES, OUR PATIENT POPULATION MAY WORK 2 OR 3 PART-TIME JOBS—THEY ARE THE WORKING POOR (E.G. COOKS, SERVERS, HAIRDRESSERS, CLERKS, SINGLE MOMS). IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, HOWEVER, MOST OF OUR PATIENTS HAVE LOST THE MAJORITY OF THEIR INCOME. THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED JOB LAYOFFS, PLACING THEM FURTHER AT RISK FOR LACK OF ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE AND AN INCREASE IN STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION. IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS, HOPE WITHIN HAS BEEN INUNDATED WITH REFUGEES FROM AFGHANISTAN UKRAINE, FURTHER STRAINING OUR RESOURCES. OUR PATIENTS FALL BETWEEN THE CRACKS; THEY DON’T QUALIFY FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE EITHER BECAUSE THEY MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY OR HAVE NOT RESIDED WITHIN THE US FOR THE REQUIRED 5 YEARS. WE SERVE PATIENTS FROM LANCASTER, DAUPHIN AND LEBANON COUNTIES WHO FALL AT OR BELOW 250% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE. WE PROVIDE MOST MEDICATIONS FOR OUR PATIENTS, INCLUDING INSULIN FOR DIABETICS, TEST STRIPS, AND EXPENSIVE ASTHMA INHALERS. OUR 20 VOLUNTEER MEDICAL PROVIDERS TYPICALLY WORK FULL TIME IN A LOCAL HOSPITAL SYSTEM YET VOLUNTEER APPROXIMATELY 5-6 HOURS EACH MONTH TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR PATIENTS. IN ADDITION TO OUR CORE OF VOLUNTEER MEDICAL PROVIDERS (WHICH HAS RECENTLY EXPANDED TO INCLUDE A PSYCHIATRIST, A BOARD-CERTIFIED OB-GYN, AND A DERMATOLOGIST) WE HAVE AN ARMY OF NURSE AND RECEPTIONIST VOLUNTEERS. WE HAVE A VERY MINIM AL PAID STAFF. OUR DENTAL PROGRAM OPENED IN JULY 2020, RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC. WE HAVE ONE DENTIST WHO IS PAID FOR 5 HOURS PER WEEK (YET DOES MUCH MORE), TWO REGISTERED PUBLIC HEALTH HYGIENISTS, AND SUPERVISED HYGIENE STUDENTS FROM HACC WHO SERVE OUR PATIENTS. THE DENTAL PROGRAM IS DONATION-BASED; SOME PAY $1.00, OTHERS PAY NOTHING. IN ADDITION, WE OFFER LOW COST, SLIDING SCALE COUNSELING USING GRADUATE STUDENTS OVERSEEN BY LICENSED THERAPISTS CONTRACTED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE PROGRAMS. OUR REQUEST OF $23,000 INCLUDES TWELVE MONTHS OF TELEHEALTH PROGRAMS AND ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS (OPEN DENTAL-DENTAL SOFTWARE, THERAPY NOTES-COUNSELING SOFTWARE, TECH COMPANY IT SUPPORT, EPIC-ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS, RED SAIL-PHARMACY SOFTWARE, AND TELEHEALTH PROGRAMS), COMPUTER EQUIPMENT, DENTAL EQUIPMENT, AND DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT. IN OUR 2021 FISCAL YEAR, WE HAD MORE THAN 2,000 VISITS TO ALL THREE OF OUR CLINICS; BASED ON THE RATE OF INCREASE WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS YEAR, WE PROJECT A TOTAL OF 3,000 VISITS IN 2022. WE HAVE MORE THAN 50 VOLUNTEERS WHO CONTRIBUTED 2,800 HOURS IN 2021, VALUED CONSERVATIVELY AT $67,000. WE PROJECT A TOTAL OF 3,500 VOLUNTEER HOURS IN 2022, VALUED CONSERVATIVELY AT $84,000. FINALLY, FUNDING OF FREE CLINICS KEEPS PATIENTS FROM VISITING HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS FOR ROUTINE MEDICAL PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION, ENCOURAGING AND PROVIDING PREVENTATIVE CARE CATCHES SMALL THINGS BEFORE THEY BECOME MORE COMPLICATED AND MORE COSTLY. WE CAN RELAY MANY STORIES OF CANCERS CAUGHT EARLY, DIABETICS NOT LOSING THEIR EYESIGHT, AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURES AND HYPERTENSIONS THAT PEOPLE TEND TO OVERLOOK WHEN THEY’RE UNINSURED.