Community health center still in limbo

The fate of the Flathead Community Health Center remains in limbo as its federal grant ends Monday and money to continue operations was axed from a continuing budget resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives

Money to pay for family planning services also was eliminated by the House.

“Now it goes to the Senate and hopefully gets added back in,” said Wendy Doely, health center executive director.

Addressing the Flathead City-County Board of Health on Thursday, Doely said she had not received confirmation of interim federal money to continue services. She told board members that the health center had a reserve fund that would allow it to continue operations for “a couple of months.”

Opened two years ago with federal stimulus money, the center was one of 127 new community health centers impacted by the pending cuts. Flathead Community Health Center has 21 employees and family planning, now part of the center, employs 10.

“We feel like we’re in survival mode,” Doely said.

She said the grant for family planning ends June 30. Doely added that she “has to believe that money will come back.”

Federal dollars support about 60 percent of the cost of medical and dental care provided to a target demographic of families who earn incomes of 200 percent or less of the poverty level. For 2011, a family of four could make up to $44,700 a year and qualify.

Along with federal grants, the center receives revenue by billing Medicaid, Medicare, TRICARE and major private insurance companies — but these make up a minority of patients. More than half of health-center patients have no insurance.

Doely told the board that she was in touch with Sen. Jon Tester and has a meeting scheduled with a representative of Sen. Max Baucus to discuss revenue cuts. She recently took part in a teleconference about the situation with the National Association of Community Health Centers.

“There’s a lot of pressure on to support the health centers and family planning,” she said.

According to Doely, the health center continues to build its patient base and remains busy. With more providers hired, patient visits were up in January and “no shows” were down.

Bad budget news heard by the board didn’t end with federal reductions.

State legislators apparently have shifted $8.6 million for tobacco use prevention programs to pay for other areas of the budget even though voters passed a measure requiring 30 percent of tobacco settlement dollars go for prevention.

If the shift remains, it would eliminate the prevention program operated at Flathead City-County Health Department by Leslie Deck. The board passed a resolution directing that the department send a letter protesting elimination of the tobacco education money.

“I think it should be a strong letter,” board member Dr. David Myerowitz said.

During the health officer’s report, Joe Russell said the department also may lose 30 percent of its Women, Infants and Children money as well as some “CDC pass through.” He told the board the department also may receive a reduced air quality grant.

“We’ll do the best we can to keep you advised,” he said.

Russell asked to schedule a budget committee and finance meeting between March 18 and April 8 to cope with these and other issues impacting the next fiscal year’s budget. He advised continuing to aggressively reduce the debt from construction of the third floor and to put scheduled vehicle purchases on hold.

“As you would guess, there is not much that can be cut out of our budget with the exception of staff,” Russell said in the report included with the agenda.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.