Children’s Service League wants alliance with center
The Flint Hills Community Health Center might partner with a state organization on a program designed to help families with young children.
Representatives from the Kansas Children’s Service League gave a presentation to the health center’s board of directors Tuesday afternoon about the league’s Healthy Families program. Bev Long, who works in the Emporia office of the league, and Tracie Lansing, who works out of the Lenexa office, talked about the program and the possibility of partnering with a program the health center already has, Great Expectations, which is geared toward pregnant women and women who recently gave birth. The program helps develop a nurturing environment for children.
Lansing proposed combining Great Expectations with the Kansas Children’s Service League’s Healthy Families program. The two organizations would form a partnership.
The Healthy Families program is an intensive family support home visitation program. It would fill a gap for those families who don’t qualify for other programs. The only requirement to receive help under Healthy Families is that the child is a first or second-born child. There are no income requirements to be in the program.
Counties that now have the Healthy Families program are Wyandotte, Johnson, Shawnee and Reno. Lansing said families receiving services through the program have done well. Ninety-eight percent of those homes are free of abuse and are far above the state and national average for being smoke-free and keeping current with immunizations. Staff with the Healthy Families program will drive families to medical appointments if necessary.
“Those who are underinsured or underserved, we will give them a ride here,” Lansing said.
Lansing added that Kansas Children’s Service League isn’t asking for funding and the league would provide the staff. A full team consists of six home visitors and one supervisor, which would be built up as needed in the community.
“We do have a contract with the Kansas Health Policy Authority, who will provide a 50-percent match for our program,” Lansing said. “We have committed to developing the other 50 percent. We are working hard to provide this service at no charge to the community.”
Flint Hills Community Health Center Executive Director Lougene Marsh said she hasn’t found a downside to the partnership.
“ I see it as a way to help us sustain Great Expectations in the future,” Marsh said.
The board made no decision on the matter in order to give more time for contract study and initiation of conversations with other health departments who have such a partnership. The item will be placed on the agenda for May’s board meeting.
In other business:
F Patient revenue was down for March by $24,216.49. This was due to aggressive budgeting and being short two providers.
F The number of patients seen increased from 1,177 in February to 1,389 in March.
F February operations resulted in a net loss of $78,568.82, which is below the budgeted loss of $97,856.82. Year-to-date operations have resulted in net income that is favorable to budget in the amount of $68,236.36.
F Board members approved a new policy for prescribing controlled substances to reduce the risk of patients abusing the medications.
F March 340B activity reported by Graves indicated that 980 prescriptions were dispensed to 609 patients. The average cost to the client was $7.83 per prescription with the average cost to patients greater than 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level at $4.74.
F A pre-bid conference for dental clinic expansion was on March 27 with bids received April 7. The architect recommended accepting the bid from Markowitz Builders in the amount of $172,000.