Health center program - access to whole-person, whole-community care is critical to addressing the health and economic burden of illness, chronic disease, health disparities, and associated risk…

The Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration awarded Granville-Vance District Health Department $650,000 on August 1, 2026, under the Health Center Program (CFDA 93.224).

The award funds expansion of primary care access for uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved residents of Granville and Vance Counties, North Carolina. Granville-Vance District Health Department will enhance existing services including primary care, child health, family planning, prenatal care, behavioral health, medication-assisted treatment, dental services, laboratory services, care management, immunizations, and health promotion. The recipient operates as a rural district health department serving over 105,000 residents across two counties and functions as a New Access Point co-applicant with Granville Vance Community Health, which will focus on the 27536 ZIP code where 53 percent of residents live below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

Vance County faces documented health disparities including high rates of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, low birth weight, and infant mortality. The county is designated as medically underserved and a health professional shortage area for primary care, mental health, and dental services. Current patient data from Granville-Vance District Health Department's Vance County location show 2,829 patients served from June 2023 through May 2024, generating 5,743 visits including 375 primary care encounters. The patient population includes uninsured (34.4 percent), Medicaid (30.6 percent), Medicare (9.9 percent), and privately insured (25.2 percent) individuals.

Performance period runs August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027, with place of performance in North Carolina.

Health center program - access to whole-person, whole-community care is critical to addressing the health and economic burden of illness, chronic disease, health disparities, and associated risk factors in low-income rural areas of our state and nation. This is evident in vance county, NC, which has a population that faces high rates and associated disparities in heart disease, diabetes, cancer, low birth weight, and high infant mortality. Granville vance public health (GVPH) wishes to address these challenges by enhancing access to care for uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved residents of granville and vance counties by expanding primary care. Current services of the health department include primary care, child health, family planning, prenatal care, behavioral health, medication-assisted treatment, dental services, the women infants and children supplemental nutrition program (WIC), laboratory services, environmental health, care management, minority diabetes prevention program, immunizations, and health promotion. GVPH is a rural district health department serving over 105,000 residents across two counties and is a new access point (NAP) CO-applicant with granville vance community health (GVCH). GVPH's vance county location served 2,829 patients from june 1, 2023, to may 31, 2024, totaling 5,743 visits, including 375 primary care patients. GVCH will focus on the 27536 ZIP code, home to 15,674 residents, 53% living below the 200% federal poverty level (geocare navigator). The north carolina institute of medicine (NCIOM) reports that 21.3% of vance county's population is uninsured, with 46.5% enrolled in medicaid or chip. GVPH's patient payor mix includes uninsured (34.4%), medicaid (30.6%), medicare (9.9%), and private insurance (25.2%). Vance county is a designated medically underserved and health professional shortage area for low-income populations' primary care, mental health, and dental services (hrsa, 2024). The county has one established federally qualified health center (FQHC), serving 16% of the low-income population and 9% of residents in the 27536 ZIP code (geocare navigator). GVPH currently serves 22% of the low-income population and 34% of the total population in the 27536 ZIP code. Despite these efforts, 62% of low-income residents in 27536 remain underserved. As a NAP, we will address this GAP by expanding primary care services daily and offering collaborative, whole-person care tailored to these individuals through integrated care. Public health departments, like GVPH, are well-positioned to address sdoh alongside clinical care due to their expertise, long-standing care management programs, focus on prevention and health education, and well-established partnerships with the community. As a CO-applicant with GVPH, GVCH will leverage this expertise and rapport to engage more people and improve health outcomes by providing comprehensive care and addressing gaps in services to uninsured and underinsured adults and children. GVCH will utilize existing facilities at GVPH's vance county location, which includes six exam rooms, one behavioral health office, one lab, and one waiting room. An advisory board of patients and community leaders will oversee and ensure compliance with health center program expectations. Year one patient care staffing will include 1 FTE physician/mid-level provider, 1.1 FTE nurses, 1 FTE medical assistant, 0.25 FTE phone triage/nurse line, 1 FTE foreign language interpreter, 1 FTE community health worker, 1 FTE patient support staff, 0.15 FTE laboratory personnel, and 0.25 FTE case manager. Gvchc aims to serve 900 patients with 2,700 visits in the first year, an increase of 525 patients and 1,600 visits. GVCH will enhance access to care through expanded services designed to address sdoh and unmet needs, ultimately improving health outcomes and advancing health equity for vance county residents.