Asher Community Health Center

HEALTH CENTER CLUSTER

HEALTH CENTER CLUSTER

AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING FOR HEALTH CENTERS

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

HEALTH CENTER INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT

ARRA - CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

FISCAL YEAR 2025 EXPANDED HOURS. - THE EXPANDED HOURS (HRSA-25-084) FUNDING WILL ALLOW ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER (ACHC) TO EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTH CENTER SERVICES BY INCREASING HEALTH CENTER OPERATING HOURS TO MEET IDENTIFIED PATIENT AND COMMUNITY NEEDS. ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER IS LOCATED IN ONE OF THE POOREST COUNTIES AND LEAST POPULATED COUNTIES IN OREGON WITH 44.3% OF INDIVIDUALS DESIGNATED AS LOW-INCOME (2016-2020 AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY ESTIMATES). THERE IS LITTLE INTEGRATED CARE IN THE SERVICE AREA. THERE IS NO HOSPITAL AND NO PHARMACY, AND NO SPECIALTY PROVIDERS IN THE 1,718 SQUARE MILE SERVICE AREA. ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS IS THE SOLE PROVIDER OF PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE, DENTAL SERVICES AND PHARMACY SERVICES IN THE SERVICE AREA/COUNTY. HISTORICALLY, ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS’ HAS HAD THREE SERVICES SITES IN WHEELER COUNTY. ONE IN THE TOWN OF FOSSIL, ONE IN THE TOWN OF SPRAY AND ONE IN THE TOWN OF MITCHELL. ONLY FOSSIL, WHICH IS CONSIDERED OUR MAIN CLINIC SITE, IS OPEN FIVE DAYS A WEEK MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FOR A TOTAL OF 44 SERVICE HOURS PER WEEK. THE SPRAY CLINIC SITE AND THE MITCHELL CLINIC SITE ARE OPEN TWO DAYS EACH OR 16 SERVICE HOURS PER WEEK DEPENDING ON PROVIDER AVAILABILITY. THIS GRANT WOULD ALLOW ASHER CHC TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SERVICES HOURS TO THE SPRAY AND MITCHELL CLINICS TO SUPPORT VULNERABLE AND UNDERSERVED PERSONS LIVING IN THESE COMMUNITIES BY PROVIDING ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE PRIMARY CARE SERVICES. THE GOALS OF OUR PROJECT ARE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SERVICE HOURS AT THE SPRAY CLINIC SITE FROM 16 SERVICE HOURS A WEEK TO 40 SERVICE HOURS A WEEK; AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SERVICE HOURS AT THE MITCHELL CLINIC SITE FROM 16 SERVICE HOURS PER WEEK TO 24 SERVICE HOURS PER WEEKS. THIS PROPOSED PROJECT INCLUDES PRIMARILY HIRING THE NECESSARY STAFF TO ENSURE THAT ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER PROVIDES THE MEDICAL AND DENTAL SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITIES OF SPRAY AND MITCHELL. THESE ACTIVITIES CONSIST OF 1) ONE FULL-TIME PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER, 2) 1.5 FTE MEDICAL ASSISTANTS, AND 3) 1.5 FTE FRONT DESK SUPPORT STAFF.

