NEWSROOM ARCHIVE
November 16, 2007
Travis County Healthcare District Board of Managers approves $1.6 Million in new funding for Community Health Center service expansion
The Travis County Healthcare District Board of Managers approved at its regular meeting on Thursday, Nov. 15, more than $1.6 million to expand services at seven Federally Qualified Health Centers. The new funding provides for the hiring of necessary staff at these strategically-located clinics to increase the total number of operational hours outside the regular 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday times, and provide enhanced convenient care hours for non-emergent conditions that require immediate attention.
Travis County healthcare District Board of Managers Chairperson Carl Richie said, “During the campaign to create the Healthcare District, a promise was made to expand access to healthcare. I’m very excited that we are making good on that promise. I’m confident this funding approval is a continuation of the commitment to positive change that the Board of Managers has pursued in the past to expand access to healthcare and fulfill other promises made to Travis County voters.”
Although an additional 63 extended hours and 164 convenient care hours per week were added earlier this year, access to the clinics remains limited largely to scheduled appointments during regular operating hours, with only limited access to same-day or urgent care. With this newly-approved funding increase, access will increase by 97 hours of extended service and 275 hours of convenient care per week, providing a system-wide total of 434 convenient care hours per week, and enabling more than 23,000 additional patient visits per year. The enhanced hours and services will come online in January of 2008.
In addition to the 30.5 full-time staff funded by the increase, including physicians, nurses and support personnel, a new clinic dedicated solely to convenient care will open in April 2008 near the intersection of William Cannon Drive and IH 35. Additionally, four full-time employees will provide specialty care referral and coordination services.
The TCHD Board established in its strategic plan a call for the District to “[e]valuate and improve current utilization of ‘urgent and after-hours services’ in select FQHC (federally qualified health centers) sites.” With this direction in mind, the decision to increase funding was viewed by the Board as the most cost-effective means of improving patient access to those services. The decision was further bolstered by recognition of the detrimental effects of the continued use of Brackenridge Hospital’s emergency room as a means of primary care for those unable to obtain service through the system.