A few dozen local leaders and citizens turned out to hear about the possibility of applying for grant money to have a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Alexander County.

    The aim of such an organization would not be to provide an emergency room or hospital, but rather could provide a stop-gap measure such as after-hours health care and weekend hours, when existing medical clinics are typically closed.

    This informational meeting took place on Thursday, August 12, at the CVCC-Alexander Center for Education. County Commission Chairman Larry Yoder noted it was not an official meeting of the Commission, though a quorum of members was
present.

    Taylorsville Interim Mayor  George Holleman said the meeting could possibly be called “historic” in the near future.

    All eyes were focused on Tammy Norville, who spoke on behalf of the North Carolina Office of Rural Health and Community Care. This is part of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Norville works with the western third of the state in matching the needs of the community with rural health programs.

    The aim of a FQHC, also known as Community Health Center (CHC), is to provide all residents with access to quality health care  services, “not just primary medical care,” said Norville, “including behavioral health, dental care, OB, including all kinds of things that you may not necessarily think of when you think of going to the doctor’s office.”

    FQHCs receive Public Health Act Section 330 grant funds from the Federal government. Also mentioned was a similar type, called “look-alikes,” that operate like FQHCs but do not get grant funds from the federal source.
 
   To apply for the grant, an area has to be a Medically Underserved Area (MUA), which Alexander County is, and Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). An area interested in the funds must also have a Medically Underserved Population.
    A FQHC must have a governing board of nine to 25 members, with certain stipulations.
    Norville noted that the grant applications run about 300 pages in length. The first portion is due November 17 and the final segment is due December 15, 2010.
    Holleman asked if there are grant writers who could assist this community in writing a grant.

    Norville replied that there are persons skilled in grant writing who can be secured for that purpose.

    Typical cost of writing a grant is about $18,000. An “incubator” project can provide scholarships up to about $10,000 to assist having a grant written.

    Norville related that most FQHCs in North Carolina are in the eastern part of the state. However, there is one in Asheville and one in Hendersonville. There is a FQHC “look alike” in Hot Springs which is the only health care in that county.
 

   If Alexander County makes it through the grant writing process and if the county is fortunate enought to receive a grant, providing a weekend clinic and one with extended weekday hours under the FQHC model is “not a problem,” Norville related.
 

   However, she reiterated that such a clinic would not be a hospital.
 

   Norville noted that, if the community decides to go ahead with the application, a work group would need to be formed, funds gathered to secure the grant writer, and contacts made with collaborators.

   Anyone interested in serving on the FQHC grant application team should contact David Odom at Taylorsville Town Hall at 828-632-2218 or Leeanne Whisnant at Alexander County Health Department, 828-632-9704.