• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Thousands Gain Access to Health Clinics

Posted on: Thursday, 11 August 2005, 00:00 CDT

Aug. 10--Tens of thousands of needy patients will gain medical "homes" through five Houston-area primary health clinics, thanks to the clinics' recent -- and coveted -- designation as "federally qualified health centers," or FQHCs.

The title translates into grants of $650,000 per clinic per year.

"We're proud of the progress that's been made," said Houston Mayor Bill White at a news conference Tuesday. "We have a ways to go."

The cash will allow the five newly designated FQHCs, which serve low-income clients, to expand hours and accommodate more people. The three Houston clinics alone expect to accommodate 21,000 new patients.

The clinics are:

--Spring Branch Community Health Center, 9325 Kempwood

--Good Neighbor Healthcare Center, 277 W. Gray

--Northeast Community Health Clinic, 4514 Lyons

--Alvin Community Health Endeavor, 416 S. Johnson

--Pasadena Health Center, 524 Pasadena Blvd., Suite 1001

Harris County Hospital District CEO David Lopez applauded expanded access to primary care but said it won't begin to clear Houston's crowded emergency rooms, where people can wait 10 hours to see physicians for routine problems. With HCHD serving just 300,000 of the city's 1.2 million uninsured and "under-insured," vacancies left by patients switching to FQHCs will quickly fill with other needy patients.

In fact, the clinics may even create a new problem for the HCHD by increasing referrals to busy HCHD cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons and other specialists.

"There's a cascading impact," Lopez said.

The new FQHCs bring the total in the area to nine, including a clinic in Conroe. But officials said the region lags behind other major cities that participate in the program, which started decades ago during the Johnson administration. Chicago, by comparison, has 80 FQHCs.

Two percent of the nation's uninsured reside in Houston, White said, adding that if the city had 2 percent of the nation's FQHCs, it would have 76 of the clinics.

"The city of Houston has been behind. No one is quite sure (why)," said Houston City Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs. "We really have more to apply for."

Elizabeth Duke, administrator for the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, which grants FQHC designations, said there is no special "trick" to winning special status.

She said HRSA turns down four of every five applicants because competition is so stiff. Clinics routinely apply six or more times before winning FQHC status.

In addition to receiving federal money, FQHCs get higher-than-average reimbursement for Medicaid and Medicare patients.

Experts estimate that one fully operational clinic can bring in more than $3 million a year in federal benefits and patient fees.

WHAT'S AN FQHC? Federally qualified health centers:

--Provide basic primary care such as immunizations, prenatal visits and management for diabetes, asthma and heart disease.

--Provide dental and mental health services.

--Are governed by neighborhood consumer boards.

--Collect cash, insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, and can't turn anyone away.

-----

To see more of the Houston Chronicle, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.HoustonChronicle.com

Copyright (c) 2005, Houston Chronicle

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: Houston Chronicle

More News in this Category