CUMBERLAND FAMILY MEDICAL CENTER
Grant: $486,180 - Health Resources and Services Administration - Jun. 25, 2009
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Award Description: ARRA - Capital Improvement Program - - Cumberland Family Medical Center, Inc. (CFMC) operates Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in four of our ten counties within our service area for a portion of south central KY that is well known for its high rates of poverty, unemployment, and lack of education. According to our most recent UDS Comparison Report, 84% of our patient population lives at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level with 54% of those in our service delivery area regarded as medically unserved and defined as the ?working poor? by the KY Primary Care Association. These are the populations that are now growing due to job loss and the economic downturn. While this is certainly our targeted population who utilizes our Sliding Fee Scale at each visit, we constantly struggle with our patients who do not follow up on necessary and often live-saving labs and -xrays due to the inability to afford the high out-of-pocket costs charged at hospitals for such services. Funds provided through the CIP grant will allow us to purchase digital x-ray equipment for our sites as well as lab equipment at our most centrally located clinic. The purchase of a van to service as a courier will travel the circuit of our clinic sites twice each day to pick up and deliver labs and x-rays thus removing lack of accessibility to ancillary services as yet another barrier to health care our patients encounter. Having appropriate diagnostic equipment on site will allow us to better serve our patients through increased access to services, greater utilization of the Sliding Fee Scale, while also eliminating any issues with transportation to and from an additional office visit. Results provided same-day will increase our efficiency while the on-site benefit of allowing these ancillary services to now fall under the scope of the Sliding Fee Scale will enable our patients a higher level of care at a more affordable cost which can only result in a healthier patient population. While the purchase of this equipment will certainly enhance our center?s effectiveness, efficiency, quality of care, and patient outcomes, the purchase of a Patient Management System sufficient to accommodate our growing organization will enable our staff to perform more efficiently as well. As we continue to grow, our current out-dated and inadequate PMS (which was originally intended for a private practice setting) has proven to be quite a detriment to the timely reporting as required by HRSA. A more efficient system will allow us to develop more accurate and timely reports to satisfy required reporting as well as free up staff to perform other duties. In turn, more efficient data collection and timelier reporting will allow our providers and staff to more easily access data that will assist them as they continue to develop our organization and serve our large and growing patient population.
Project Description: For a full description of the purpose and expected outcomes of this project, see 'Award Description' above. The purpose of this project is to provide ancillary primary care services to a targeted population whose health disparaties are often the result of lack of transportation, lack of general education, and low economic status. By providing on-site lab and x-ray services, patients are not required to schedule a separate appointment at another facility for necessary tests. Thus, they do not have to miss another day of work, arrange for transportation, or pay high out-of-pocket fees for tests if they are under-insured or un-insured. The courier service will also allow for same-day test results. The acquisition of a new PMS sufficient to accommodate the increasing number of patients we are currently serving will allow for increased efficiency in reporting and collecting data.
Jobs Summary: The numbers and descriptions of jobs that will be created for this projected are based on the projected number of jobs as detailed in our original CIP grant application since we have not officially started our project. These numbers and descriptions, however, are a true and accurate reflection of the positions we intend to fill as a result of the use of our grant dollars. A total of seven (7) new FTE positions will be formed. Two of the positions will be created to fill staffing positions in our centralized laboratory through which we will serve all our clinic sites (lab techicians). Four of the positions will be created to fill staffing positions in each of our four x-ray facilities located within each of our four clinics (x-ray technicians). One of the positions will be that of a courier who will travel a circuit between each of the four clinic sites each day to pick up and deliver specimens and test results so that patients may receive on-site, same-day service for their lab tests. (Total jobs reported: 7)
Project Status: Not Started
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