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 AND 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. 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. SERVICES PROVIDED BY MCHC INCLUDE FAMILY PRACTICE, INTERNAL MEDICINE, PRENATAL SERVICES, POSTPARTUM CARE, WELL CHILD AND 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. OUR OBSTETRICAL PROGRAM IS UNIQUE IN THE FACT THAT WE ARE THE LARGEST OB PROVIDER FOR MEDICAID PATIENTS IN STARK COUNTY. 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 WE HAVE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE. IN 2023 WE PROVIDED OVER 1,100 TELEHEALTH VISITS AND SO MANY OF OUR PATIENTS CAN ACCESS OUR CARE. FURTHERMORE, MCHC PROVIDED CARE TO, YET AGAIN OVER 10,000 PATIENTS WITH OVER 36,500 MEDICAL VISITS AND OVER 750 MENTAL HEALTH VISITS IN 2023. ON MARCH 8, 2023, MCHC OPENED A 340B INHOUSE PHARMACY TO PROVIDE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS TO MCHC PATIENTS. THIS WAS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN OUR CARE DELIVERY AND TRULY ADDRESSED ADHERENCE IN TREATMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH MAT AND SUD. COMMUNITY COLLABORATION IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO MCHC. BELOW ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR MANY COLLABORATIONS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS. OUR OB-GYN DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO COLLABORATE WITH STARK COUNTY AND CANTON CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR THE THRIVE INITIATIVE TO REDUCE INFANT MORTALITY. OUR INTERNAL MEDICINE DIVISION CONTINUES TO COLLABORATE WITH ACCESS HEALTH TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS FOR HIGH-RISK DIABETICS IN THE PRACTICE. THIS SAME DEPARTMENT STARTED COLLABORATING MORE WITH CANTON CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND EQUITAS HEALTH IN 2023, TO PROVIDE INFECTIOUS DISEASE MEDICAL CARE TO TREAT PATIENTS WITH HIV, HEPATITIS C AND ALSO PATIENTS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. OVER 4500 PATIENTS WERE TESTED WITH HIV AND A TOTAL OF 9 WERE DIAGNOSED IN 2023. WE HAVE OVER 80 PATIENTS WHO HAS THE HEP C DIAGNOSIS AND MANY HAVE BEEN TREATED AT OUR FACILITY. LASTLY, WE HAVE OVER 250 PATIENTS WITH AN SUD DIAGNOSIS AND WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE PATIENTS TO BE TREATED. IN 2023, MCHC CONTINUED TO PARTICIPATE IN MANY COMMUNITY EVENTS, PLEASE SEE THEM OUTLINED BELOW. IN EARLY APRIL, MCHC HOSTED THE GRAND OPENING OF THE INHOUSE PHARMACY AND INVITED MANY COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO BE PRESENT FOR THE OPENING. WE GAVE MCHC TRINKETS TO MANY PARTNERS AND PATIENTS TO PROMOTE THE OPENING OF OUR PHARMACY. WE HAD BEEN FEATURED BY THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER, THE CANTON REPOSITORY, THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP FROM THE STARK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. BY MAY, OUR PHARMACY STARTED DELIVERING PRESCRIPTIONS TO PATIENT HOMES. IN JULY, MCHC MADE A DONATION TO THE AKRON-CANTON REGIONAL FOOD BANK. THE FUNDS RAISED WERE BORN OUT THE DOLLAR DENIM PROGRAM WERE STAFF DONATED $2 EVERY FRIDAY. HALF OF THE FUNDS RAISED GOES TO A CHARITY WE HAVE CHOSEN AND HALF GOES TO A FUND FOR STAFF CULTURE. IN AUGUST, MCHC ONCE AGAIN PARTICIPATED AT THE SANDY VALLEY BACK TO SCHOOL BASH. WE GAVE AWAY STRING BAGS, WATER BOTTLES, SCREENING TOOL GUIDELINES AND EDUCATED MANY PARENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINATIONS FOR CHILDREN. IN SEPTEMBER, MCHC JOINED THE MASSILLON HEALTH AND WELLNESS FAIR AT THE DUNCAN PLAZA TO PROMOTE WELLNESS AND IMPORTANCE OF SCREENINGS IN THE COMMUNITY. IN OCTOBER, MCHC MADE A DONATION TO THE YWCA OF CANTON OHIO. THE ONLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S EMERGENCY SHELTER AND LARGEST OF ITS KIND IN CANTON OHIO. THE FUNDS RAISED ALSO CAME OUT OF THE DOLLAR DENIM PROGRAM. STAFF ARE TRULY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE MANY CAUSES AROUND US. MANY OF OUR PATIENTS COME FROM THE YMCA SHELTER. IN DECEMBER, MCHC PARTICIPATED AGAIN AT THE COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS OF STARK COUNTY. WE ONCE AGAIN, ADOPTED MULTIPLE FAMILIES. MCHC RAISED OVER $1,000 TO PROVIDE GIFTS AND MUCH NEEDED SUPPORT TO DISADVANTAGED FAMILIES IN OUR COUNTY. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR 2023 ARE DESCRIBED BELOW. IN OCTOBER, BOTH OUR CANTON AND MAGNOLIA LOCATION RECEIVED RECOGNITION AGAIN AS A PATIENT CENTERED MEDICAL HOME, AN ACCREDITATION FROM THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE (NCQA). THIS DESIGNATION CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE OUR COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE FOR OUR PATIENTS. IN NOVEMBER, MCHC FORMALIZED A PARTNERSHIP WITH YUVO HEALTH, A VALUE BASED CARE ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS FQHCS TO BENEFIT FULLY FROM PAYOR BASED VALUE ARRANGEMENTS. THIS IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AS YUVO IS QUITE AN INNOVATIVE CONCEPT IN VALUE BASED CARE. THEY ARE FINANCIALLY BACKED AND CAN SUPPORT FQHCS HAVING BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT MANY FQHCS IN NEW YORK CITY. MCHC IS THE FIRST ORGANIZATION TO JOIN THE YUVO IPA AND THIS OPENED UP MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR MCHC TO CAPTURE MORE REVENUE TO SUPPORT OUR UNDER-RESOURCED PATIENTS. TOWARDS THE END OF 2023 MCHC WAS PUTTING THE FINAL PIECES TOWARDS THE OPENING OF OUR THIRD LOCATION AT GONDER PLACE. THIS CLINIC OF OURS IS THROUGH A COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY OF CANTON, CANTON FOR ALL PEOPLE AND SOMMERS MARKET. THIS PROJECT HAS GONE THROUGH MANY DELAYS BUT OUR GROUP HAS REMAINED RESOLUTE AND UNYIELDING AS IT HAS BEEN OUR DREAM TO OPEN A THE FIRST HEALTH CENTER AND GROCERY STORE COMBINATION IN THE SOUTHEAST OF CANTON WHICH IS A FOOD AND HEALTH CARE DESERT. MY COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER CONTINUED TO THRIVE AND GROW IN 2023 MAKING IT EASIER TO ACCESS CRITICAL PREVENTATIVE CARE FOR ALL PATIENTS.