Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - PROJECT ABSTRACT APPLICANT: SIERRA NEVADA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION P.O. BOX 1810 GRASS VALLEY, CA 95945 SIERRA NEVADA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL 155 GLASSON WAY GRASS VALLEY, CA 95945 PROJECT DIRECTOR: IDA ARNE, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IDA.ARNE@DIGNITYHEALTH.ORG 530-274-6000 WWW.SUPPORTSIERRANEVADA.ORG WWW.SNMH.ORG FUNDS AWARDED: $750,000 PROGRAM TITLE: RURAL PRIMARY CARE CLINIC AND HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE EXPANSION INITIATIVE IN RESPONSE TO THE TREMENDOUS NEED FOR ACCESS TO PRIMARY AND URGENT CARE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES, SIERRA NEVADA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (SNMH) IS CONSTRUCTING AND EQUIPPING A NEW RURAL PRIMARY CARE CLINIC. THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS CLINIC, SNMH IS TAKING A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO ENSURING ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE HEALTH CARE AND TO ENSURING THE CONTINUITY OF CARE FOR THIS AGING AND UNDERSERVED POPULATION. THE CLINIC WILL BE LOCATED IN WHAT IS LOCALLY REFERRED TO AS HIGGINS CORNER, LOCATED 12.5 MILES SOUTH OF GRASS VALLEY. THIS IS AN UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITY IN NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, AND IS LOCATED ON THE BORDER OF THE GRASS VALLEY ZIP CODE OF 95949 AND THE AUBURN ZIP CODE OF 95602 ZIP CODES. THIS CLINIC WILL DRAW HEAVILY FROM THOSE ZIP CODES THAT SUPPORT A POPULATION OF 37,000. THE CLINIC WILL BE 3,200 SQUARE FEET AND PROVIDE SPACE FOR FOUR PHYSICIANS TOTAL WITH THREE PRACTICING IN HOUSE EACH BUSINESS DAY. FOUR TO FIVE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT STAFF JOBS WILL BE CREATED TO SUPPORT THE CLINIC OPERATIONS. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ONE PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN IN RURAL COMMUNITIES CARRIES A PATIENT LOAD OF 2,500. THIS CLINIC WILL ADD THE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE A MEDICAL HOME TO 10,000 RESIDENTS. TODAY'S RURAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS EXTREMELY FRAGILE, AND OPERATING MARGINS ARE THIN, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS REGION IS HOME TO HIGH UTILIZERS OF HEALTHCARE, PRIMARILY MEDICARE OR MEDI-CAL (MEDICAID) PAYORS, WHERE REIMBURSEMENT DOES NOT COVER THE COST OF CARE. THE SERVICE AREA OF SNMH INCLUDES 75,000 RURAL RESIDENTS IN WESTERN NEVADA COUNTY. OTHER RURAL CITIES THAT ARE PART OF THE PRIMARY SERVICE AREA INCLUDE: NEVADA CITY (POPULATION 3,068), PENN VALLEY (POPULATION 1,621), NORTH SAN JUAN (POPULATION 269) AND THE TOWN OF WASHINGTON (POPULATION 97). NEVADA COUNTY IS HOME TO ONE OF THE OLDEST POPULATIONS IN CALIFORNIA, WITH 26% OVER THE AGE OF 65. ADDITIONALLY: 18.1% ARE 0-17 YEARS OF AGE; 49.3% ARE 18- 54; AND, 32.6% (1 IN 3) ARE 55 YEARS AND OLDER. THE MAJORITY OF PERSONS IN NEVADA COUNTY ARE CAUCASIAN (87.9%). HISPANIC PERSONS REPRESENT 7.5% OF THE POPULATION. THERE ARE A COMPARABLE NUMBER OF MALES (49.6%) AND FEMALES (50.4%) IN THE COUNTY. THE OVERALL POVERTY RATE (LIVING 100% BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY RATE) IS 12.9%. THE MEDICAID POPULATION IS 25% (NOT INCLUDING THOSE DUALLY ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID AND MEDICARE). THE COUNTY'S MEDIAN INCOME IS $55,724, AND THE UNINSURED RATE IS CURRENTLY AT 6.1%.

RURAL RESIDENCY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

CONGRESSIONALLY-MANDATED HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GRANTS

RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

TELEMEDICINE GRANT

FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM

CONGRESSIONALLY-MANDATED HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GRANTS