Project Grant CE146538

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING (CDS): CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ATLANTICARE HEALTH SERVICES, INC. GRANT #: H80CS00858 1401 ATLANTIC AVENUE, SUITE 1125 ATLANTIC CITY, NJ 08401-7001 SANDRA L. FESTA, LCSW, LCADC 609-412-8969 (OFFICE); 609-572-6001 (FAX) SANDY.FESTA@ATLANTICARE.ORG FEDERAL FUNDING REQUESTED: $1,000,000 ATLANTICARE HEALTH SERVICES, INC. (AHS) OPERATES A FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER (FQHC) WITH BOTH A HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS (HCH) DESIGNATION AND A COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER (CHC) DESIGNATION. THE PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES CONSISTENT OF PREVENTION, SCREENING, ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS OF ON-GOING CARE. THE FQHC OPERATES FOUR ACCESS POINTS AND IS STAFFED WITH 105 EMPLOYEES, 23 OF WHICH ARE MEDICAL PROVIDERS AND TWO ARE PSYCHIATRISTS. THE COMMUNITY IT SERVES IS ATLANTIC COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, WHICH HAS A CENSUS OF 265,000 (US CENSUS, 2017) IN 561 SQUARE MILES OF URBAN, SUBURBAN AND RURAL SETTINGS, AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF THE STATE. THE CITY OF ATLANTIC CITY, THE PRIMARY AREA SERVICED BY THE FQHC, IS DESIGNATED AS A MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREA (ID# 02131-02134, HRSA DATABASE). ATLANTIC CITY IS ALSO DESIGNATED WITH A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREA (HPSA) SCORE OF 6, A HPSA SCORE OF 22 FOR MENTAL HEALTH, AND A HPSA SCORE OF 16 FOR DENTAL HEALTH. BASED ON THE HEALTH CENTER'S 2021 UDS DATA, 10,286 UNDUPLICATED USERS WERE CARED FOR, RECEIVING 44,357 IN PERSON OR TELEHEALTH VISITS. THE HEALTH CENTER SUCCESSFULLY PARTICIPATES IN THE FEDERAL 340B PHARMACY PROGRAM, NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORP, IS A NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE (NCQA) PATIENT CENTERED MEDICAL HOME (PCMH), AND HAS FTCA APPROVAL. IN 2020, THE FQHC RECEIVED HRSA QUALITY AWARDS FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF CARE, AND WAS IDENTIFIED AS NATIONAL QUALITY LEADERS, HEALTH CENTER QUALITY LEADERS, CLINICAL QUALITY IMPROVERS, ACCESS ENHANCERS, AND HEALTH DISPARITIES REDUCERS. AHS IS REQUESTED $1,000,000 IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR FIT-OUT OF SUITES 1300 & 1400 AT THE ATLANTICARE MEDICAL ARTS PAVILION, LOCATED AT 7 SOUTH OHIO AVENUE, ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY FOR A FAMILY DENTAL CLINIC. ATLANTICARE'S MEDICAL ARTS PAVILION WILL PLACE A STRONG FOCUS ON COMBATING A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE IN HEALTHCARE, CLOSING THE GAP OF HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES IN UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. THE NEW FACILITY WILL HOUSE A SIGNIFICANT SUITE OF SERVICES FOR WOMEN, CHILDREN AND FAMILIES - PROVIDING SERVICES THAT ARE CRITICAL TO PREVENTING MATERNAL AND FETAL DEATHS AND SUPPORTING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF FAMILIES. AHS WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE BY INTRODUCING DENTAL SERVICES TO THE IMMEDIATE AND SURROUNDING AREAS, WHILE COLLABORATING WITH OTHER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES OFFERED AT THE MEDICAL ARTS PAVILION, INCLUDING THE FQHC'S PEDIATRIC AND FAMILY MEDICINE CLINICS. THE PRIMARY POPULATION TO BE SERVED IS THE COMMUNITY OF ATLANTIC CITY. IT IS AN ISLAND COMMUNITY DEVOID OF MANY SPECIALTY SERVICES, INCLUDING DENTAL CARE. ONLY 38% OF THE CITY'S POPULATION HAS HAD LIMITED ACCESS TO DENTAL CARE. THIS MEANS THAT CLOSE TO 25,000 RESIDENTS IN ATLANTIC CITY HAVE NEVER SEEN OR BEEN TREATED BY A DENTIST. MANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE SADLY CHILDREN. THE NEED FOR DENTAL SERVICES WAS A KEY FINDING IN ATLANTICARE'S 2019 COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT. THE MEDICAL ARTS PAVILION AND ITS FIRST FLOOR DENTAL CLINIC WILL BREAK DOWN BARRIERS TO HEALTH AND IS ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF ATLANTICARE TAKING A LEADERSHIP ROLE TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE IN THE REGION.