Archive for category: Community Care Clinic Month

By Amelia Law, HPC Volunteer

August marks Community Care Clinic Month, a time to recognize the vital role Community Health Centers play in delivering high-quality, affordable care across the nation. Clinics like Health Partnership Clinic (HPC) provide innovative, patient-centered health services to more than 30 million Americans annually. At HPC, we’re proud to serve more than 11,000 patients each year—and this month, we’re celebrating more than 60 years of community health centers making a powerful impact on the health and wellbeing of our communities.

Community Care Clinic Month recognizes the vital role community health centers play in improving the health and well-being of families across the country. This year’s theme, “Building Innovative Care Where It Matters Most,” highlights the importance of delivering accessible, patient-centered health care where it is needed most.

You can download our Community Care Clinic Month document in English or Spanish

Month-Long Highlights

Monday Aug. 3 – Health Conditions Day

We’re partnering with a number of organizations to bring back-to-school physicals and dental screenings to the community. Join us at the following events for affordable, convenient healthcare services to help your child start the school year healthy and prepared.

• Saturday, Aug. 1 – Ottawa First Baptist Church (Dental Only)
• Sunday, Aug. 9 – LifeSpring Church
• Saturday, Aug. 15 – Health Partnership Clinic Campus (Olathe)

Fri, Aug. 7 – Staff Appreciation Day

We’re kicking off the month by recognizing the heart of our clinic—our incredible staff and volunteers. Thanks to our partner, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, our team will enjoy a catered lunch, weekly prize drawings and a Crossword puzzle contest.

Friday, Aug. 28 – Open House & Partner Appreciation Day (7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.)

Join us in celebrating our public servants and community partners at our open house at our Olathe Clinic (407 S. Clairborne Rd.) from 7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. for networking, tours and breakfast treats! Guests will also have the opportunity to tour our Women’s Health area and see the clinic’s new LEEP equipment, helping expand access to lifesaving preventive care for women. CALL 913-730-3661 TO REGISTER.

Additional events

• Monday, Aug. 17 – Population Focus Day: 600 Dental Kits will be donated to Mission Southside for low-income children and adults
• Wednesday, Aug. 19 – Patient Appreciation Day Patients at all HPC locations will receive a healthy snack and be entered into a Quik-Trip Gas card giveaway. Winners will be notified on Monday, Aug 31.
• Monday Aug. 24 – Gratitude & Future Vision Day
  Scan the QR code to read what our patients and staff have to say about the impact of accessible, compassionate health care.
  

We are dedicated to improving the health of the communities we serve by providing high quality, affordable, accessible and appropriate care to all individuals regardless of their ability to pay. We are committed to serving as a vehicle for collaboration among community partners as a critical aspect of meeting our mission.

By Catherine Rice, Vice President of Marketing/Outreach

Community Health Centers, like Health Partnership Clinic (HPC), provide innovative health service delivery to more than 30 million patients! Each year, we celebrate National Health Center Week which is a great time to spread the word about our health center and the good work we are doing for the communities we serve.

National Health Week Aug. 7-13

This national week will be celebrated Sunday-Saturday, Aug. 7-13, and it’s a great opportunity to honor our public servants, patients, employees, volunteers, consumer board members and others. Providing accessible, affordable, high-quality medical, dental and behavioral health care to our communities is our mission. We’ve served as a beacon of hope and health for 30 years since opening our doors in 1992, and we are proud of the impact we’ve made in keeping the communities we serve healthy!

One of our featured events is our Children’s Health Day, which will be Saturday, Aug. 13—just in time for school and sports physical season. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents were hesitant to bring their children in for their annual physicals, dental screenings and immunizations. However, The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly supports the continued care for children during the pandemic. That is one of the reasons we are hosting the event. The goal is to provide a safe and affordable way for area parents to access care. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Olathe location, 407 S. Clairborne Rd. Parents must schedule an appointment by calling 913-648-2266.

Children’s Health Day Flyer (English | Spanish)

The following services will be provided:

• Well Child Checkups
• School/Sports Physicals
• Immunizations
• Dental Screening
• Fluoride

This year, KC Wolf, will be making a special appearance from 9:30 to 11 a.m. The clinic will also be giving out treats and other giveaways. The clinic accepts insurance, including KanCare and Medicaid. Financial assistance is available to uninsured children who qualify.

