Fiscal year 2025 expanded hours. - organizational background: apicha community health center (apicha CHC) was founded in 1989 as the asian and pacific islander coalition on HIV/aids to address the…

Fiscal year 2025 expanded hours. - organizational background: apicha community health center (apicha CHC) was founded in 1989 as the asian and pacific islander coalition on HIV/aids to address the HIV/aids-related needs of new york city's (NYC) asian and pacific islander (API) community, particularly lesbian, GAY, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) apis. Since 2015, we have been operating as a federally qualified health center (FQHC), providing a full range of medical, preventive health, and supportive services. Medical services include: primary care; HIV medical care; prep/PEP; transgender health; women's health; dental care; pediatric care, mental health and substance use disorder services. In 2022, apicha CHC opened a satellite site in jackson heights, queens, new york, to advance the primary care model to a diverse community in jackson heights. Need for expanded hours: apicha community health center (CHC) proposes to expand its hours of operation at its jackson heights, queens clinic. Jackson heights is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse neighborhoods in new york city. IT is home to a large number of immigrants, particularly latinx/hispanics and asians, and a third of households have limited english proficiency. Over one-in-five (22%) of residents live in poverty, compared with 18% for NYC overall. According to the NYC dohmh, community health survey, 2019-2020, 30% of adults have no health insurance and 14% of adults go without needed medical care. An estimated 15% of low-income residents in the area are reached by community health centers, indicating that this is a medically underserved area. To better understand the needs of the community for expanded hours, apicha CHC conducted a street survey of people living or working in jackson heights (N=103). A majority of the respondents were spanish speaking. Forty percent favored a closing time after 5:00 PM and 50% preferred saturday hours. Apicha CHC also sought input from voces latinas, a collaborating CO mmunity-based organization, that works with low-income latinx and recent immigrants. Voces latinas clients who are assisted through their new immigrants clinic need to access services after 5:00 PM when they return from their jobs or on saturdays. Studies have reported that extended hours tend to reduce no-show rates. Studies on the accessibility of STI clinics indicate that hours of operation were a significant barrier to seeking care. Proposed services: to better meet the needs of the community we serve, apicha CHC proposes to extend the hours of operation at its jackson heights clinic to provide primary medical care, dental care, enabling services, and mental health services. Primary medical care and enabling services: hours will be extended from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM on wednesdays and thursdays. Dental care: hours will be extended from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM on wednesdays and thursdays, and additionally, the clinic will open two saturdays per month, from 9:00 am to 4:00 PM. Mental health services will be extended from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM on wednesdays. Funding in the amount of $500,000 is requested to primarily cover staffing costs. Proposed populations to be served: low-income immigrants, latinx/hispanic, and asian and pacific islander.