Utah'
s Community Health Centers contribute nearly $8 million on average per community to their local economies, according to a Capital Link economic impact analysis released in July 2011.
In honor of National Health Center Week—August 7th through the 13th—Capital Link partnered with the National Association of Community Health Centers to complete individual economic impact reports for Health Centers nationwide based on each Health Center's fiscal year 2009 financial and employment information. Nine of Utah's 12 health centers were among those to receive a report.
The analysis revealed that Utah's urban Community Health Centers had an overall average economic impact of nearly $14 million per community. Moreover, Utah’s health centers typically generated 96 jobs directly, and supported 60 additional jobs indirectly in other industries.
According to Alan Pruhs, executive director of the Association for Utah Community Health, "Not only do our Health Centers provide critical access to quality, affordable health care services in both our urban and rural communities, but they serve as critical ‘economic engines,’ directly and indirectly supporting the local businesses in those communities."
In many rural Utah communities, Health Centers are the only source of medical care for miles and serve as the major employer. According to Capital Link, Utah's rural Community Health Centers had an overall average economic impact of nearly $3 million and supported an average of 42 jobs in each of their respective communities.
Green River Medical Center, a frontier Community Health Center equipped with a helipad, serves a very medically isolated population and provides the only medical services on a 235 mile stretch of Interstate 70.
"Although we are one of the smallest Community Health Centers in the nation, the services we provide are vital not only to travelers along I-70, but to our community," says Mary Winters, executive director of Green River Medical Center.
Unique to most primary care clinics, Community Health Centers are local, not-for-profit organizations governed by Boards of Directors that are comprised of at least 51 percent of health center patients. The quality services, prices and discounts offered are all dictated by the patient-driven Board.
"It is the patients within our communities making the primary decisions of our Health Centers. As a result, Utah's Health Centers offer high-quality, affordable, comprehensive dental, behavioral health, pharmaceutical and medical services at extremely affordable prices," remarks Todd Bailey, executive director of Mountainlands Family Health Centers in Payson and Provo, Utah.
"Furthermore, with a patient-driven Board, our Health Centers are designed to meet the specific healthcare needs of their communities regardless of a patient’s insurance status. Board members—our patients—want to be able to showcase ‘their’ Health Center. So when it comes to service and quality, they are integral in providing great direction."
Utah is home to 12 Community Health Centers that operate 32 urban and rural health care delivery sites across the State—as far north as Garden City in Northeast Utah to St. George in Southwest Utah. Utah’s Health Centers are the medical home to more than 115,000 patients—37 percent of whom are children. Additionally, 59 percent of Utah's health center patients remain uninsured; this equates to the entire populations of Tooele, Iron, and Kane Counties combined.
In addition to providing critical jobs and access to health care, these communities have received stimulus funding that have supported capital development projects that have been critical to expanding access to medical services.
Carbon Medical Service Association just completed the renovations to their Helper Clinic—increasing the number of exam rooms to allow for increased access of services. As a result, a new local provider has been hired, allowing more patients, regardless of insurance, to be seen. Over the course of the next year, at their East Carbon clinic, their on-site pharmacy will be renovated.
"I would rather have economic stimulus money help us locally—especially to improve our health centers—than see it go overseas. We can now expand access to more services and to more patients. We would have never been able to do this without the stimulus money," says Yvonne Jensen, executive director of Carbon Medical Service Association in East Carbon and Helper, Utah.
In continued efforts to recognize National Health Center Week, Utah's Community Health Centers are honoring their health care heroes and thanking the communities who have been integral to their success by hosting activities during the week.
Family Healthcare in St. George, Utah will host its official open house for its newest clinic, Family Healthcare–St. George, on Thursday, August 11th at 9am. Carbon Medical Service Association will host its official open house initiated by a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Chamber of Commerce for its newly renovated Helper Clinic in Helper, Utah on Friday, August 12th from 12:30pm to 4pm. Green River Medical Center in Green River, Utah will be hosting diabetic retinal screenings and will be conducting nutrition, diabetic and chronic disease counseling with a licensed clinical social worker. Community Health Centers, Inc. will host local celebrations at each of their four metro sites, including the newly opened 72nd Street Clinic in Midvale, Utah. Wasatch Homeless Health Care, commonly known as the 4th Street Clinic, will host a press conference on Wednesday, August 10th in conjunction with National Health Care for the Homeless Day. Across the state other Community Health Centers will acknowledge National Health Center Week with local celebrations and health fairs.
For more information on Utah's Community Health Centers and National Health Center Week Events, please visit www.auch.org and www.healthcenterweek.org.
