Healthport

LOWER SHORE CLINIC, INC. PROPOSES TO EXPAND ITS SERVICE PROVISION AS AS CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER - ABSTRACT: AS A CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINIC, THE LOWER SHORE CLINIC (LSC) WILL EXPAND ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, PRIMARY CARE, AND CRISIS SERVICES TO THE CRITICALLY UNDERSERVED AND UNDERINSURED INDIVIDUALS OF THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND. LSC WILL SERVE INDIVIDUALS, ACROSS THE LIFESPAN, ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND IN THE CATCHMENT AREAS OF DORCHESTER, SOMERSET, WICOMICO, AND WORCESTER COUNTIES. ACCORDING TO THE 2020 US CENSUS DATA (CENSUS.GOV), THIS CATCHMENT AREA IS COMPRISED OF 214,185 INDIVIDUALS, WITH AN AVERAGE RATE OF PERSONS LIVING IN POVERTY OF 15.75%, AND 10.77% OF ADULTS UNDER 65 YEARS LIVING WITH A DISABILITY, AND 7.62% UNINSURED. THE AVERAGE RACIAL MAKEUP OF THE COUNTIES IS 63.9% WHITE ALONE, 4.82% HISPANIC, 27.7% BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN, 2.45% TWO OR MORE RACES, 1.67% ASIAN, AND <1% NATIVE AMERICAN, ALASKAN NATIVE, OR NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER. ACCORDING TO COUNTY HEALTH RANKINGS AND ROADMAPS, OUT OF 24 COUNTIES IN MARYLAND FOR HEALTH OUTCOMES, WICOMICO RANKS 19TH, SOMERSET 22ND, AND DORCHESTER 23RD. FOR HEALTH FACTORS, WHICH ARE COMPRISED OF THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (SDOH), WICOMICO RANKS 20TH, SOMERSET 24TH, AND DORCHESTER 22ND. THE HEALTH SERVICES COST REVIEW COMMISSION HAS IDENTIFIED ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE AS MARYLAND’S TOP PRIORITY. LOWER SHORE CLINIC CCHBC SEEKS TO ADDRESS MARYLAND’S TOP PRIORITY BY EXTENDING THE AGENCY’S CURRENT WHOLLY INTEGRATED MODEL OF CARE. LSC WILL INCREASE ACCESS AND DELIVERY OF EVIDENCE PRACTICES BY ADDING AN ADDITIONAL ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT TEAM, AND EXPANDING THE CAPACITY OF OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT, AND PRIMARY CARE SERVICES. LSC WILL BROADEN ACCESS TO SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS AND ENHANCE CURRENT SERVICES TO VETERANS. LSC WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS RECEIVING POPULATION HEALTH MANAGEMENT, AND CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS, AND WILL FORMALIZE TARGETED CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES. LSC WILL REDUCE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND ADDRESS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH FOR ALL POPULATIONS IN THE CATCHMENT AREA FOR INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE LIFESPAN. LOWER SHORE CLINIC HAS ALWAYS AND PLANS TO CONTINUE TO TARGET PERSONS WITH SERIOUS AND PERSISTENT MENTAL ILLNESS AS THEY ARE AT RISK FOR ADVERSE HEALTH OUTCOMES. LSC CURRENTLY SERVES APPROXIMATELY 2200 INDIVIDUALS AT ANY GIVEN TIME, INCLUDING 687 PERSONS WITH A SEVERE AND PERSISTENT MENTAL ILLNESS (SPMI) AND/OR CO-OCCURRING ADDICTION ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND. OF THOSE PERSONS WITH SPMI AND CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS, THE POPULATION INCLUDES 85% RESIDING IN THE LOWER SHORE AREA AND 15% IN THE MID-SHORE REGIONS. THE DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN OF CURRENT CLIENTS SERVED IS AS FOLLOWS; 52% WHITE, 45% BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN, 2% MULTIRACIAL, 1% ASIAN, 2% OTHER RACES, PRIMARILY NON-HISPANIC (90%). OF THOSE MEMBERS SERVED, 49% ARE DIAGNOSED WITH A THOUGHT DISORDER, 25% WITH A BIPOLAR DISORDER, 24% WITH A DEPRESSIVE DISORDER, AND 2% WITH OTHER SERIOUS AND PERSISTENT MENTAL ILLNESSES. THE CLIENTS SERVED BY THESE PROGRAMS ARE COMPREHENSIVELY TREATED FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS (19%), DIABETES (17%), AND HYPERTENSION (22%). THESE PROGRAMS ARE PRIMARILY FUNDED THROUGH MEDICAID INSURANCES (60%), MEDICARE/MEDICAID DUALLY ELIGIBLE (36%), A SMALL NUMBER OF UNINSURED, AS WELL AS MEDICARE ONLY AND MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN COVERAGE. 91% OF OUR CLIENTS RECEIVE SSI OR SSDI AND LIVE IN POVERTY. LSC SERVED 2582 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS DURING THE CALENDAR YEAR 2021. DURING YEAR ONE OF THE PROJECT PERIOD, LOWER SHORE CLINIC WILL SERVE AN ADDITIONAL 250 INDIVIDUALS (2830 UNDUPLICATED); YEAR TWO 350 (2930 UNDUPLICATED); YEAR THREE 450 (3030 UNDUPLICATED); AND YEAR FOUR 550 (3130 UNDUPLICATED), TOTALING 1,600 ADDITIONAL PERSONS SERVED BY LSC CCBHC WHOLLY INTEGRATED MODEL OF CARE.