My Community Health Center

TO PROVIDE COMPASSIONATE CARE TO ALL; HEALING AND LEARNING TOGETHER.

MY COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER (MCHC) IS A GRASSROOTS, COMMUNITY BASED 501(C)(3) OHIO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO PROVIDE COMPASSIONATE CARE TO ALL, HEALING AND LEARNING TOGETHER. MCHC'S GOAL IS TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITIES IT SERVES, BUT WITH CONTINUED EMPHASIS ON THE UNDERSERVED AND THOSE WITHOUT ACCESS TO CARE, REGARDLESS OF RACE, ECONOMIC STATUS, AGE, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, OR DISABILITY. MCHC ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A COMMUNITY CLINIC SITE IN AUGUST 2017 AND HAS BEEN ACTIVE AS A COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE PROVIDER SINCE. THE ORGANIZATION BELIEVES IN TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. AS SUCH, MCHC HAS ESTABLISHED A RELATIONSHIP WITH THREE RESIDENCY PROGRAMS FOR THEIR RESIDENTS TO PROVIDE OUTPATIENT, CONTINUITY OF CARE AT MCHC: INTERNAL MEDICINE, FAMILY MEDICINE & OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY. THE INTERNAL MEDICINE ALSO PROVIDES A RICH LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR PHARMACY RESIDENTS. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDERS, MCHC IS A CLINICAL SITE FOR NURSING AND MEDICAL ASSISTANT STUDENTS. IN SEPTEMBER 2019, MCHC RECEIVED FULL DESIGNATION FROM THE FEDERAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA) TO BE FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER. IN 2021, MCHC UNDERWENT AN OPERATIONAL SITE VISIT FROM HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA). THE SURVEY'S OUTCOME WAS A REPORT FROM HRSA WITH NO FINDINGS. SERVICES PROVIDED BY MCHC INCLUDE FAMILY PRACTICE, INTERNAL MEDICINE, PRENATAL SERVICES, POSTPARTUM CARE, WELL CHILD & PEDIATRIC CARE, SCREENINGS, CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT, DENTAL CARE (BY REFERRAL), LABORATORY, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS/GROUPS), FAMILY PLANNING, OUTREACH, HEALTH EDUCATION (INCLUDING NUTRITION), ELIGIBILITY ASSISTANCE, AND CASE MANAGEMENT. THESE OUTPATIENT PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO THE MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS IN STARK COUNTY, OHIO AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. THE ORGANIZATION RECEIVED APPROVAL TO OPEN A SECOND SITE IN MAGNOLIA, OHIO, A HRSA DESIGNATED UNDERSERVED AREA IN SEPTEMBER 2019. THIS FULLY FUNCTIONING SATELLITE OFFICE BEGAN OPERATIONS IN JANUARY 2020 AND PROVIDES MOST OF THE SAME HEALTH CENTER SERVICES AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. IN MARCH OF 2020 TO MEET THE CHALLENGING ISSUES OF COVID-19 WITH OUR PATIENTS, MCHC ADDED TELEHEALTH SERVICES AND IN 2021 WE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE AND PROVIDED CLOSE TO 3,800 TELEHEALTH VISITS. IN TOTAL FOR 2021, MCHC PROVIDED CARE TO APPROXIMATELY 10,300 PATIENTS WITH CLOSE TO 32,100 MEDICAL VISITS. SINCE FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE CENTERS WERE ONE OF THE FIRST PROVIDERS OF THE COVID-19 VACCINATION, MCHC BEGAN PROVIDING THE MODERNA VACCINE TO THEIR PATIENTS AND THE COMMUNITY BEGINNING IN JANUARY 2021 THROUGH APRIL. COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINICS WERE HELD AT BOTH LOCATIONS, CANTON AND MAGNOLIA AND WERE HELD DURING THE WEEK AND ON SATURDAYS. IN MAGNOLIA, WE HELD THE SATURDAY CLINIC AT SANDY VALLEY SCHOOL. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, WE ADMINISTERED OVER 4,200 VACCINES. WE HAD 8 VOLUNTEERS ASSISTING US WITH THIS SERVICE TO OUR PATIENTS AND THE COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION TO SPECIFIC VACCINE CLINICS, MCHC CONTINUES TO ADMINISTER COVID-19 VACCINES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. TOTAL VACCINES ADMINISTERED TO PATIENTS AND THE COMMUNITY IN 2021 OVERALL WERE CLOSE TO 5,100. TO IMPROVE SAFETY WITHIN THE WORKPLACE, WE IMPLEMENTED COVID-19 VACCINE MANDATES FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA) EMERGENCY TEMPORARY STANDARDS. MCHC EMPLOYS MORE THAN 70 EMPLOYEES, MANY FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. STAFF ARE FLUENT IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (CONTRACTED TRANSLATION SERVICES FOR OTHER LANGUAGES) AND EFFECTIVE AT WORKING WITH PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS OF LITERACY. OUR OBSTETRICAL PROGRAM IS UNIQUE IN THE FACT THAT WE ARE THE LARGEST OB PROVIDER FOR MEDICAID PATIENTS IN STARK COUNTY. DUE TO THE ONGOING PANDEMIC, MCHC HAD TO SUSPEND THE CENTERING PROGRAM. COMMUNITY COLLABORATION IS IMPORTANT TO MCHC. BELOW IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COLLABORATIONS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS: OB DEPARTMENT COLLABORATES WITH STARK COUNTY AND CANTON CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ON THE THRIVE INITIATIVE TO REDUCE INFANT MORTALITY. THE INTERNAL MEDICINE DIVISION COLLABORATES WITH ACCESS HEALTH TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS FOR HIGH-RISK DIABETICS IN THE PRACTICE. MCHC COLLABORATES WITH BEACON PHARMACY TO PROVIDE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS AT A REDUCED COST TO PATIENTS. IN SEPTEMBER 2021, MCHC'S CANTON LOCATION RECEIVED ACCREDITATION FROM THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE (NCQA) AS A PATIENT CENTERED MEDICAL HOME (PCMH). THIS DESIGNATION DEMONSTRATES OUR COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE FOR OUR PATIENTS. IN 2021, WE MADE SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE. WE INITIATED A QUALITY INFORMATION SOFTWARE AND PATIENT REGISTRATION SOFTWARE. WE INVESTED IN UPGRADING OUR FINANCIAL REPORTING SOFTWARE AS WELL AS OUR PAYROLL SOFTWARE. THE SOFTWARE UPGRADES ALLOW US TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SERVICES FOR STAKEHOLDERS WHILE IMPROVING EFFICIENCIES. PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY EVENTS WAS LIMITED IN 2021 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. MCHC'S STAFF PARTICIPATED IN COMMUNITY AND A BACK-TO SCHOOL EVENT IN AN IMPOVERISHED NEIGHBORHOOD. COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY OF CANTON, CANTON FOR ALL PEOPLE, AND STARK FRESH RESULTED IN A PLAN TO OPEN A COMBINATION HEALTH CENTER AND GROCERY STORE IN AN AREA OF CANTON WHICH IS A FOOD AND HEALTH CARE DESERT. PLANS ARE BEING FINALIZED. THE OPENING OF THE NEW SITE IS MOST LIKELY GOING TO BE IN 2023.