HEALTH CARE AND OTHER FACILITIES

FY 2023 EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

FY 2024 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE EXPANSION - PROJECT TITLE: ASHER CHC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAM ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER (ACHC) SERVES ONE OF THE POOREST COUNTIES, WHEELER COUNTY, AS WELL AS ONE OF THE MOST RURAL/FRONTIER REGIONS IN OREGON WITH 20.2% OF INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN POVERTY (LESS THAN 100% FPL). HEALTHCARE SERVICES ARE QUITE LIMITED IN THE AREA WITH LITTLE INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL CARE, NO HOSPITAL, AND NO SPECIALTY MEDICAL PROVIDERS IN THE 1,718 SQUARE MILE SERVICE AREA. THE RATIO OF RESIDENTS TO MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS AVERAGES 1.15 PER 1,000 IN OREGON, BUT IN THE SERVICE IS 0.00 (OREGON OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH 2023). ADDITIONALLY, THE RATIO OF ALL BORDERING SERVICE AREAS RANGES FROM 0.00 ONLY TO 0.42. TOO OFTEN, RESIDENTS NEED TO TRAVEL FOR HOURS TO REACH MENTAL HEALTH CARE. ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS IS THE SOLE PROVIDER OF PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE, DENTAL SERVICES, AND PHARMACY SERVICES IN THE SERVICE AREA/COUNTY. ABOUT 25% OF ACHC’S MEDICAL PATIENTS HAVE AN IDENTIFIED MENTAL HEALTH AND/OR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER DIAGNOSIS. HOWEVER, BECAUSE MOST OF THESE INDIVIDUALS DO NOT MEET THE CRITERIA OF SEVERE AND PERSISTENT MENTAL ILLNESS AND/OR CHRONIC SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, THEY ARE LARGELY INELIGIBLE TO ACCESS THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE LOCAL CERTIFIED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDER. BECAUSE OF THIS SITUATION, ASHER CHC PATIENTS ARE LEFT WITHOUT THE NECESSARY SERVICES TO MINIMIZE THEIR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISORDER FROM BECOMING SEVERE AND PERSISTENT. THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT WILL BE FOR ASHER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS TO ESTABLISH A FULL-TIME BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY PREVENTIVE AND THERAPEUTIC SERVICES TO HELP ADDRESS THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS OF ITS PATIENTS AND SERVICE AREA. THIS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM WILL CONSIST OF A FULL-TIME BEHAVIORAL HEALTH THERAPIST/PROVIDER. THE BH PROVIDER (BHP) WILL CONDUCT BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENTS THAT WILL ASSESS FOR BOTH MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. IN ADDITION, THE BHP WILL DEVELOP TREATMENT P LANS, AND PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FOR INDIVIDUALS, FAMILY, OR GROUP COUNSELING AS CLINICALLY NECESSARY. THE BEHAVIORAL PROVIDER, ALONG WITH CLINIC STAFF WILL HELP DEVELOP BEHAVIORAL PREVENTION STRATEGIES TO HELP EDUCATE PATIENTS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. THE PROGRAM WILL CONSIST OF PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATION SERVICES WITH A CONTRACTED PSYCHIATRIC PROVIDER, MOST LIKELY PROVIDED REMOTELY THROUGH TELEHEALTH. THESE PATIENT-FACING SERVICES WILL CONSIST OF PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION AND PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATION MANAGEMENT. IN ADDITION, PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATION WILL INCLUDE ASYNCHRONOUS AND REAL-TIME CONSULTATIONS WITH OUR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS. OUR PROGRAM WILL ALSO CONSIST OF BEHAVIORAL CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES PROVIDED BY MEDICAL ASSISTANTS AND/OR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER. THE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES WILL HELP ADDRESS OBSTACLES IN AREAS OF DAILY LIVING THAT MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES WILL ALSO HELP FACILITATE ACCESS TO HIGHER LEVELS OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES IF NECESSARY. ASHER CHC ‘S PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS WILL RECEIVE TRAINING TO PROVIDE MEDICATIONS FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER (MOUD) THROUGH MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT AND MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING. ALL SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH THIS FUNDING WILL BE FOR ANY AGE AND TARGET ACHC PATIENTS (CURRENTLY NUMBERING 1052) AND TARGET POPULATION WHICH IS PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME (27% OF EXISTING PATIENTS AND 50% OF SERVICE AREA RESIDENTS (200% FPL)). THE REQUESTED FUNDING OF $500,000 IN YEAR ONE AND $500,000 IN YEAR TWO WILL DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS RECEIVING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, SUD TREATMENT, AND MOUD TREATMENT.

ARRA - INCREASE SERVICES TO HEALTH CENTERS

FY 2020 EXPANDING CAPACITY FOR CORONAVIRUS TESTING (ECT)

FY 2023 EXPANDING COVID-19 VACCINATION

FY 2020 CORONAVIRUS SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FOR HEALTH CENTERS

FY 2023 BRIDGE ACCESS PROGRAM

HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PROGRAM