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Appalachian District Health Department Receives Grant To Support Primary Healthcare

Appalachian District Health Department with nonprofit organization Appalachian Partners in Public Health as its co-applicant is among the newly announced grant recipients, with $1.19 million awarded to help serve the primary healthcare needs for Alleghany and Ashe Counties.

In 2013, Appalachian District Health Department provided over 12,000 medical and dental visits to over 6,500 patients in the district region. High rates of uninsured adults and chronic disease, and the fact that North Carolina chose not expand Medicaid has presented challenges in maintaining the current level of services with increasing costs and reduced funding available to meet these needs.

This funding allows the Appalachian District Health Department to provide primary care with the patient’s needs in mind, including medications, behavioral healthcare, and dental services.

“The majority of the [co-applicant] governing board members will be patients of the health center. Community health centers are the best model of consumer directed health care and will nicely complement health promotion and preventive services at the health department,” said E. Benjamin Money, President and CEO of the NC Community Health Center Association.

Additional benefits include federal loan repayment for providers, free malpractice insurance, enhanced Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, and funds to help cover the uninsured patients. It also provides the agency additional opportunities to apply for more grants that are only available to active federally qualified health center sites.

“We are so grateful for this opportunity to partner with Appalachian District Board of Health, the co-applicant non-profit Partners in Public Health and other community stakeholders to serve the needs of Ashe and Alleghany county citizens. In addition to committing ourselves to exceeding customer service expectations and providing quality healthcare, we will be working diligently to fully develop these customer-centered services while continuing to provide population health services like environmental health, communicable disease control, and community health promotion,” said Beth Lovette, Health Director.

In the coming months ahead, the Appalachian District Health Department and Appalachian Partners in Public Health will be joining together with community partners to work towards a comprehensive multi-year plan that will further enhance primary healthcare services including primary care for adults, women and children, dental care, and behavioral health for Ashe and Alleghany counties.

Learn more by connecting with us on facebook or logging on to www.apphealth.com. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact your local Appalachian District Health Department office or log on to www.apphealth.com (Watauga County: 828-264-4995, Ashe County 336-246-9449, Alleghany 336-372-5641).   #####