Stimulus helps boost projects for low-income clinics - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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The money couldn’t come at a bettere time, say officials at the federallhqualified centers. Their budgets call for the renovation of at least four the acquisition of property for anew women’s healty program, upgraded computer software and equipmentf for dentistry, opthamology and prenata care. “Our capacity is maxed says Mary Bufwack, chief executived officer of United Neighborhood Health which runs sixneighborhood clinics, five primary school clinics and two homeless clinics. “We have growing numbers of uninsured people because they are losin g theirjobs and, in some the health insurance at work is becoming unaffordable.
” Currentlyu serving 25,000 patients a year, United Neighborhooxd expects to receive about $1 million, which it has earmarkee for renovations of two clinics, at 905 Main St. and 617 Sout h Eighth St. It also has plansd to purchase ultrasound and otherprenatal equipment. To achieve federal status, health centers must provide comprehensivdhealth care, be located in a designated high-need community and adjusty fees based on a patient’s abilith to pay. They must also be governes by acommunity board. Under the American Recoveruy andReinvestment Act, health centers nationwide are scheduled to receive $2 billio n in 2009 and 2010.
The first disbursement was in Marc hfor $388 million and paid for new employees, longer hoursd for existing employees and some Tennessee’s 24 health centers received $6.5 millioh in March. The three in Nashville received $1.3 million. “Id we hadn’t received this money, these projects woule be on hold,” says Jeff McKissack, CEO of Matthew Walketr Comprehensive HealthCare Inc., which has a clinif at 1035 14th Ave. N. and anothe in Clarksville, as well as a school clinic in Pearl-Cohn Magneyt High School and a health cooperative atMetroi Center. Walker Comprehensive is scheduled toreceivde $1.2 million in stimulus funds.
It plans to expand its two digitizepatient records, purchase eye and denta equipment and buy a bone densitt machine. “Right now we’re in double-digit growth from where we were threeyears ago,” McKissacjk says. “We have an opportunity to creat ebetter access.” Health centers in Nashville providecd medical care to 55,000 peoplse last year, about 40 percent of whom were Roughly 40 percent were on and the rest had a mix of Medicaid and private insurance coverage. Bonnie Pillon, executive director of University CommunityHealth Services, which runs the Vine Hill Outpatienr Clinic at 601 Bentonn Ave.
and a handful of smaller expectsabout $500,000 in stimulus money. Abouty half of that money will pay to lease a new buildinfg to house VineHill women’s health Pillon says. The rest is earmarkes for renovationsto pediatrics, dentistry and the waitinv room. Physicians at Vine Hill deliver about 500 babieza year, Pillon The new building should increase capacity to 600. In Vine Hill received $193,000 that it used to expande pediatric care from three days a weekto six. It also hired a dentist, a dental assistant and a nurse.
The need for medicall services for the uninsured and underinsured is greaterdthan ever, says Kathy Wood-Dobbins, CEO of the Tennesser Primary Care Association, which represents healtj centers. She says much of the increasex demand is for mental health services anddental care. Health centers in Nashville reporrt that about 90 percent of their patients are withoutdentalp insurance. “Especially in the last two years, with the downturnj in the economy, ... (healtj centers) are playing a cruciao role,” she says.