Mt. Pleasant health center gets $2.1 million grant

A Mt. Pleasant medical office is getting a grant to continue operating a clinic that assures access to primary health care regardless of medical insurance status.

Isabella Citizens for Health, Inc. is receiving $2.1 million in continued funding for three years to further the mission of providing the highest level of care, leading to an improved quality of live for the county’s residents through primary health care.

Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary agency for improving health and obtaining health equity through access to quality health care services and is the providing the grant money, according to Jennifer White, chief executive officer for Isabella Citizens for Health.

Part of the mission of the HRSA is to provide funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers; Isabella Citizens for Health is one of 39 FQHCs in Michigan, White said.

This year, it is expected that Isabella Citizens for Health will provide primary care for 6,400 people and provide roughly 20,000 patient medical visits, White said.

Steven Berkshire, EdD. and president of the ICH Board of Directors, said the staff is committed to patient-centered medical care and that he is pleased that ICH has provided care for community members.

“As one of the founding members of the ICH board of directors, I can say that we are all proud of the establishment of this organization in our community, and now our recent recertification as the Federally Qualified Health Center here in Isabella County,” Berkshire said. “On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank the staff for their commitment to patient-centered medical care and their work in ensuring access to the highest quality of primary care for our community.”

Bringing assured access to primary health care to residents of Isabella County who are uninsured, underinsured or are on Medicaid or Medicare has been a focus of ICH, although physicians treat patients who have medical insurance as well.

“The creation of the health center has been one of the most significant happenings in health care at the local level,” White said. “While we provide care to all patients, we are the safety net organization for individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare, and those who are uninsured or underinsured.”

Staff at ICH focus on improving a patient’s overall health and offer a variety of services not typically found in a medical office, such as integrated nursing case management and behavioral health services like outpatient therapy and counseling.

These services are available to all people of all ages regardless of insurance status, age, race, color, socio-economic status, marital status, religion, gender, sexual orientation, housing status, national origin, ancestry, physical handicap or disability, age, veteran status, or any other federally protected status, according to White.

Isabella Citizens for Health opened in 2013 with one physician, and became a recognized FQHC in 2015.

It first became a recognized FQHC by HRSA in 2015.

Today, ICH employs nine primary care providers in two office locations in the Central Michigan Health Park in Mt. Pleasant.

For more information about Isabella Citizens for Health, Inc., visit www.isabellahealth.org.