The Newberry Eagle - The Community Newspaper of Newberry Country
JULY 2020
Happy 4th of July from The Newberry Eagle
Page 9
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La Pine Community Health Center, Facing Unprecedented Financial Challenges, Ready to Welcome Patients ‘With Open Arms’ By Andrea Hine, Editor Headlines across the country are posing a critical question: can community health centers, facing financial devastation, survive the coronavirus fight? Right on our doorstep, La Pine Community Health Center (LCHC) is waging this battle – and the outcome is far from certain. Charla DeHate, chief executive officer, is blunt in describing why LCHC has needed to ask for financial support from the communities it serves – which go as far south as Gilchrist and Christmas Valley. “We received $2 million in grants as a result of Covid-19, for which we’re very grateful. But as our monthly expenses are $650,000 - $700,000, that doesn’t go very far. “In March and April, to ensure that we could take care of people who were reluctant to come into our facility, we set up telephone and video call options – which don’t allow us to monitor blood pressure and other vital signs so we can take care of non-emergency patients to our full ability. “Even so,” continued DeHate, “revenues were just 30 percent of what we needed – in part because we can’t even bill for video or phone consultations until July, and won’t be reimbursed until September. But we’re moving in the right direction: May’s revenues increased 15 percent. “Like other community health centers, we receive some federal operating funds,” she noted, “although they cover only about 20 percent of services such as our discounted fee program. There is no reimbursement for our three RN case managers or our outreach workers – who are more important than ever as people lose their jobs and employer-funded insurance.”
Other community health centers have eliminated staff to preserve dwindling financial resources. But for DeHate, that was not an option. “Laying off or furloughing employees was never something we considered, given the challenge of finding people who want to work in this difficult field, and are willing to do so in a rural area such as ours. Equally important, we need our people here – even if their responsibilities have temporarily shifted to take care of phone inquiries, drive-by testing or video consults, for example. “As CEO, I’m trying my best to retain all of our employees. We have a very strong team that has been amazing through all this – pulling together with patience and compassion for each other. It’s the best team I’ve ever had,” she emphasized. So DeHate looked elsewhere. “In order to conserve revenues, we did close our Sunriver site, which never gained traction since being opened five years ago, and only brought in 50-60 percent of what was required to be cost effective,” she said. “And there are other difficult decisions being weighed – if implementing them becomes absolutely necessary in order for LCHC to survive, especially during the next six to eight months as the impact of the coronavirus continues to take a severe toll on the economy.” Despite facing unprecedented financial challenges, the commitment of DeHate and her team to La Pine Community Health Center’s mission is stronger than ever. “We serve everyone – all ages and all income levels – and every patient receives equal quality of care. We need to be here when patients are ready for us – and will welcome them with open arms.”
LCHC set up telephone and video call options several months ago to take care of non-emergency patients reluctant to come into it’s facility – but won’t be reimbursed until September for this added service.
“Our three RN case managers and outreach workers are more important than ever aas people lose their jobs and employer-funded insurance,” emphasizes Charla DeHate, LCHC’s chief executive officer.
Community Health Centers Provide Care to the Medically Underserved
Community Health Centers, or CHCs, are nonprofit health care clinics that provide a range of primary care, behavioral health, dental care and other services to 29 million patients nationwide, primarily those who are low income and uninsured. America’s 1,400 CHCs operate 15,000 clinics in medically underserved communities, and receive varying amounts of government funding. Yet despite facing the same financial challenges as other businesses and nonprofits, CHCs have received significantly
less federal Covid-19 support than most other non-essential, non-healthcare-related industry sectors, including higher education, airlines, and agriculture (where specialty farmers such as “tart cherry growers” received $9.5 billion). Specifically, the CARES Act provided $100 billion in relief funds for hospitals and other health care providers. But much of that went to the hospital system, leaving a smaller amount of community health centers – which on average received $1.3 million.
Support Your Local Community Health Center
La Pine Community Health Center (LCHC) needs your continued financial support during this economic crisis so that it may continue providing medical care and vital resources to the communities in its service area. Please
visit www.lapinehealth.org/support-fund to give your contribution electronically, or mail your contribution to La Pine Community Health Center, Attn: Support Fund, P.O. Box 3300, La Pine, OR 97739.
YOU Are Our Priority! L
a Pine Community Health Center (LCHC) continues to take measures to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors and staff. In addition to requiring masks or face coverings in our health center and increased cleaning standards, we also now have a room at our main site on Huntington Rd in La Pine that is dedicated to the triage and treatment of patients who are experiencing symptoms of a respiratory virus or have been exposed to others who have tested positive for COVID-19. This room has a separate entrance which allows us to treat the patient without them ever entering the main health center. While we still have the ability to complete a telehealth visit with our patients, we strongly encourage IN-PERSON visits with your provider as this is the MOST EFFECTIVE way to receive care.
SERVICES:
All of our primary care providers are currently accepting new patients!
◆Primary Medical Care for Adults and Children
◆Men’s and Women’s Health ◆Pediatric Care ◆Prenatal Care ◆Minor Surgery/Biopsies ◆Disease Management ◆RN Point of Care ◆Lab ◆X-Ray ◆Behavioral Health ◆Diabetes Prevention and Support ◆Smoking Cessation ◆Chronic Pain Management ◆Weight Management Support ◆Oregon Health Plan (OHP) Enrollment ◆Transportation ◆Discounted Fee Program ◆Prescription Assistance ◆Medical Supply Assistance ◆Dental Vouchers ◆Resources for Housing, Food, Veteran and Energy Assistance
(541) 536-3435 www.lapinehealth.org
La Pine | 1 Main office on Huntington Rd 2 School-Based Health Center on Coach Rd 3 Gilchrist | 1 School-Based Health Center on Mississippi Dr Christmas Valley | 1 Office in North Lake Health District building on Bay Rd
Deschutes County Behavioral Health on HWY 97
