Partners in Health Network
Community Access Program

Building Partnerships: Leveraging Resources to Extend Community Health
October 2001

History of the Community Access Program (CAP)

Several federal grant programs increase access to heath services for vulnerable populations, place health care professionals in underserved communities, and provide support services for people with specific health needs.  However, few resources are available to health care organizations to coordinate these “safety net” services for uninsured and underinsured Americans.

The Community Access Program (HRSA/BPHC) grant allows communities to reorganize their health care delivery systems to provide better coordinated, more efficient care for uninsured residents.  CAP grants are designed to increase access to health care by eliminating fragmented service delivery and improving efficiencies among safety net providers.

Partners CAP

Partners in Health Network worked with network members and consultants to develop and submit a CAP grant application in March of 2001.  This grant application was part of a focused effort to bring value to PIHN member organizations.  The grant was awarded to Partners in September 2001.  The goal of this project is to provide a continuum of care for the uninsured in south central West Virginia.  The Network will enhance access to health care, improve patient education and care management, and encourage patients to become active participants in their health care. Specifically, the CAP grant:

• Supports the vision and mission of Partners in Health Network  
• Will develop a program to improve access to health care
  • By implementing sliding fee discounts for uninsured patients across the Partners network
  • By facilitating the enrollment in health benefits programs through enrollment specialists
  • By educating patients to utilize appropriate levels of care and
  • By exploring pre-paid health care options for local businesses who do not have health insurance benefits for their employees
• Will develop a mechanism to share patient demographic and clinical information across the Network
  • By exploring economical methods to share medical record information
             
• Improve the quality and efficiency of key clinical processes by
  • Implementing care management for those enrolled at highest risk
  • Implementing psychiatry visits via telemedicine at selected rural sites and
  • Implementing group medical visits at selected sites
                                                        
 

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Contact Information

Al Michaels – Executive Director
Partners in Health Network, Inc.
304-388-7385

Craig Robinson – CAP Co-Director
Appalachian Regional Healthcare
304-254-2601

Louise Reese – CAP Co-Director
Dixon Odom PLLC
304-622-0804