Health Center Cluster

North Fork Valley Community Health Center (NFVCHC) was established as a result of a cooperative effort between the University of Kentucky College of Medicine (UK COM) Department of Family and Community Medicine-Hazard, KY (a residency program and Family Medicine clinic) and a dedicated group of citizens who recognized the immense need for accessible primary health care services for the rural, low income, and uninsured Appalachian residents of Perry and Knott counties in southeastern Kentucky. The designated service area includes five census tracts each in Perry and Knott counties, as well as an adjoining census tract in Leslie County. The eleven census tracts contain a 2015 population of 39,163. Five of the 11 tracts are considered low income HPSA and MUA zones. One of the 11 is considered a high need geographic HPSA and MUA. Perry and Leslie Counties also comprise the federally designated southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone, which will support job creation and expand educational opportunities in persistently impoverished, mining dependent communities impacted by the demise of the coal industry in southeastern Kentucky. A combination of geographical, cultural, and financial barriers have prohibited local residents from obtaining necessary health care. There are high levels of poverty (50.22% at or below 200% of federal poverty level within our service area), and elevated unemployment rates. Our populations of 19,666 individuals in the eleven census tracts reside below 200% of the federal poverty level and comprise our targeted population within our communities. Decades of entrenched, persistent poverty further complicate the treatment and management of those chronic conditions (diabetes, lung cancer and cardiovascular disease) that disproportionately afflict our population and result in excessive mortality and morbidity rates. Our areas most vulnerable populations (women, children and the elderly) also face significant obstacles to accessing care and have historically lacked access to health education and preventive programs, as well as regular primary care, mental health, and dental visits. NFVCHC operates from clinical sites in Perry and adjoining Knott County along with two mobile dental outreach teams. Through the two clinical sites and the two mobile dental teams, we strive to serve our medically underserved area by providing quality services, both directly and by arrangement. Services provided encompass all of the required health center program services to include primary, preventive, diagnostic and mental health services. With the addition of 2.0 incremental FTE physicians, and the addition of a second dentist (.8 FTE) to our mobile dental outreach program, for funding year 2018 we propose a target population of approximately 9,645 unduplicated patients in 37,006 encounters. This will include a funding request in the amount of $2,388,362.