The Flint Hills Community Health Center has administered nearly 600 seasonal flu vaccinations since it started offering the vaccination to the public last week.
Renee Hively, public health manager for the community health center, spoke to the Flint Hills Community Health Center Board of Directors during their monthly meeting Tuesday afternoon. Hively said the center’s Jones Conference Room is being used to administer seasonal flu vaccinations. The center is preparing for its first drive-through clinic on Oct. 6 at the Anderson Building on the Lyon County Fairgrounds. There will be two lanes that day, Hively said. If it rains, the clinic will be walk-in inside the Anderson Building.
Also during Tuesday’s meeting, board members heard an update from Ann Mayo, Lyon County health officer, on H1N1. Mayo said some of the information available to the public is confusing especially since the symptoms and treatment of H1N1 and seasonal flu are exactly the same.
“The main difference is the H1N1 flu can be a lot more serious to those who are immune compromised,” Mayo said. “Especially the young.”
Mayo said the best defense is prevention such as hand washing, sneezing or coughing into the crook of one’s arm and making sure people stay home when they are sick. Mayo said it’s important for the community to maintain its vigilance.
“Even if it doesn’t turn out as (serious) as they thought it would be, our community shouldn’t be complacent,” she said. “We don’t want people to panic but on the other hand we want people to practice prevention.”
In other matters, the board discussed the financial report for August. The center’s patient revenue came it at $174,169, which is under budget by $36,937. Medical encounters with patients increased from 1,402 in July to 1,424 in August. However, the center had budgeted for 1,887.
“Budgeted encounters are based on each provider averaging 300 encounters per month and we also budgeted fro one provider position that is not filled,” the financial report stated.
August operations netted a loss of $109,949.98 with an operational loss of $185,276.99.
Items in written reports:
• August 340B activity reported by Graves indicated that 1,043 prescriptions were dispensed to 629 patients. The average cost to the client was $6.41 per prescription with the average cost to patients greater than 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level at $4.71.
• The dental radiography equipment installation and training took place the week of Sept. 14.
• Public Health and Environmental Services are collaborating on the requirements needed for H1N1 vaccine this fall. Delivery of the vaccine is anticipated in mid-October in limited amounts for priority groups only with further shipments continuing as it become available.
• The new dental director, Dr. Maechtlen, will start the first of October.
• The dental clinic was open to patients approximately 20 days in August. There were 594 patient visits. That is approximately 29.7 patient visits per day.