QUINCY, IL | By Deborah Gertz Husar Herald-Whig | Posted: Jul. 21, 2017 8:35 am
Original article can be found at: http://www.whig.com/
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The Adams County Board of Health wants to move forward with designating its dental clinic as part of a “federally qualified health center” operated by the SIU School of Medicine’s Center for Family Medicine-Quincy.
“We’re getting close to the prospect of a licensed lease of clinic to the FQHC,” Adams County Health Department Administrator Jerrod Welch said. “What is proposed is that SIU will license-lease everything involved with our dental clinic — the equipment, the physical space the clinic sits in, the billing component of the clinic.”
SIU representatives met Thursday with the Board of Health to readdress a proposal from January 2016 on sharing the county’s dental services through the federally qualified health center.
The board authorized the license lease pending final negotiations, recommendation of public health staff, and review by the state’s attorney’s office. With the board’s authorization, SIU will seek federal approval to change the scope of its service to include the dental clinic.
SIU’s Iris Wesley said federal officials have up to 60 days to act on the request, and if approved as expected, SIU will have 120 days to be in operation and meet all requirements.
“We certainly want to send patients here for dental care from the family medical clinic, and this whole area is in our target patient area,” Wesley said. “We were very fortunate to get the FQHC, and the more we can go out and help others and serve across Central Illinois, the better we meet our mission.”
Welch characterized the proposal as low-risk, high-return for the Health Department.
Leasing the billing of dental services to SIU accesses federally qualified health center billing rates — $100 compared with the department’s average of $60 — and also provides the Health Department with lease payments of $100,000 a month, or $1.2 million a year.
“It will kind of ensure the long-term viability, not that it was in any doubt, but I think it’s a better situation for the dental clinic looking out into the future,” said Board of Health member Mark Peter, who also serves on the Adams County Board. “It’s a big part of our organization, and with the questions that come up sometimes with funding, both state and federal, being involved with a well-established entity like SIU is an advantage for us.”
Also Thursday, Board of Health members approved the Health Department’s budget and tax levy for the fiscal year beginning Dec. 1.
Welch expects budget revenue to grow by about 4.5 percent over this year and expenses to be up about 3 percent while maintaining a fund reserve to cover three to four months of operating expenses. The budget calls for 2 percent raises for department employees, but raises won’t be formally approved until October.
The levy request increases to $200,000, up from $187,000 last year, after discussion about returning to a long-standing arrangement with the County Board for a $250,000 levy.
Two years ago, when state budget volatility began, posing concerns with grants and state payment delays, the county agreed to boost the department’s levy to $327,500. Last year, the department’s levy dropped back down to $187,000 “which offset that adjustment,” Welch said.
Board approval of the budget and levy is just one step in the process.
“Once our board approves it, that is basically a recommendation to the County Board to consider it,” Welch said.
OTHER ACTION
º The Board of Health adopted a social media policy for the personnel manual. The policy, a model provided by the state’s attorney’s office, is in use in other county departments.
º Board members heard highlights of the department’s Illinois Project for Local Assessment of Needs, or IPLAN.
º Deb Laird was welcomed as the Health Department’s new director of clinical services.
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