Pennsylvania Department of Health Leaders Visit Hope Within Ministries Community Health Center, Unveil Grant Recipients of 2013-14 Community-Based Health Care Subsidy Program

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of Health Michael Wolf and Physician General Dr. Carrie DeLone today visited Hope Within Ministries, one of 40 new recipients to receive a grant through the department's Community-Based Health Care Subsidy Program. The center will use its $190,096 grant to enhance its free primary care services to the underinsured and financially challenged in Dauphin and Lancaster counties.

The department's Community-Based Health Care Subsidy Program was expanded with an additional $4 million under Governor Corbett and with the help of Senator Ted Erickson (R-Chester) via Act 10 of 2013 to increase access to primary care services across Pennsylvania.

"This program, which is also a core tenant of Healthy Pennsylvania, really is mission critical to improving health care access, helping to bring immediate preventative primary care services to underserved areas of the state and directly benefiting facilities such as Hope Within Ministries," said Wolf. "The grant Hope Within Ministries received is already making an impact at this mostly volunteer-based center, helping to hire a part-time certified registered nurse practitioner, expand clinic hours and improve and convert to an electronic medical records system via a partnership with Lancaster General Health."

For fiscal year 2013-14 grants, a total of 73 applications were received by the department and 40 grants were distributed in 27 counties. Eligible facilities included federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), rural health clinics, free clinics, hospital clinics and nurse managed care clinics. The grant period began January 1, 2014 and will conclude on June 30, 2015.

Governor Corbett's recently proposed budget doubles the investment in the Community-Based Health Care Subsidy program, providing $8 million to Pennsylvania's community-based healthcare clinics and funding four additional health centers and clinics, in addition to 36 existing health centers and clinics.

To help further expand access, Governor Corbett's budget also proposes an increase of $4 million for loan repayment assurance to healthcare practitioners working in primary care in rural and underserved areas. This will provide an additional 70 awards to physicians, dentists and other practitioners, as well as funding for 12 residency slots for medical school graduates who are legal Pennsylvania residents, or who have completed their medical school education in Pennsylvania, and who commit to providing primary care in a rural Pennsylvania community upon completion of residency training.

"It is my sincere hope that this time next year, we will once again be able to announce the full implementation of new funding for these programs as the need is dire for the appropriate health care infrastructure and we must continue to work to lay the appropriate foundation to ensure a stronger and healthier Pennsylvania," said Wolf.

For additional information about the Community-Based Health Care Subsidy Program, visit the department's website at www.health.state.pa.us For additional information about Healthy Pennsylvania, visit www.pa.gov

Media contact:  Aimee Tysarczyk or Holli Senior, 717-787-1783

Editor's note: A full list of grant recipients is below.

Department of Health Community-Based Health Care Subsidy Program Grant Recipients
Fiscal Year 2013-2014
Grant Period: January 1, 2014-June 30, 2015

Category 1

Five facilities received a grant for $500,000 each to develop a new community-based health care facility: Community Health and Dental (Montgomery), Crozer-Chester Medical Center (Delaware), Delaware County Memorial Hospital (Delaware),

Primary Health Network (Mifflin), Volunteers in Medicine (Lackawanna).

Category 2

Twenty facilities have received an award to expand primary care services at an existing community-based clinic:  Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, $184,301 (Philadelphia), Altoona Regional Partnership for a Healthy Community, $165,140  (Blair), Ann Silverman Community Health Clinic, $170,276 (Bucks), Centerville Clinics, Inc., $200,000 (Washington), Charles Cole Memorial Hospital, $166,627 (Potter), Community Health Net, $200,000 (Washington), Del Valley Community Health, $200,000 (Montgomery), Free Clinic of DuBois, $155,994 (Clearfield), Hope Within Ministries, $190,096 (Dauphin), Indiana Regional Medical Center, $200,000 (Indiana), Johnstown Free Medical Clinic, $66,137 (Cambria), Kensington Hospital, $45,000 (Philadelphia), Mon Valley Community Health Services, $200,000 (Westmoreland), Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, $200,000 (Dauphin), St. Joseph Medical Center Foundation, $166,666 (Berks), Susquehanna Community Health and Dental Clinic, $200,000 (Lycoming), The Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania, Inc., $180,000 (Huntingdon), Volunteers in Medicine, $185,450 (Luzerne), Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers, $200,000 (Wayne), Welsh Mountain Health Centers, $200,000 (Lancaster).

Category 3

Five facilities have received an award for the addition or expansion of prenatal, obstetric, postpartum and newborn care services at an existing community-based health care clinic: ChesPenn Health Services, $200,000 (Chester), Hamilton Health Center, $190,433 (Dauphin), La Commidad Hispana, $152,000 (Chester), Punxsutawney Area Hospital, $200,000 (Jefferson), Southeast Lancaster Health Services, $194,962 (Lancaster).

Category 4

Six facilities have received an award for the development of alternate health care delivery systems at existing community health care clinics to improve services, access, and to reduce hospital ER use: Abington Memorial Hospital, $200,000 (Montgomery), Cornerstone Care, $152,019 (Greene), Esperanza Health Center, $200,000 (Philadelphia), Public Health Management Corporation, $155,454 (Philadelphia), St. Luke's Hospital, $156,578 (Northampton), WellSpan Health, $146,514 (York).

Category 5

Four facilities have received an award for the implementation of collaborative relationships to improve transitions of care, helping to ensure timely follow-up care for health care clinic patients seen in or admitted to a hospital. These awards are also helping to develop referral mechanisms to establish a medical home for patients seen in the hospital and at specialty clinics. Recipients are: East Liberty Family Health Care Center, $46,070 (Allegheny), Main Line Hospitals doing business as Lankenau Medical Center, $40,599 (Montgomery), Susquehanna Community Health and Dental Clinic, $50,000 (Lycoming), Wesley Church Health Center, $14,663 (Fayette).

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Health