Federally Qualified Health Centers: Heartbeat of the Community

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Healthcare Network Southwest Florida

For more information about the author, click to view their website: Healthcare Network

Posted on

Sep 13, 2023

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Florida - Southwest

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Federally Qualified Health Centers: Heartbeat of the Community

By Jamie Ulmer, President and CEO of Healthcare Network

Healthcare Network is proud to be among America’s 1,400 Community Health Centers that share the passion of providing quality, comprehensive healthcare services to more than 30 million patients across 14,500 communities annually.

Healthcare Network was founded in 1977 in two small trailers in Immokalee to provide health services to the migrant community. Since then, it has grown to provide primary health care to men, women and children of all ages, helping the disenfranchised, underinsured, and uninsured of our communities, as well as those with insurance and resources who recognize the quality and comprehensiveness of care available.

While we offer a network of practices throughout Collier County, we continue to meet the needs of agricultural workers, including collaborating with other groups in the community such as the Coalition of Immokalee Farmworkers, Misión Peniel and others.

When the pandemic and then Hurricane Ian exposed vulnerabilities reaching migrant communities with information, health care and support, we formed an outreach team to go door-to-door and work with Healthcare Network’s Chronic Care Management team and other professionals with referrals for health care and social support services. In addition, the team plans mini-health fairs, health education events and workshops, and continues to manage a resource line to answer questions from the community. Home visits allow the team to address issues that impact health by connecting families with local resources for physical and mental health, transportation, food and housing assistance.

Community Health Centers like Healthcare Network are not ordinary medical clinics. We are also problem-solvers who reach beyond the exam room to care for the whole person and help address the social determinants of health, such as connecting patients to resources like food and housing that are essential for a person’s complete well-being.

While the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration designates nearly all of Southwest Florida as a “Medically Underserved Area,” meaning that there are too few primary care providers for the growing population, Healthcare Network improve access to high quality primary care for at-risk populations and minority populations. Access to primary care is critical because of its role in prevention, chronic disease management and as an overall entry point to the health care system.

As nonprofits, health centers like Healthcare Network are designed to act locally and remain agile, continually working to bridge gaps in care by expanding services to meet our patients’ growing needs.

With the amount of growth in the area -- particularly where health care services and access are limited like Ave Maria, and Everglades City, we are working to provide more hubs throughout Collier County where patients can come to one place for all their health care needs. Currently, these include Nichols Community Health Center and Marion E. Fetter Center in Immokalee. On the horizon is a new health hub in the Orangetree area of Golden Gate Estates. Construction of the health center is expected to begin in winter 2023.

In the meantime, our mobile units, including the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile and the Health & Smiles, provide medical and dental care access to all corners of our county.

We are also working to address health care staffing shortages throughout Southwest Florida with two new fellowship programs in family medicine in collaboration with Lee Health and NCH hospitals and pediatric dental fellowships. These programs are designed to attract physicians committed to a mission-driven practice that directly and comprehensively impacts the health of the most vulnerable and underserved, including our migrant communities.

Recognizing that health care needs to be accessible, affordable and comprehensive, our commitment to our community, as Collier County continues to rapidly grow, is to be innovative in the ways we reach patients. With a direct line to our patients, health centers like ours are uniquely positioned to identify immediate needs that impact local health.

About the Author

Jamie Ulmer is President and CEO of Healthcare Network. He serves on the executive and chair committees for the Florida Association of Community Health Centers and is a member of multiple committees for the National Association of Community Health Centers. For information, visit healthcareswfl.org.

 

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Healthcare Network

Physicians 12655 Collier Blvd,, Naples, Florida, 34116

As you age, your healthcare needs evolve and so should your care team. At Healthcare Network, we make your needs the focus. Our highly trained primary care providers offer patient-centered, coordinated healthcareto support prevention, treatment and optimal well-being. With locations throughout Collier County, you can expect to receive high-quality, personalized care, regardless of your income, insurance, or job status.