Angela Brandt
Havre Daily News
abrandt@havredailynews.com
A Bullhook Clinic spokeswoman today said the clinic can probably survive until November with its current funding, but a plan needs to be developed for its future needs.
The clinic will hold a community meeting Tuesday to discuss the future of the facility. The clinic was created with a $1.7 million federal Healthy Communities Access Planning Grant and opened its doors in December.
That month, the funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were rescinded. Bullhook Clinic has lost its second year of funding as a result of an appropriations act adopted by Congress and has received $980,000 of the $1.7 million grant for its first year.
Oliver Delk, a Healthy Communities Access Planning grant technical assistant, will facilitate meetings Tuesday and Wednesday at the clinic.
The community meeting will take place from noon to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the clinic's meeting room. Lunch will be provided. Call 265-5481, ext. 266, by 5 p.m. today to RSVP.
Clinic spokeswoman Pamela Burke said the community's input is important.
“The clinic is here for the community and we need to know what they need,” Burke said today.
On Wednesday, a day of meetings will include Hill County Health Department staff, local health and social service providers, the Hill County Commission and the grant management team.
The two days of meetings will culminate with a development of a final plan on Wednesday afternoon with the Hill County Commission and the grant management team.
The clinic, located at the Hill County Courthouse Annex on Fourth Avenue, sees all categories of patients - those with Medicare, with Medicaid, and with and without insurance. A co-payment for services is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Primary care, health and wellness exams for infants through seniors, sports physicals, and assistance with management of chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure are offered at the clinic. Bullhook Clinic employs a dozen people, including a clinical nurse, an operations manager, a data analyst and a nurse practitioner.
Burke said the clinic is applying for a six-month extension on the grant, which would not bring any more funding but would allow the clinic's workers to restructure the use of the dollars they do have. The clinic also is looking at other sources of funding but has not secured any yet, Burke said.
“This is a real moment of change where we're going to be deciding our direction and put the work plan for our future in place,” she said.
The clinic is one of 32 organizations across the nation that had funds rescinded, Burke said.