For the safety of our patients and staff, we request one parent/guardian with a child along with minor siblings. Parents and children must wear a mask. Children and/or parents who exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms, should stay at home.

The event is co-sponsored by Aetna Better Health of Kansas, Sunflower Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. In addition, the health insurance companies are also underwriting some of the week’s events. We are so grateful to our partners!

Festivities Begin Aug. 7

The week will be kicked off on Sunday, Aug. 7 with Public Health in Housing Day. HPC is donating 600 pediatric dental kits to Mission Southside. These kits will be given to children living in public housing. On Monday, Aug. 8, complimentary personal care bags will be distributed to SafeHome clients and free water will be distributed by the Mobile Health Clinic, a collaborative partnership between HPC, the Olathe Fire Department and Olathe Health.

We will also be hosting a Community Opening House on Thursday, Aug. 11 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at our Olathe site. Come enjoy tours, networking and refreshments. We will also be recognizing our patients and staff during the week.

National Health Center Week is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the important role of community health centers. We are not just healers, we are innovators who look beyond medical charts to address the factors that may cause poor health, such as poverty, homelessness, substance use, mental illness, lack of nutrition and unemployment. In addition, we care for everyone, regardless of insurance status. During difficult economic times, HPC and other community health centers are key to keeping America healthy.

National Health Center Event Flyer (English | Spanish – coming soon!)

To schedule an appointment for our Children’s Health Day on Saturday, Aug. 13, please call 913-648-2266 today! Limited appointments available!

Health Partnership Clinic will host a variety of free activities to mark National Health Center Week 2019 from August 4-10 and celebrate the ways we are “Rooted in Communities” we serve. The activities are part of a national campaign to increase awareness of the ways health centers are providing affordable health care in communities.

“We’re excited to share our story as well as salute our public servants, patients, employees, volunteers, consumer board members and others for their role in making our community healthier and safer,” says Catherine Rice, Vice President of Marketing and Outreach. “This year, our events range from a Patient Appreciation Day (Monday, Aug. 5), where refreshments will be distributed and patients can register for a door prize drawing, to a Community Open House (Friday, Aug. 9) honoring Johnson County’s Public Servants, supporters and community leaders. Members of Congress and state officials, Fire/Police, donors and civic leaders are invited. The public is also welcomed to attend.”

Rice notes, “The Open House will wrap up our week of celebration.” The event runs from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Olathe clinic, 407 S. Clairborne Rd., Olathe, Kan. Health Partnership’s new senior leaders and providers will be available to meet and greet. There will also be tours and refreshments, compliments of Aetna.

Each day HPC’s activities will be dedicated to a particular focus area.

Click here to download the schedule of activities (PDF)

Health Partnership is part of a nationwide network of locally-run health centers that serve more than 28 million people nationwide. They are on the front lines of national public health challenges – whether caring for veterans, providing opioid treatment, or responding to natural disasters. They are also a lifeline in remote and under served communities where the nearest doctor or hospital can be as far as 50 miles or more away. Nearly half of health centers (44 percent) are in rural communities.

Highlights of health center accomplishments include:

• Reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and unnecessary visits to the emergency room;
• Treating patients for a fraction of the average cost of one emergency room visit;
• Serving more than one in six Medicaid beneficiaries for less than two percent of the national Medicaid budget;
• Lowering the cost of children’s primary care by approximately 35 percent;
• Treating 65,000 patients with Medication Assisted Therapy for opioid use disorder in 2017; and,
• Serving over 355,000 veterans throughout the country.

“This year’s NHCW 2019 will highlight how health centers are at the forefront of a nationwide shift in addressing environmental and social factors as an integral part of primary care, reaching beyond the walls of conventional medicine to address the factors that may cause sickness, such as lack of nutrition, mental illness, homelessness and substance use disorders,” Rice adds.

Community Health Centers’ success in managing chronic disease in medically vulnerable communities has helped reduce health care costs for American taxpayers.