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Fec~era~ Priorities 2007 Education ~ Pu~i~ic Hea~t~i <br />Facilities Expansion folr Community Health <br />Centers of Lane County <br />Request <br />Community Health Centers of Lane County (CHCLC) seeks $500,000 to expand the physical <br />capacity of its four-year-old clinical facility in Springfield, Oregon. The clinic provides primary <br />and preventive -care, mental health, and dental care for low-income, uninsured, .and <br />underinsured residents-of Lane County. Since RiverStone Clinic opened in 2003, the demand <br />for services has far exceeded. original .projections. The space leasing arrangement continues to <br />consume operating .resources that. would. better be applied. to patient care; .the- over-crowded, <br />make-shift facilities also compromise the quality and efficiency of the care provided. Federal <br />funds -for facility expansion will be combined with local public and private contributions to <br />_ enhance the facility that serves about 12,000 Lane County residents each year. <br />:, Background <br />Funds have been sought in past appropriations cycles but Labor, Health and Human Services <br />' measures did not include specific projects. In the meantime,. the clinic's facility situation in <br />Springfield has become more dire. The building is suffering from overuse and age. The. number <br />of patient visits .has exceeded projections, and space to provide basic health .care is at an <br />absolute premium. <br />CHCLC will address these critical issues in the short: term with a modest redesign of the <br />reception. area to free up exam rooms currently used as offices. A leased modular unit will <br />`-- ' house overflow from the clinic including the outreach programs and meeting space for health <br />education groups and community events until a permanent remedy can be implemented. <br />Recent History <br />After a humble beginning, CHCLC has. .become. a significant .provider of culturally and <br />linguistically appropriate primary medical care, behavioral health, and preventive dental services <br />primarily in the Springfield area of Lane. County. Established as a federally qualified health <br />center in 2003, CHCLC operates at eight locations. <br />The. Springfield clinic. has reached capacity with the <br />present configuration of providers, hours, facility design, ;~~;' <br />9 ,.~ , <br />and utilization. Throu h June 2006 CHCLC was ~ II <br />providing services for 164 percent more users than ~~ _- <br />projected. As it closes its third year of operation, it is -' `°~ <br />expected to exceed annual patient. encounter. goals by ` <br />more than 3,000 patients. Demand for services continues <br />to grow,. and. the clinic is bursting at the seams. At the <br />same time, the Board, staff, and community recognize the ~r l , <br />_ need to achieve a permanent remedy to better meet <br />patient demand. <br />CHCLC now has more. than 8,000 active patients and has more than 20,000 appointments a <br />year. Approximately 57 percent of those visits are by uninsured patients. In fiscal year 2007, the <br />21 <br />__ _ _ <br />