Fiscal year 2025 expanded hours. - the expanded hours (HRSA-25-084) funding will allow asher community health center (ACHC) to expand access to health center services by increasing health center…

Fiscal year 2025 expanded hours. - the expanded hours (HRSA-25-084) funding will allow asher community health center (ACHC) to expand access to health center services by increasing health center operating hours to meet identified patient and community needs. Asher community health center is located in one of the poorest counties and least populated counties in oregon with 44.3% of individuals designated as low-income (2016-2020 american community survey estimates). There is little integrated care in the service area. There is no hospital and no pharmacy, and no specialty providers in the 1,718 square mile service area. Asher community health centers is the sole provider of primary medical care, dental services and pharmacy services in the service area/county. Historically, asher community health centers' has had three services sites in wheeler county. One in the town of fossil, one in the town of spray and one in the town of mitchell. Only fossil, which is considered our main clinic site, is open five days a week monday through friday for a total of 44 service hours per week. The spray clinic site and the mitchell clinic site are open two days each or 16 service hours per week depending on provider availability. This grant would allow asher CHC to provide additional services hours to the spray and mitchell clinics to support vulnerable and underserved persons living in these communities by providing accessible and affordable primary care services. The goals of our project are to increase the number of service hours at the spray clinic site from 16 service hours a week to 40 service hours a week; and increase the number of service hours at the mitchell clinic site from 16 service hours per week to 24 service hours per weeks. This proposed project includes primarily hiring the necessary staff to ensure that asher community health center provides the medical and dental services required to meet the needs of the communities of spray and mitchell. These activities consist of 1) one full-time primary care provider, 2) 1.5 FTE medical assistants, and 3) 1.5 FTE front desk support staff.